The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-13

way Justice was dispensed In California.
and asked the grounds on which Mr..
Byrne made so outrageous request The
agent then read to her a certain paper
which she could not comprehend till he
came to the word adultery" when she
stopped him. He substituted the word
'desertion." She again asked an inter-
view with Mr.. Byrne. which the agent de-
MED. adding:
''Have you no pride? 1 tell you. II
Harry was weak enough to see you l, as
his counsel, would forbid it. The man
despises you"
Next day she met Harry on her way to
rehearsal. He turned ashy pale. and ex-
claimed:
why. Tillyw
She asked him what he meant by sending
that lawyer every Gay to annoy her in the
midst Of her labor. He denied all knowl-
edge of the affair, and an interview be-
tween tn EN- was decided on. During this
and long consultations that followed.
Byrne's constant theme was of the actress
being his wife again. One little scene oc-
CURED about this time that was signif-
cant. The legal agent who had bothered
the actress on her return to San Francisco
reminded her that after she was two
N On tbs married to Byrne, he had sent her
$1,000, and asked Its repayment. This
does not agree with the statement that she
had not received dollar from him. She
sold water lot for $500 to repay the $1,000.
but the purchaser refused to lay down the
money until she signed it by her real name
in the presence Of DR.. Harris. Judge
Freedom and some Others. She took the
pen and wrote Matilda Heron" then.
hesitatiDg, she asked:
what else?"
Both Byrne, who was also present. and
freedom answered aloud "Byrne." which
to the best of her knowledge she then
signed.
In their next interview she asked Byrne
what the signature meant, and his reply
was:
You are not Stoepel's wife, but mine.
Your property is mine; that beautiful
home of yours is mine; you are mine !;
your child is mine; you are my wife.
Your divorce from me was either illegally
obtained or fraudulent"
On her return to New York shortly
after she told Stoepel all that had hap
pened without reserve. There arose a
question of property between them, Stoepel
saying:
claim ALI"
She answered:
''Those were Mr.. Byrne's exact words"
From that time till she made over to
Robert Stoepel every piece of property and
every dollar she possessed strife and con-
fusion surrounded Matilda Heron. She
did not wish to divide the property but to
keep it together for the child Bijou, after
ward an ingenue actress OF some note. so
she engaged MIR. James T. Brady to defend
the case. Brady died soon after. On re-
questing his surviving partner to take up
her cause he quietly said:
Matilda. you will have trouble with
Stoepel for l have had communication
from Mr.. Byrne, who says you are his
wife. and that your divorce from him is
not legal"
1t was then, in utter WEAKNESS from
bearing the trouble piled upon her, tn at
she parted with all her property to Stoe-
pei. Hopper. it appears, had misinformed
her in the matter of the Bvrne divorce.
Of course, the affidavit whence the
foregoing is compiled was made in view of
contest for family support from the
estate OF the dead lawyer, and the superior
duty she owed to Byrne is kept in view by
the affiant all through.