The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-07

Inc newcomers We're considered most
important acquisition to the town, COM
mereially and socially, and parties, balls
ana banquets were given in their honor.
stokes bought 200 acres of land immedi-
ately west of the common fields and erect
ed line house, the largest and most pre-
teIuous in the country The house was
located on the high land near the pres
ent intersection of Gran avenue and Olive
street. and commanded one of the pref
uest views in the western country. Far to
the ease above the forest which stood be-
tween the mansion and the town could
oe seen the green hills which marked the
limits or the American bottom To the
west ana northwest was the grand prai-
re with its tall grass waving in the wind
us clumps Of crab apple and its wild roses,
WINE the groups of grazing cattle and
the eVer-moving arms of Cabanne's
Windmill gave animation to the scene.
On the south and southwest was the for
est again. almost untouched by the hand
OF man. There were a few farm houses
In the neighborhood, but the only one Wis
lple was that of William Rector north
OF the st, Charles road. John P. Caban-
ne farm house was off to the west, and
tnat of Henry Gratiot to the southwest,
several miles, both being hidden by the
trees.
stokes made good use of his picturesque
location. He laid out grounds surround
ing MS house on the plans of an English
park, planted an orchard, built houses
ior servants, generous barns and fixed
hlmseIf TO live like prince He evidently
mad faith in the future of this western
country, more faith than judgment He
made Gen. William H. Ashley, the ex-
plorer and later member of congress, his
agent and through him invested many
thousands of his gold in wild western
lands. Fully two-thirds of his fortune
was expended for unimproved lands be-
fore he had been here two years, and he
is said to have bought over 200 separate
tracts in the Missouri military district
alone. He believed that he was laying the
foundations for great estate, but subse-
quent events proved that his riches were
simply taking wings. In the meantime
Col. John O'Fallon had wooed and won
Stokes sister. Col. O'Fallon was for
many years one of the most distinguished
citizens of st. Louis He was a veteran of
Tippecanoe, an officer of the regular army,
from which he retired about 1918 to begin
a business career in st. Louis He amass-
ed a great fortune, was president of the
Missouri Bank, first president of the Ohio
and Mississippi railroad, and when he died
in 1868 left an estate valued at $1,000 900.
His charities were princely. He gave
generously to the churches, the schools
and the hospitals, and one of his gifts to
the city was the present O'Fallon Park.
One day woman arrived in st. Louis
from England, and astonished the people
of the town with the announcement that
she was the real wife of William Stokes.
His bills of exchange drawn on a Lon
don bank had given the clew to his Amer
lean retreat. and she had followed him to
secure a divorce and, if possible, a por-
ton of his fortune. She as once employed
Luke Lawless, Henry S. Geyer and John
Scott as her counsel. Three better law
yers would have been hard to find in the
western country in that day. Indeed,
they would have few equals in this John
Scott was at that time the able represent
tative of Missouri in congress. Geyer was
afterWard a United States senator from
this state. Stokes employed Thomas H.
Benton to conduct the defense. The trial
which followed was one of the most SEN
sational ever held in st. Louis, and has
been only surpassed in that particular by
the case of Effie Carstang against Henry
Shaw Stokes record was brought to
light, as well as that of his housekeeper,
and the brilliant Lawless painted a pic
ture for the jury in which the defendant
was adorned with horns, hoofs and n
barbed tail A verdict was rendered for
the complainant, and Benton appealed the
cause to the supreme court, which re-
fused to sanction the decree of the lower
court. Judge Pettibone, in his decision,
said, referring to the complainant, who,
il was shown at the trial, had left Stokes
in 1907, and in 1916 had gone to France.
1.-THE laws of England afforded her re-
dress. She was free to seek it there if she
wished it, She was under no coercion of
her husband, for she lived separate from
him. If for nine years she could behold,
without complaining, the open profiigacy
of her husband, 1 see no reason why the
courts of this country should at this hour
be called upon to interfere in her behalf.
1t is against good policy and good morals
to do 1t. . I am unwilling to establish
the principle that parties may lie by in
their own country under injuries of this
kind, and then come here and ask us for
the redress which they might and ought
to have obtained there"
In the meantime, fate had dealt severely
with William Stokes. With the arrival
In ST. Louis of his wife, Marianne, his for
tune began to decline. Her disclosures
turned every one against him. He had de-
ceived the good people of the town, and
where before all were his friends, now all
were arrayed against him--all except one,
Col O'Fallon who stood by him through
all his adversely. The woman he called
his wife died, and his sister, Mrs. O'Fallon,
soon followed He was left alone Nearly
all of his money had been invested in land.
Most of the remainder had been exhaust
ed by the expenses of the divorce trial. He
was unable to pay the taxes on his vast
property, and tract after tract passed into
other hands. Financially bankrupt, So
cially ostracised, those he had loved no
longer living to comfort him. Stokes rap
idly sank under the weight of misfortunes,
and died of a broken heart five years after
he came to st. Louis. fIe was buried a
short distance from the mansion he had
erected, and for many years his grave was
cared for by Col O'Fallon, who was made
executor of the remnant of his estate. But,
as time passed on the place was forgot
ten, and SO was Stokes and his strange
story, until the unearthing of his bones
led to an investigation by some of the old
residents, who identified the spot as the
location of Stokes last resting place. But
the bones were left where the cartman had
thrown them.
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ON THE OCEAN WAVE