The San Francisco call., 1897-08-08
MRS. SPAuIER'S
PEPPERY LETTER
Judge Cofey Filed It and
the Lawyers Read
It.
Some Quiet Laughter in the
Probate Court on Friday
Morning.
Bachelors Roundly Abused by a Widow
Who Has Temper Of Her
Own.

Another unsuccessful effort to settle up
the Joseph Spanier estate was made In
Judge Coffey's court on Friday. The law
yers were not able to agree either on points
Of law or fact, and so a continuance for
week was ordered.
During the proceedings the attorneys
enjoyed some merriment in reading over
a letter written to Judge Coffey by Mrs.
B. S. Spanier, the widow in the case.
This document has been on file among
the papers of the estate since the 5th OF
last November and has been an unending
source of amusement to those interested
in the litigation. II is Judge Coffey's s
custom to file every communication re-
ceived by him touching the business OF
his department, no matter how 1t may
affect the parties in the litigation, and all
who are in terested have an equal oppor-
tunity to examine and use the documents
for their own advantage so far as they
desire.
This particular letter is gem in its
way. 1t tells of meeting between the
writer and Judge Coffey at the desk of a
prominent res taurant. 1t seems that his
Honor was just going into the resort to
refresh the inner man, when he was
espied by several well-known politicians
who had Just subscribed literally to the
tree-silver campaign fund, putting their
signatures to the list which Mrs. Spauler
was circulating. Wishing to have Judge
Coffey's signature with theirs they sug-
gested that the lady should present the
paper for his consideration. and she fol-
lowed their prompting, not taking cognl-
zance of the fact in philosophy that no
man ought to be approached for favor
or subscription until after he has dined.
All agreed that his Honor acted hand
somely, everything considered, though he
could not be induced to put his name to
the paper. He gently but tlrmly declined
to be enrolled, explaining that he was al
ready on another list, and, besides, he was
not In politics at that particular moment.
Stung by her failure to secure a SUBJ
scription and irritated by the glbes of the
jocose politicians who had suggested the
proposition, Mrs. Spanler dashed off
letter to Judge Coffey, which for Lively
spontaneity cannot easily be excelled.
After inditing the formal address Mrs.
Spanier wrote:
met LAWYER McCabe this morning and to
my friendly .'howdy" he answered with a
hard, stony glare most terrible to benold. But
after the several necessary graduations of
groveliug on my part he finally gurgled and
gasped an explanation ii the following man
ner: MADAM, did you presume to approach
Judge Coffey and to offend him By asking his
politics, and if he would subscribe TO the
'Womens Bryan free-silyer fundg Do you
know what you have done, madam? Don't
you know that Judge Coffey has ever dealt in
the most upright and dignifed manner toward
you in the matter now before him, and did
you SO far forget yourself and interests that
you would speak TO him in public and Offer
such an affront to his dignity?' eic.
Now, OF course, l don't know whether
looked guilty or surprised; think little of
both ways-and probably indignant, too.
though l didn't even say "Rats," however
much l thought 1t.
You know, Judge Cottey, that meant no
offense TO you. was out soliciting and work
ing hard without remuneration for good
cause which is now defeated. But it isn't my
fault thought it would be rather creditable
to have your name as all honorable and promt-
nent man on my list OF su bscribers. Don't
blame me Tor being ambitious.
Here the lady becomes slightly apolo-
getic, though she explicitly disclaims any
such intention. She continues:
I didn't think of it till saw you pass into
the restaurant. l had been looking for Mr..
Treadwell, aud his clerk directed 10 that
pace. l acted on impulse, as l generally do,
and were you any thing but maple-sugar
''handle- with gloves" woman ha ting old
bachelor, you would have known that did.
offer no apology, wha tever, for nave had
TO approach men Just as good and as pure and
as just as you are, and they were not offended
or suspicious.
Judge Coffey raised his eyebrows in ex-
preston of mild surprise that his lair cor
respondent should deem him either Of
tended or suspicious, and readily acquitted
her of any untoward intention. The let
ter proceeds:
Was it not my duty to approach you in this
cause? And did know tnat you were out OF
politics. ana gear, tuo for that matter? Was
unlady like and do you believe that had any
thing but the cause of free silver at heart dur
ing the campa1gn?
Then the lady indulges in some general
remarks that might be personally applied
to certain minated mem bers OF the coln-
munity.
do sincerely hate the villainous egotism
and nonsense of ola bachelors.
After this outburst follows bit of sage
advice:
Never begin such with a widow for they
know and hate your sex as cordially as you do
them. It's really 100 bad about you and all
you soured crap-apple kind.
Politicians in general receive this swing
ing thwack:
There is nothing that will SO quickly dis
1uuslonize woman about men anu their little
contemptlbteneSs as politics. No wonder some
of them are against suffrage / don't
blame them. So am l.
Apprehension of the consequences of
her temerity was not absent from the
lady's mind, but she persisted:
Now. Judge Coffey, l will of course catch
Sam Hilr' from my attorneys if it is ever
known that have written you this letter.
This was given by the Judges gentle
correspondent as postscript:
am sorry that IL is necessary for me to
write this, and ii hesitated, would not.
There was one passage in the letter
which lntlmated that the writer expected
q nv 1ltI n of har ,1to
trously, but in this she was happily dis
appointed, for the court cut off some heavy
poker game claims that were piled up as
If they would engross the assets of the
estate. After some good-natured fencing
on the part OF the lawyers, the case was
allowed to go over for week
IN AN OLD CHAIR,