The record-union., 1896-05-16
LOVE, LUCRE and LETTERS.
Mrs. Lees Correspondence With Eugene
Gregory.
Both Sides Appear in Court Behind
Mighty Barricades Of
Epistles.

A few more of E. ]. Gregory's letters
to Mrs. Mary Z. Lee were read IN Jus
tice Henry's Court yesterday, and then
the further hearing of the examination
OF the charge of obtaining money by
false pretenseS was continued TIL Mon
day
The object of the prosecution in intro
ducing these letters is to show, as is
claimed that Gregory's purpose was to
persuade her into lending his firm $4,000
and to convince her that it was a SOL
vent concern, while at the same time
laying siege to her affection.
The defense proposes to combat this
idea by the production of letters from
Mrs. Lee that will disprove the former
allegation, and establish the fact that
two of the three separate loans were
made by her to help the firm tide over
the hard times, and at the same time
show that her chief motive was to cap
ture tine heart and hand of Mr.. Gregory.
Mrs. Lee carried an armful of packages
with her when she entered uhe court
room, and when she took the stand and
opened her bundles the contents proved
tc be letters addressed in a bold buSi-
nesS-like hand.
Alvin J. Bruner, Mr.. Gregory'S attor-
ney, also carried into the courtroom
couple of pasteboard boxes, which were
supposed to contain letters written in a
feminine hand. But the boxes were not
opened, as the examination did not
reach that stage at which the defense
could offer any of its evidence, and they
We're taken away again to be returned
Oh Monday.
Resuming her story where she left off
on the preceding day, Mrs Lee said that
when Mr.. Gregory visited her the sec
ond time at Red Bluff they talked over
money and other matters for a while,
and then her visitor asked her if she
knew how much he loved her. She asked
him if he meant that, and he replied
that he did.
The witness said she told him she had
not thought of love, but he continued the
subject. Reverting again to money
matters, she said her own money was
not just then available, but she would
get the 5000 by borrowing it.
The rest of the interview was of a
different nature, Mr.. Gregory acting in
an affectionate manner and advising
her not to stay always in Red Bluff, but
take occasional trips to other places.
Then the Assistant District Attorney
had recourse to the package of letters,
and one was produced which Gregory
had sent to the witness at Red Bluff in
care of a railroad engineer. It in
formed her that he would be in Red
Bluff the following day to discuss money
matters, but the note did not reach her
until after he had arrived there.
Mrs. Lee then produced letter she
received from Gregory, dated December
>, 1893. 1t referred to his intended de-
parture eastward, to be absent about
fifteen days. 1t was chiefly of a social
character, but also referred to the
$4,000 loan, though in no very definite
terms.
The next letter from him, she said,
contained no reference to money,
neither did the succeeding one, writ
ten from Chicago.
Mr.. Bruner said he would object to
the introduction of any more letters
that did not bear on the subject of the
solvency or insolvency of the Gregory
firm. The complaint charged that
Gregory obtained the money on his
representation that his firm was SOL
vent. Nothing relating to this point
had yet been introduced, and the court
- HOl II iIlS " GtlSi IIllIc d 1--WE CdSe.
1t will take, said Mr.. Bruner, at least
ten days to introduce and read the mass
OF correspondence that passed between
the parties, and there was no reason
for incumbering the records with the
contents of these letters.
Mr.. Jones contended that the letters
did have a bearing on the point at is
sue The claim of the prosecution was
hat hs SrsrnocQd lax-1a- a ~ ont no
part of the defendant was simply a
trick on his part to obtain the money
by artifice and on false pretenses.
If the other side, said Mr., Jones,
should undertake to introduce a mount
ain Of letters that have no bearing on
this point he would object to them.
Justice Henry said he intended to
treat both sides fairly. If the prose-
oution introduced ali the letters they
desired he would allow the defense the
same privilege.
The next time she met Gregory, Mrs.
Lee said, he greeted her in the most
affectionate manner, and, as she un-
derstood it, expressed love for her. He
spoke of his solvency and his position
and standing He asked her if she had
the $4,000 with her, and she replied she
did not. but would send it to him the
next day.
Here the witness drifted back to the
alleged love-making part of the inter
view, and was admoniShed TO confine
herself as closely as possible to the
conversation that passed between her
self and the defendant
His conversation, she said, led her to
believe that he was her best of friends
and that her money would be per-
fectly safe. He said nothing about the
soIvency of the firm at that time, but
did say that anything she might place
with him would be perfectly safe. Moth
ing was said that led her to believe the
money was not going to the Gregory
Bros.
After receiving the next letter from
Gregory at Red Bluff she sent him a
check.
Mr.. Bruner asked the witness if she
had kept copies of the letters she had
written TO Gregory, and she admitted
that she had of most of them. Mr. Bru-
WHN ICE