The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-26
HUNTED BY A WOMAN.
Well Known Business Man Says He
Has Been H0unded.
Followed and Tracked Around the World
by Agents Of Widow.

4 Guio NonDotJf Nv N'o' -
Duane street, tell a strange story about the
| persection he has suffered at the hands OF
a wealthy San Francisco widow for the
| last sixteen years.
| Emissaries of this woman. IL is said,
hound MIR. Haley in the streets. They
| follow him TO his MOTEL and watch his
| every movement. Several times Haley's
friends say he has been tempted TO have
| ii out with the detectives on the spot, but
has been deferred by the fear OF publicity.
| / saw Mr.. Haley yesterday, but he re-
| fused TO discuss his trouble further than
| to admit that the facts as stated by his
friends were in the main true. Mar. Haley's
| splendid specimen OF physical man
hood, being more than six feet tall and
broad in proportion. He Is about 40
years old. He has Travelled all over the
world in the interests of various safe
companies, but even in the Anlipodes has
been unable to escape the espionage Of
the woman who has apparently attached
herself to his fortunes. MIR. Haley Is un-
married and is at present living in the
Park Hotel, Newark, N. j.
DoGGED AROUND THE WORLD.
According to Mr.. Haley's friends, the
| woman in the case first began her un-
welcome attentions in 1881, when he was
living in San Francisco. The strangest
part OF the whole story is that, though
| he was perfectly well aware of her name
and social POSITION, Haley never ex-
changed word with her. At that time
| she was widow, wealthy and moving in
the best circles OF Fan Francisco. Haley
first became cogniZant Of her interest in
him through personals in the newspapers
| whose meaning could not be misunder-
4 stood. he paid no attention TO these un-
| I'll he discovered that they were being re-
Enforced by the effort Of shadows, who
followed him everywhere.
In the latter part OF 1881 he went to
E,s -
| widows agents were constantly on his
track. They followed him around the
| world. His amusement at the affair be-
| gan TO change TO annoyance. The thing
| began to worry him, and when he got TO
London the following year be fell sick.
They took him to St Thomas Hospital,
where for many weeks he lay lowering be-
/ tween life and death When Gonzales
cence began his first thought was one Of
thankfulness that the inexplicable espion-
age OF the Fan Francisco widow could
| not follow him there.
As the days passed and he grew stronger
he was ALLOW ed TO read the newspapers
Almost the first paragraph that net his
| eye was one telling Of his sickness and
relating certain incidents Of his boyhood
| in San Francisco which he thought no.
body knew but himself. Day after day
these paragraphs appeared, generally in
the advertising columns. He watched
the papers carefully after this, but saw
nothing TO excit his appreh hension until
the day after he left the hospital when a
| "personal' caught his eye inviting him
TO call at a certain address in Cbaring
| Cross and learn something to his adVan-
tage.
SINGULAR JOKE THIS.
He went to the address indicated and
| was told mysteriously that "the time
was not yet ripe" WHAT this might mean
vas mystery that he had not the time
Inx.1N To-
south Africa the next day. The widows
agents did not manifest themselves on
this trip nor during his stay in the land
of the Beers and he beagn to believe his
| troubles were at an end.
He returned to England in 1882, and
| after brief sojourn in London went TO
Liverpool to take ship for this country.
! His surprise and horror were unbound
| ed when, on picking up n newspaper on
the morning after his arrival he saw this
| personals:
"California-we have known each
| other for years and have never spoken.
| What is the cause of it?'
Mr.. Haley tried to believe that this
could not possibly be meant for him, but
! his confidence was doomed to speedy dis
appointment. Strange men followed him
| in the streets of liverpool and lurked
about his hotel hey never, however.
came within hailing distance, and when
he turned upon them they beat hasty
retreat. His relief was great when his
ship was ready 10 sail and he found him
self safely aboard.
PERSECUTION CONTINUED.
For the last ten years Mr.. Haley has re-
| sided in or near New York, but in all
| that time there has never been day in
which he did not receive a reminder that
the widow was still maintaining her
| strange interest in all his movements.
He has been shadowed continually IN al
| that time and otherwise annoyed by
reading personals" in the newspa pers,
| the object Of which could not be mis-
| taken.
1t is not to be wondered at that he be-
| gan to lose his nerve. One day, year
or SO ago, the widow got into a Broad
way car in which he was riding and took
a seat beside him. The occurrence nearly
| took his breath away. lie expected that
the woman would speuf1 TO him, but size
did nothing but eyed him in half-con-
| temptuous manner. Why he did not
| speak to her and demand an explanation
he cannot explain.
He has never seen the woman since but
| she has by no means relaxed her atten-
tions Mr.. Haley grew so nervous and
despondent over the affair that his friends
| finally persuaded him to consent to pub
| lication of the ftcts, in the hop OF
| frightening the woman and her agents
| away. Haley was at first averse to this
quite within the bounds of possibility
that his life might be in danger, he con-
sented to allow his friends TO take this
initiative.
Mr.. Haley Is perfectly willing that
| anybody should go to Newark and see for
! himself that the shadows that annoy him
are a constant reality They lurk about
| his note in the evening and follow him
| wherever he goes.
"My chief reluctance, " said Mr.. Haley
yesterday, "to adopting the course sug-
| gested by my friends, has been that peo-
pie might think me insane. ! am not In
sane, aud think my business reputation
| will sutain me IN that asse ton"
The name of the woman In the case is
said by Haley's friends TO be Mrs. Bourne,
| who resided in 1881 on Rincon Hill, san
Francisco. IL is believed, however, that
she is married again. The persecution of
Haley is o mystery TO all who know him,
as he is a quiet man, OF regular life,
who was supposed to have no enemies.