The San Francisco call., 1896-03-18
Natural Denouement of SenSa.
sational Divorce Pro-
ceedingS.
UTMOST SECRECY OBSERVED
Ceremony Performed Last Saturday.
The Couple Now Living at the
Golden West Hotel.

There was wedding at the Golden West
Hotel on Saturday evening that was also a
denouement.
The parties were Albert A. Wheeler and
Frances E. Harmon. Frances z. Harmon
is the divorced wife of Louis c. Harmon,
whose escapades have furnished illustrated
stories to the newspapers within the
period of easy recollection. Mrs. Harmon
secured a divorce from her husband in the
courts of Oakland, which courts decreed
that he should pay certain aliniony to the
wife.
About three months ago DR.. Harmon
having converted his estate into cash,
figuring up about $4,000, undertook to
leave clandestinely for Victoria. boarded
the tug Lille for the purpose, and started
out from Oakland to board the northbound
boat in the Golden Gate. He had been
under surveillance, however, and a
trumped-up charge was brought against
him of using the mail for unlawful pur-
poses, and on this charge he was over
hauled and arrested on the ship and taken
back to Oakland. This charge, of which
there was no evidence, was dismissed of
course, but Harmon was held-prevented
from getting away with his property from
the jurisdiction of the court.
In the meantime Mrs. Harmon, living
at 1457 Grove street, was receiving the at
tentions of Albert A. Wheeler.
Wheeler is young man OF 49, employed
in the service of the Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company as purser on vessels plying
between this City and the Central Ameri-
can ports. He has resided at the Golden
West Hotel for some time. He has been
paying attention to the lady who is now
his ife Tor long time. and there is a story
of his visiting her one evening at her home
on Grove street before the divorce was
granted; that Harmon was watching for
him with some friends, who assisted him
in surrounding the house; that when
Wheeler was leaving he encountered Har-
mon, who fired two shots at him. The
shots went wild.
Since the divorce, which was granted in
February last, Wheeler has been constant
wooer of the young Divorce, and on
Saturday last he applied for and secured a
Incense to wed. Mrs. Harmon accompanied
him and on the affidavit, which is a neces-
sary preliminary to securing the coveted
document, she made a written statement
concerning her having secured the
divorce.
The couple then went in search of a
Justice of the Peace to perform the cere-
mony, but filed or were diverted and
retired to the Golden West Hotel on Ellis
street, the formers place of residence,
where the ceremony was performed that
evening by Justice of the Peace Groezin-
ger.
Albert Il. Wheeler, the new husband Of
the Mrs. Harmon that was, has had his
experience though he is young man. He
fell heir to quite large sum of money
while q still younger man and spent it.
The spending of it threw him down in the
social scale and at the end OF his string,
financially, and suffering from despond-
ency resulting from that fact and from
dissipation he enlisted in'the regular army
and served for some years in Troop l at
the Presidio.
He recovered his poise after a time and,
it is said, bought his release from his en-
listment, or his friends bought it for him.
He secured the situation in the service of
the Pacific Mail which he still holds.
He was also for long time a member of
Light Battery a, now Troop A, National
Guard.
Mrs. Harmon is the mother of a child,
the care of which was awarded to her by
the decree of divorce. 1t is said that the
father is anxious to recover possession of
the child, and mas engaged the Curtin De-
tective Agency to watch the mother and
aid him in his desire.
Wheeler has declared to his friends that
his marriage with Mrs. Harmon gives him
the right to protect her in the possession
of the child, and that he will do it at what
ever cost. ''It anybody comes fooling
around my place trying to steal this
child" he says. "he will get shot"
Every precaution was taken to prevent
the fact of the wedding becoming known
publicly, the marriage license being Sc
cured at the last moment previous to the
closing of the Clerks office on Saturday.
The license, with certificate of the we'd
ding, has not yet been filed with the Re
corder, and every person connected with
the affair has been pledged to secrecy, but
in spite of all this, it has leaked through
the friends of the couple about the hotel.