The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-03
LED A DOUBLE LIFE.
Mr.. Cranston, the Hotel NJ an, Ran Too
Many Embellishments.
prom the New York sun.


Many Establishments.
From the New York sun.
The double life of James II. Cranston,
for many years proprietor of the New
York hotel and in summer of Cranston s.
on-the-Hudson, is embodied in the report
of James r. Cunning, as referee, to the
superior court. Mr.. Cunning finds that
Pnube \. CraustOn is entitled to a sepa-
ration from her husband and the custody
of their daughter, Pnpbe Eliza beth, 20
years old, and TO l.sO0 year for their
support. Judge Dugro has confirmed the
report Of Mr. Cunning.
Mrs. Cranston did not ask for any other
| decree than a separation, but the referee
finds that the evidence was such as 10
| have entitled her to an absolute divorce.
She charged her husband with gradually
estranging himself from her since 1850,
until about three years ago. when ne en-
tirely abandoned her and their daughter.
She also made allegations of cruelty but
the only cruelty she attempted to prove
was the constructive cruelty Of relations
continued for a number of years to her
knowledge with Mary Yost Wood, who
had been a guest at his hotels and on
whom, she declares, he has laVished
large part Of his income of $4,000 year,
which he enjoyed until he became en-
barrassed in business about two years
ago.
The Cranstons were married on Dec. !,
1863, at Berlin, Rensselaer, county. They
removed TO this city in 1876, when Grams
ton became proprietor of the New York
hotel Mrs Cranston says she lived hap
PLY with her husband and daughter at
the hotel until 1880, when Mary Yost
Wood became guest there. Cranston's
attentions TO Miss Wood became more
and more marked at the hotel. Mrs.
Cranston says she tried IN various ways
to reclaim her husband, but in vain. In
1882, when he had begun to keep alOof
from the apartments of his wife at the
hotel she wrote him a long letter asking
him for the sake of his own reputation
and for the sake of his daughter, if not
for her own sake, to abandon his course
Of life and to return TO her. In reply, she
says, he wrote that he had ceased to love
her and that he had decided to continue
his mode Of life.
Soon after this he put her and her
daughter in separate apartments at the
hotel His visits to her and her daugh ter
in the apartments he gave them were
very few after he installed them there.
"He seemed to ignore our existence" she
says. Meanwhile he spent all his spare
time in the company of Miss Wood,
whom, in January, 1884, as the referee
finds, he installed In the house at 13l
West 10th street. 1t is found that
Cranston bought the house with his
money and put the time in the name of
Miss Wood the deed being recorded in
her favor in January, 1884. The house
was elegantly furnished, and CranSton
made it his residence
About 1885 CranstOn made his wife give
up her apartments in the main part of
the hotel, and gave her another apart
ment in what was known as the annex,
which was connected with the main
building by a bridge. Here she and her
daughter very seldom saw him. He for
babe his wife TO take her meals In the
public dining hall, and had the meals for
his wife aud daughter sent to their apart
ment.
In June, 1883, Mrs Cranston became i'll
brooding over his conduct, and she asked
him for money SO that she and her
daughter could go TO the country to re
cuperate She declares that he would
not give her any money to go out Of town
Her daughter had saved up S20S which
she had got in small presents since child
hood, and mother and daughter went to
the country with this money.
When they returned to the city in Sep
TENDER CrauSton would not permit her to
return to their apartment in the annex,
but he provided for their lodging and
board at Is Washington place Mrs
/ Cranston says that her husb band per
mitted her to 90 to the cashier of the
New York hotel and draw small sums
from time to time in addition TO paying
for their support, but these sums did not
exceed $50 to $40 a month except in April
and May, $780, when she got about 500
each month.
She became i'll again in June 1890, and
asked him to provide place for her in the
country, saying that if he would not send
her anywhere else she would 90 to Grams
tons He took no steps to provide her
such accommodations so on June -, 1894
she went with her daughter to the hotel
at Gran ston 5. The next day, she says.
she received the following letter from
husband:
Mrs !. H. Crauston-I learn through G. b.
Cranston that YOU are at CranstOn' s. contrary
TO my wishes expressed to you. I have pro,
Vldcd home for you az Is Washington place,
which YOU left without my knowledge. l
! give you twentytour hours to leave Grams
tons
She says she at once left the hotel and
returned to is Washington place. She
says that Cranston has failed to provide
/ society for his daughter proper for
| young lady, and has for the past four
! years failed to provide for her education.
/ The referee says
HE has thrown off and diregarded all
the obligations and duties of a husband
toward the plaintiff and has ceased to live
with her as husband, and his whole con-
/ duct is without Justification and is due to
no fault of neglect on her part"
Cranstou was represented before the
referee, out he did not try TO defend the
case. He strongly opposed the confirma-
tiOn of the part of the report which pro
vided that he must pay his wife for the
support of herself and daughter 81 500 a
year. On the motion Cranston made aft
dayit that he is now without means, and
that no order Of the court can get that
amount of money from him, as he hasn't
got it and is not earning IT, He says he is
employed for the summer as manager Of