The herald., 1895-07-13
IS HUBERT A SVENGAu?
Takes His Trilby to Fair
HOlcOmb Valley
THE HUSBAND HIS LACkEY
Strange Story Developed in
This City
LOVE AND PECULIAR POWER
An Alleged Russian Count and
Physician
LOVE AND PECULIAR POWER
Loves Another's Wife and Employs Her
Husband
Draws Money From the Escondido Lodge,
X. Of p, Signs Certificates With an
n. d. and Otherwise Disports
Himself, So They Say

Up in Holcomb valley, about forty
miles back Of San Bernardino. where the
summer sun is rapidly ripening the grain
and the orchard and vine are yielding
their fruit, there lives an apparently ideal
peace and content, small family, con-
sisting of husband and wife, whose every
whim and caprice are promptly and will
lingly carried out to the letter by man
servant, whose only law is their wish.
The couple have not been married very
long, and with the poetic surroundings.
apparent ease as to finances and absolute
freedom from the vexations OF the servant
| question, the casual observer would be
excusable if he even felt touch of envy
at the sight of such Arcadian existence.
That sounds nice, doesn't it? But unfortu-
nately it probably isn't so, for there was
an observer in this case who was more
than casual. He was a neighbor. and
what he says he saw and what he feels is
transpiring under an apparently idyllic
exterior in Holcomb valley would take the
quill of Rider Haggard to do justice
to, and puts Stevenson's Mr.. Hyde to the
blush.
| 1t seems there was Mr.. and Mrs.
| Symington not so long ago, who, like
many another couple, ought to have been
happy though married. but found to their
sorrow and dismay that through the di-
vorce court lay their only hope for even
contentment on earth. So to the divorce
court they went and she was made new
woman, and he, her ex-husband; at least
that is how the story goes.
| Iii the next chapter the plot thickens a
little. Mrs. Symington meets DR."
Hubert former president of the Truth
Seekers, a society which had its home on
Main street, Los Angeles. OF course
man who has at any time been so closely
associated with q band of seekers after
truth as to be their president would ap-
| peal 10 the trusting heart of woman,
even aew woman who had moulted her
first husband; and presently, it Is
claimed. the "Dr.' prevails upon Mrs.
| Symlngton to seek the truth with him as
Mrs. Hubert. Where was Mr.. Symngton
all this time?
He was member of the Escondido
lodge of the Knights of Pythias, a nd he
carried $4,000 life insurance in the same
lodge. How it came to pass Is not ex-
planned, but when the ''doctor" and his
wife materialized in Holcomb valley they
had lackey with Them who so closely
resembled Mr.. Symington. the ex-hus-
band of Mrs. Hubert, that it could be de-
tected at once with the naked eye. Why
should Mr.. Symlngton join the ia mily of
his divorced wife and her new husband.
and In the capacity of servant. unless
some especial torce were brought TO bear?
And why should they want such a SER
want, unless they Sould d,rive some
other benefit than his moral support?
These are the questions that have been
harIassing the mind of that neigh Dor,
Mr.. Mattison. until he came to Los An
gees ten days ago to seo if he couldn't
find some remedy and relief for what it
is alleged he believes to be a case of hyp.
notism, if nothing worse. Hypnotism,
because Symngton is a com pete tool to
the will of the alleged doctor. and is kept
sick enough all the time for the said al.
legged doctor to draw upon the sick fund
of the Escondido lodge for money from
time to time, signing the certificate as
NJ. D.. whereby it is charged that he
is actingsillegally. since he is not legiti-
mately entitled to append those magic
initials to his surname.
Yet so the story goes, the more than
casual observer. the neighbor, assev-
crates that if things continue as
they have been out in that peaceful valley
much longer, there Will be a funeral there.
That is how it happens that the last
chapter of the Holcomb valley idyl tells
how that upon the return of Mr.. Matti-
son to Los Angeles he called upon DR..
Pritcnard, chairman of the relief commit
tee of the Knights of Pythias. how DR..
Pritchard had him notify the Escondido
lodge. in which Mr.. Symington carries
his life insurance; and how the officers
of the lodge sent two members to the val
ley. that if all OF this be true, very.nearly
became the valley of the shadow of death
tells that the authorities are investigat-
ing the case.
DIR. Gong's Statement
j. William Going. M. D., of the Howell
dispensary on South Spiing street, who
knew Hubert and the Symingtons, was
seen late last night at his office.
II know very little of the story, though
I have heard great deal of talk about
it, he said. ''This Hubert claims to be
physician, but he is not recognized by
the profession, and his name does not
appear in our lists.
"He represents that he is graduate of
the university of Moscow, or some other
great Russian college OF medicine, anu as
sumes large airs. 1 cont know how lie
got his power over the Symingtons, un-
less you call it hypnotism. His hypnot.