The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-05-19
She Knew His Situation and
Would Go Through Fire to
Help Him.
" HERE'S THE WOMAN WANT"
Thus, She Declares, the Recluse Re.
marked When She Questioned
His Faith.

cover money loaned just prior to the col
lapse of the firm of Gregory, Borchers &
Co., tell as delightful a tale of love as
CHIMNEY Fadden related of Miss Fannie
and her husband, though mot in just dem
words" The public was to-day given
but one end of the correspondence, when
Mrs. Lees affect tomato epistles to her late
friend were read in court; but it needs not
the cooling billet-oeux of the ex-Mayor to
complete the romance.
Mrs. Lee was on the stand all dsy. On
direct examination she stated that Greg
DRY had made her number OF visits, one
while at the Grand Hotel in San Fran
cisco. On this occasion she told Gregory
she had perfect confidence in him and his
firm. Gregory then told her the firm
could use $4,000. She stated she had not
that much. Gregory then left hurriedly.
The District Attorney asked if Gregory
had informed her that the firm was lnsol-
vent. The question called forth the OBJ
lection that it was leading. The District
Attorney, speaking on the objection, stated
that the witness was unused to court pro-
cedure. She had been deprived of her last
cent and wished vindication. Bruner in
sisted on his objection, saving:
This is not in the nature of vindication.
We know she has lost her money, and al
though the defendant is in insolvency pro-
ceedings, he has made arrangements to
have her money secured. She is not sats-
fed, but is still prosecuting him."
The objection was sustained in a degree,
the prosecution being allowed to ask ques-
tons relative to witness belief as to the
firms insolvency.
Upon crosse Examination Mrs. Lee stated
that she was over 40 years of age. She
had met Gregory in Sacramento, in COM
pany with Senator Buck. She talked
with him only a few minutes. When she
returned to Red Bluff she wrote TO him a
letter, which was read in court. 1t stated
that Gregory had been in the mind of the
writer since their meeting and he did not
seem like a stranger. She had many
warm and influential friends, but thought
she could not do better than trust in him.
She had several thousand dollars and
wished advice as TO how to invest it.
Several other letters were read, one OF
which was written just after Gregory's
visit TO Red Bluff. This letter said:
81 am in trouble. l am afraid I NAV
lose your friendship, for 1 somehow feel
that you was sorry you came. This is q
town of gossips, and L have been assailed
on every side about your visit. 1 must
submit to the inevitable. 1 suppose l am
to be denied even business letters from
you"
Another letter said: "Was l not led to
write TO you, and don't you think that the
words, Gene, come, came naturally into
your mlnd2 Did you not know 1 called 2"
In answer to a question Mrs. Lee stated
that she supposed she meant that the
spirit had moved her to write her first let
ter. In another letter she asked Gregory
to send her some white flowers from Sac
ramento. Continuing, the letter said
"You. true knight, know what they
mean"
In another letter Mrs. Lee said she had
again taken up her genial, iovial WAYS.
and admitted that she had expected to 90
East when Mr.. Gregory went to Chicago.
When questioned as TO whether Gregory
had ever asked her to be his wife, she SAID
he led her to believe he wanted her for his
wife. This was at Oak Park, near this
city, in July, 1898. At the time he told
his love she asked him if be meant it. She
had not been thinking of his loving her at
that time.
Mrs. Lee said that while they were at
Oak Park, Gregory placed his hand upon
her and told her that he had been a re.
cluse, but he wished to marry, land
here" said he, sis the woman want"
In another letter Mrs. Lee expressed her
self as very solicitous as to Gregorv's
health and urged him to return to Califor-
MIA. Then there was political letter. and
when this was read the Prosecuting Attor-
ney, j. Charles Jones, filed decided pro-
test to the introduction of such subjects
as they had no relevancy. It was ridicu-
lous, he said, to contend that this woman
had been trying to steal this mans
affections by holding UP $1,000 before him
and he demanded that the defense produce
letters which would prove that Mrs. Lee
was fully cognlzant of Gregory's financial
distress when she loaned the money.
''We will do SO when the time comes
was the retort of the defendants counsel
Next followed letter in which the ladv
said she had dreamed Gregory was i'll
while in the East ana expressed the hone
that she had done nothing to displease
him.
In July, 1893, Mrs. Lee wrote from Red
Bluff to Gregory, stating that she always
had been free and open in her expressions
TO him, though she realized that she had
no right to do so. To all others she was
cold. Again he was chided for his seem.
ing lack of appreciation. The rest of the
letter was chiefly description of a visit to
vina and some Red Bluff gossip. In an
other letter she rebuked him for not visit
ing her when he had been within five
blocks of her for over month. He, how
ever. wrote every day and she sent mes
sages.
A letter written in Sacramento on April
IL, 1894, stated that she knew just how he
was placed, politically. financially and
otherwise. The letter said the writer knew
the last three or four years had been yery
severe on Mr.. Gregory. She had been
ready to go through fire for him and could
help him; hoped she would see him at the