The herald., 1895-03-24
Latest Development in Regard
to Millionaire Fair
WERE ENGAGED TO MARRY
The Famous Woman's Rights Advocate
Tells Her Story Freely
Senator-The Couple Corresponded
ReguIarly-rIet In Chicago

viii publish tomorrow long story telling
of the affection that existed between the
late James &. Fair and Miss Phoebe
Cousins, the well-known lecturer and wo-
mans rights advocate. According to the
Call they we're engaged to be married and
only the death of the millionaire pre-
vented their marriage. Miss Cousins is
at present in San Jose taking care of her
brother, who is ill. To a Call represen.
tative she told of her affection for Fair.
She told her story freely. candidly and
without hesitancy. Before speaking
about herself she said:
II will begin by stating that there were
many conferences between Mr.. Fair and
myself which cannot touch upon at all.
He told me all about his life--hs sue
cesses, his failures, his joys and his sor-
rows. From these condolences | con-
cluded that he had been more sinned
against than SHINING. | refer particularly
. to his married life and the uni leasant
ending Of it. Cruel enemies and mser-
able meddlers had done their villainous
work.
II first met Mr.. Fair in the Riggs
House, Washington, d. c., in 1883, while
he was United States Senator from
Nevada. | took a liking to him a once.
He seemed to me to be the very ideal of a
strong. vigorous and energetic man, who
was created to succeed in life-to be a
prince and leader among men. The
evident defects in his education and
manners were completely overwhelmed
saw him. soon admired him very
much. and l could see that he also liked
to be in my company and seemed to take
interest in my work and my views of
social and political conditions.
But this, our first friendship did not
nr
warmer than mutual admiration In the
course OF a few months we parted, as true
friends part and went on our separate
ways. He returned to Nevada and Cali
fora and resumed my work lin
different parts of the world. Thus time
went on. Several years passed and we
did not meet until some time after my
mothers DEATH"
Miss Cousins then related her trouble
with the Worlds Fair Board of Lady Man
ayers and her efforts to have bill passed
by Congress to secure payment for her
services as secretary. She applied to
Fair for political assistance, and although
he said he had no such influence, he
wrote wrote very cry kindly and sn asked her to corre-
"And this" Miss Cousins resumed,
after pensive pause" opened the cor
respondence between us which eventually
led to our betIothal.
For some time after that letters
passed between us at regular intervals,
and the spirit of the correspondence grew
warmer and more confidential with each
letter. Shortly after returning to Chicago
l received letter from Mr.. Fair, in
which he stated that he would soon see
me; that he wanted our friendship to
eliminated in relationship closer and
dearer than mere friendship, and that
he was coming with serious intentions to
ask my hand and heart in marriage.
Mr.. Fair, accompanied by his secreta-
res, Breesee and Angus and think Mr..
Crothers, arrived in Chicago, May 7th.
Pacific. Mr.. Fair Immediately sent me
his card. | met him in one of the parlors
and he expressed great happiness at see-
ing me again He told me then and there
that he had come all the way from Cali
fornia for the purpose of asking me to be-
come his wife. l told him l would give
him definite answer in few days and
delicately intimated that he need have no
fear of my final decision. He seemed very
much pleased at this and we spent The
evening very pleasantly talking of the
present, the future and old times:.'
Then Miss Cousins told how Mr.. Fair
was taken ill a few days after this and
sent for her to nurse him. how she min
istered to- his wants in spite of the OBJ
jections OF his secretaries, who endeav-
ored to keep her from him.
when Mr.. Fair had recovered suffi-
ciently to enable him to be up and walk
around. he called me aside one day. He
said that he had decided to shake him
self free from certain influences that con-
stantly interfered with his wishes and his
peace of mind. He spoke of the many
notes and cards which he had sent to NV
room after he became convalescent and
which never reached their destination
They had been intercepted by some one
who had al interest in keeping Us apart
~ wanvto end up my affairs" he said
"in such manner as that shall do
justice to all my family connections
love my family and | want to make fair
provision for them. l love you and |
want to provide for you at all hazards so
that financial trouble can never come
to you. l want you to be my wife. Will
you marry me?''
II answered yes. He then said thank
you dearest. God bless you. We must
be married soon, very soon. | shall ar
range, my business and property affairs at
once
.'But he was still more or less ill and
this prevented our early marriage. One
evening when he was feeling much better
we sat together and talked about the
Worlds Fair and he said we must see all
of it together, and that as his own dear
and gifted little wife l should explain all
the items OF interest with which he was
not acquainted, from a historical point
Of view.
''And that was the last evening that we
were together" said Miss Cousins, with
deep drawn sigh. "On the following
day Mr.. Fair was whsked out of Chicago
as if he had been prisoner or fugitive
from justice. l was permitted to see him
only few minutes before he went away.
Angus Breesee and Crothers were con-
stantly near him.
While was speaking to him just be-
fore his departure, man who l think was
a hireling, Mr.. Breesee came and inter
rupted our conversation. Mr.. Fair man
aged to tell him that he was called away
by very important business matters. but
that he would speedily return and make
me his wife. And SO he left. l never saw
him again. l received one letter from
him after he arrived in San Francisco. In
that he stated that he was well. and
begged me to write to him often. did
write, but l never got an answer after
that. l am positively certain that he
wrote to me also, but the letters were un-
questionably intercepted. His secretaries
were constantly on the watch. When l
used to call on Mr.. Fair in his sick room
at the Grand Pacific his valet or one of
the other attaches used to secrete them