The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-06
children and she would give her eyes to
have childn
when did the child die?''
HIn March mr. ADril 1894 ~

X
have child"
when did the child die2''
"In March or April, 1884"
Mr.. Shortridge showed the witness a
paper addressed ITO Whom 1t May Con-
Germ. the handwriting of which she lden-
tilted as her own. The letter stated that
she, Mrs. Keller, had stood as godmotheI
10 boy WHO was named after her father,
and that she had also taken care of a
dozen other children. The witness ex-
planned that this letter was written as a
mere blind to Bob" Bob. she said, had
seen her on the street In company with a
child; he had been prying into her af-
fairs; he was very jealous concerning pos
sib,e heirs to his fathers estate, and this
little paper was designed to disarm him.
She was afraid that Robert would spirit
the child away if he believed it TO be a rea
heir. She had to move about with the
child great deal to protect him from
such a mischance.
The witness stated that Judge Hastings
had become paralyzed in 1882; she had
ceased to receive letters from him in 1885.
Previous to that time. however. the cor
respondence, she said, had been very pro-
life, she having written him letter dur
ing long period nearly every day. She
declared that 800 of them had been stolen
from the Judges safe in Lakeport.
witness further concerning the letter
which she had, in anger, torn the letter
head and signature from, burning the rest.
This letter she insisted came from Robert
although she would not say that Judge
Hastings name was not signed to it. She
tore off the signature, she said in order
that she might com pare it with the known
signatures of Judge Hastings.
The letter referred to formally denied
any marital relations between Mrs. Keller
and Judge Hastings, or any promise of
marriage, and while acknowledging the
receipt of large number of letters breath
ing love declared that the feeling was not
reciprocated. She said she received a
number OF such ugly letters, but she was
certain they all came from Robert.
Ibid you ever mention to anybody be-
fore Judge Hastings death that you were
his wife?"
Yes, to a hundred people. but not
until after he attempted to repudiate me.
A first we undertook to keep it a secret,
but when Robert began to prosecute US, so
that we were compelled to move from
place to place, the jude introduced me
10 the landladies as his wife. l was thus
introduced to great number of lodging
house keepers"
''How did Robert cause all that?"
"WelI, he would frequent the same place
PEELED to leave. l would go away for
week sometimes and then return to my
former lodgings, or / would move away
and he would follow US 10 the new lodg-
ings. Sometimes he would get people to
go into my rooms and put croton oil into
my food. But l kept house on Mason
street, No. SOB, for tour years"
"Did Judge Hastings always pay you
money subsequent to your marriage2n
There was no paying about it. He
gave me money, but for the first year SUBJ
sequent to the marriage 1 may say that
kept him. He lived at my house without
paying rent or board and had his wash
ing oone."
you were married twice, you say?
What were the daies?'
The first time was 1877; the second in
1879"
The hearing was here adjourned until
Wednesday next, when the letters, of any
kind whatever, from Judge Hastings to
Mrs. Keller must be produced or kept
out of the case