The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-08

How She Tasted the Bitterness OF Eariy
diversity the MacI<ays. Floods
and Fairs Took Her up and Made Der
WeaIthy--How She was Dragged From
aPuIInan Coach and Held Forty Eight
Hours in a Leadvine CalaboOse--And
How She Wants Hundred Thousand
Dollars For 1t.
Chicago Feb. THE life story Of
Mrs. Lydia Spaulding, the woman who
has brought suit against the Pullman
Palace Car company and the Atchison,
Topeka and Santa Fe railway, for the
recovery Of 800, 600 damages, is a rom
entic one.
Struggling with poverty as the wife
of an aged, unsuccessful physician, the
mother Of q handsome boy, united by
social ties with men and women who
Became kings and queens in the twin
worlds of finance and fashion, the mis-
r1ess of the most palatial private hotel
and boarding house in San Francisco,
suddenly bereft OF husband and son, the
possessors of a hard-earned fortune
sustaining the loss of health. weak in
ing years. TORN from her railway apart
ment, rudely thrust into dingy prison
cell, TO be surrounded with the most
1OathsOme Migrants in the town OF
Leadville, robbed, as she says, Of $4,000
in Jewels and money, these are some OF
The successive phases, miseries, pleas
ures, endeaYors. hopes and fears of Mrs.
Spaulding's history.
A LLWERE POOR TOGETHER.
The woman who seeks to force two
big corporations TO pay her for the in
dignities thrust upon her in the COlora-
DO town, and for which she alleges,
they were responsible, was born in Vir-
ginia. AS a girl she possessed consid-
cradle beauty and became the wife OF
DR.. Sp4ulding, who was many years her
senior. With him she went TO Virginia
City, Nevada, IN the days before the
great outburst Of wealth which made
San Francisco one of the most remark
able cities in the world.
In Nevada she became acquainted
with the Mackays, Floods and Fairs, at
n time the future milionaires were poor
~ toiling citizens Of Virginia City.
The Floods, Mackays and Fairs pros
pered and won millions, while Mrs.
Spaulding saw the prospects Of her nus
band and herself grow gloomier. 4
son was born TO them and not long af-
forwards they removed 10 san Fran
cisco.
FRIENDS IN ADVERSELY.
IN the city by the Golden Gate soon
Nvere settled the great bonanza kings
and while they lived in homes Of SPLEEN
DOR, Mrs. Spaulding was using her ut
most endeaVOr TO help her husband in
his profession. He failed and she, turn
ing to her former friends. found assist
arre They aided her in leasing -hn
Ralston Mansion, whose owner had
taken his own life, surrounded as he
WAS by every luxury wealth could bring
"a manner 50 romantic and yet 50
startling that II became a part of the
history Of the Pacific coast. This man
sion, sumptOuslY fuTn ished. Mrs.
SpauldinE opened as 3 private boarding
house Here lived Mr.. and Mrs Fair,
NIr- and MRS Flood, and Mrs. Mackay.
and many others of almost fabulous
fortunes
The Ralston club with its stately tur-
rents and broad windows. looking out
upon the bay. was one of the most ell
aborate edifices in the city. With pol
ished hardwood floors, streWn with
costly rugs. with rich mosaics. walls re-
eplenda2t with mirrors, and hung with
lOrs, divided by softly sliding doors.
with quaint little hooks, the place was
almost like home in fairyland.
Mrs. Spaulding prospered and hap
piness seemed hers until her husband
was suddenly taken i'll, fell lifeless at
her feet. Adding TO her soTTow, her
boy died in an equally sudden manner. /
NOW FOR THE STORY.
Mrs. Fair became more than ever her /
friend, and built for her a beautiful ho-
tel of 100 rooms, the Bella Vista, and in
this establishment. The unhappy Mrs
Spaulding became a rich woman Then
her health deserted her and, disposing
of her city interests. she retired a few
years ago to her country home, not
leaving = save 10 take an occasional
trip TO Europe. whittier she was on her
way last June when, arriving at Lead
Vile, Colo, she was taken from the
apartment in Pullman Palace car and
placed in the city prison, where, she
claims, she was detained forty-eight
hours without a charge being made
against her.
When released, having passed two
days among thieves, Migrants and the
Tiff-ram Of a western town, she found
that she had been robbed. She claims
that her detention and attendant in
dignities were caused by employees OF
the Pullman company. who. she alleges,
took her money and jewels.
The defendants deny that Mrs
Spanldings detention was caused by
them, and claim that II was brought
about by the civil authorities Of Lead
Vile. who took such steps to prevent the
woman. who is said TO have been act
ing ia q violent manner. from inflictins
injury upon herself, or possibly taking
her own life.