Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-08
CLIMAX OF MANY TROUBLES
Refined Woman Placed in Jail with Toughs
and Dissolute Characters.
MONEY AND VALUABLEs WERE TAKEN AWAY
Pullman and Railway Company Asked
to Pay Heavily for the IndiEni-
ties She SuRered-Lifc story
Was MelOdrama.

CHICAGO, Feb. 1.-THE life story of Mrs
Lydia Spauding, the woman who has brought
suit against the Pullman Palace Car com.
pany and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
railway for the recovery Of 100000 damages
is romantic one. Struggling with poverty
as the wife Of an aged, unsuccessful physi-
clan, the mother Of handsome boy, united
by social ties with men and women who
became kings and queens in the twin worlds
of finance and fashion, the mistress of the
most palatial private hotel and boarding
house in San Francisco, suddenly bereft OF
husband and son, the possessor of a hard
earned fortune. sustaining the loss of health
weakened and ladened with an accumulation
of years. torn from her railway apartment,
rudey thrust into dingy prison cell to be sur
rounded with the most loathsome vag-
rants in the town of Leadville; robbed as she
says, of $4,000 in jewels and money, these
are the successive phases, pleasures,
SORROWS, endeavors. hopeless features of
Mrs. Spauldings history. The woman
who seeks to force two big cor
poratons to pay her for the indgni-
ties thrust upon her in the Colorado town
and for which she alleges they were RESPONSE
BILE, was born in Virginia.
As a girl she possessed considerable beauty
and became the wife of Dr. Spaulding, who
was many years her senior. With him she
went to Virginia City, New, in the days
before the great outburst of wealth which
made San Francisco one OF the most re-
markable cities in the world In Nevada
She became acquainted with the Mackays,
Floods and Fairs, at the time when they
were poor, toiing citizens Of Virginia City.
The Floods Mackays and Fairs prospered
and won millions. while Mrs. Spauldng saw
the prospects Of her husband grow gloomer.
son was born to them, and not long after
ward they removed to San Francisco. In
the city by the Golden Gate, soon were set
tied the great banana kings. and while they
lived In homes of splendor, Mrs. Spaulding
was using her utmost endeavors to help
her husband in his profession.
He failed. and she, turning to her former
friends, found assistance. They aided her
in leasing the Ralston mansion, whose owner
had taken his own life surrounded as he
was by every luxury wealth could bring, in
a manner so romantic and yet 80 startling
that 1t became part Of the history of the
Pacific coast. This mansion, sumptuously
furnished, Mrs. Spaulding opened as a private
boarding house. Here lived Mr.. and Mrs
Fair Mr.. and Mrs. Flood and Mrs. Mackay,
and many others of almost fabulous fortunes
The Ralston club, with its stately turrets
and broad windows, looking out upon the bay
was one Of the most elaborate edifces in
the city. With polished hardwood fioors
strewn with costly rugs, with rich mosaics
paintings chosen by connossieur, parlors
divided by softly sliding doors. with quaint
little hooks, the place was almost like a
home in fairy land.
Mrs. Spaulding prospered and happiness
seemed hers until her husband, suddenly
taken i'll, fell lifeless at her feet. Adding to
her sorrows, her boy died in an equally sud-
den manner Mrs. Fair became more than
ever her friend and built for her a beautiful
hotel Of 100 rooms, the Bella Vista. and In
this establishment the unhappy Mrs. Spauld-
deserted her and disposing of her city In
terests she retired a few years ago to her
country home. not leaving 1t save to take an
occasional trip to Europe. whittier she was
on her way last June, when. arriving at Lead.