The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-21
MRS. ALEX. MAJORS CASE.
INCORRECT REPORTS SENT OUT
FROM KANSAS CITY.
Miss Catherine Majors Makes a
Statement in Behalf of Herself
and Her MOther-PitiabIe Story
of Long Struggle With Adver-
sity.


lieved.
Mrs. Majors has recently written to
Salt Lake friend briefly stating the zeal
facts in the case, and enclosing the .oi-
lowing clipping from the Kansas City
Journal:
II plainly furnished room on the
third floor of the house at FO1 East Sixth
street, yesterday afternoon. reporter for
the Journal found Mrs. Susan 3. Majors
and her daughter, Miss Catherine Majors.
They are the wife and daughter of Alex
ander Majors one of the best known men
IN the west during the early days of this
part of the country. He was the pioneer
of the overland freighting business, and
the firm of Russell, Waddell & Majors
had a name and fame as wide as the
country.
The earlier years of Mrs. Majors and
daughter were passed in affiuence. Their
present condition is as pitiable as could
health and spirit ten days ago they asked
Judge Stone, of the county court, to allow
them to find shelter and subsistence in
the poor farm. The strange request was
the causes for the remarkable action fol-
lowed: 1t is story of lost fortune and is
full of pathos and tragedy.> Two women,
one OF mature years, broken in health,
the other young and a sufferer physical
ly weak, left alone in a. city where they
were once wealthy, to fight out the battle
1.-The published accounts of our recent
action In applying to Judge Stone did us
great injustice" said Miss Majors yes
terday. 1T referred to our fine. gowns
and said we had recently returned from
an extended trip in Europe These reports
are both very incorrect In the first place,
| have never been in Europe, and. my
years. when she went there with my
father. and they spent some time living
quietly near Edinburgh. Scotland.
We came to the city eight years ago
in quiet private boarding house, and
afterwards lived in the southern suburbs
of the, city, where we kept house. We en-
housework, and INDUCED in no social ex
travagance whatever. Two years ago we
moved to Chelsea place, in Kansas City,
Kan. and after living there for time
property was destroyed. After that we
came back to this city.
N justice to my mo her. I am compelled
to speak Of the action of father in leav-
ing us alone as he has done. 1 cannot
justify his action and the treatment he
has accorded mother. He is fond of ex-
element and travel and not in sympathy
with the quiet life we are leading here.
When he was prosperous he provided lib
orally, and furnished mother with plenty
of money, but when misfortunes came he
was not willing to divide fairly with her.
He became selfish and petulant and COM
planned often about having to provide for
u.s. declaring that he was too old for such
such unfairness was Illuminating to her,
and one morning she told him that such
talk was wrong and tiresome, and If his
family was such burden he had better
He took her at her word. One morn
ing, in August, $780, he coolly informed US
that he was going away to remain. we
meant ii, but he did, and from that day
to this we have learned of him only
through others. No word came from him
TO us in all these years, nor has he ever
ner. In these years he has travelled from
place to place great deal and evidently
had pretty good time. He tells people
he is without means, but 1t takes some
cash to pay the expenses of the travelling
he does. Had he been willing to take the
same cash and live quietly and economic
man, we would have been spared all this
shame and publicity. lie has become pet
ulant and childish and complains greatly
over what he terms the extravaganza OF
my mother. He is the last one who ought
to condemn extravaganza. When we had
plenty, mother did spend money plenti-
fully. but to my certain knowledge he
spent thousands in extravaganza where
she used hundreds for pleasure. He was
of nature to squander money, and that
fact is known by everyone who knows
him. He was always certain to provide
well for himself, but he has known of our
condition for two years and yet he mas
done nothing. 70
disorder that makes her an invalid and
she requires my constant care. ! am
suffering from a nervous trouble that af-
fects my memory and units me for en-
ployment that l might otherwise secure.
For that reason / have lost several posi-
lions l have secured. Some months
since, in desperation, l secured a posi-
weeks. My physical condition would not
permit it and / was compelled to let
the place go and quit. 1 worked under
an assumed name in some good families
pected. l did that to prevent questions
being asked that / did not care to
answer. l could work for a few days,
but the long hours and the, constant
work was more than | could do.
1T is not generally known, but mother
and l spent the winter OF 1884 at the
found ourselves in poor health and with
put funds for the winter. We had some
friends. to whom we applied for tenn
porary assistance. but we were unable to
cided to seek a shelter for the cold
season. We went to see Judge Hem at
MS store, and he gave US an order that
nitted under assumed names. Mother
gave the name of Mrs. S. Mayor and l
gave that of Miss c. Mayor. We were
there four months and eleven days. We
were given a room on the second floor
in ward 3. We were in the place during
the investigations made by the grand |
Jury and Che ladies Of this 1i city, am, and
we're making their Investigations, al
though the superintendent begged of us
o tell nothing, as it would ruin him.
man of the jury. about the management
Of the place, and on one of the visits of
he ladies one of them made us q. very
pleasant call. When we went to the
farm we were Mortified with the sur
The discord and commotion
# the sane and insane We're something
awful We had never dreamed of such
our months we came away and tried
Lgain to fight out the battle for exist
nee.
'The cruelties reported to have existed
they were never cruel to US, for they
Knew we were sane. They were very
inlkind and annoying, and made US just
IS uncomfortable as possible. We Oh,
IN the helpless that came within our
Jew, and the superintendent made it
cry unpleasant for us. The ladies who
anne to the farm were told some kind
If queer stories concerning Us, and on
me occasion Mrs. Austin. one of them.
anne in and lectured us on the subject
# our behavior. They had been told
hem they did right in lecturing us. OH
ad they triei in the right manner, how
much cruelty they could have found that
as never been N,ade public.
1.-The horrible surroundings there 20
Keyed upon my mothers mind that she
anne from there in worse health than
hen she went to the place we were
iith the people there: many of them
alf-witted and some crazy, and eat at
he table where they were fighting and
It of my poor mother, reared as
. called upon to endure such humilia-