The herald., 1898-02-11

West End, but for couple of years past
had spent most of their time at Santa
| Monica, where they had a beautiful
home. About three years ago they pur-
chased one of the most attractive prop
critics at Riverside, and Mrs. Hickey is
there now.
The baron belonged to one of the Irish
families who in the seventeenth CEN
tury emigrated to France, and since then
they have been more or less continuous
| ly prominent. Baron Hickey at one time
was the leading boulevardier of Paris;
he set the fashions and led the gay
world. He then took a fancy for jour-
nalism and purchased daily paper, out
of which he made money, his boldness
and audacity increasing the circulation
| to a marvellous extent. He found it
necessary, however, to fight number of
duels, and his Irish blood caused him to
disdain making these the conventional
French affairs; they were to a finish,
and the other fellow was always the
one finished. Things reached such a
pass that he had to leave France or
stand the prosecution of the law, and
he came to America. His dash and ac-
complishments together with his lineage
and title, won the regard of Miss Flag
Ter, and they were married, living to.
gether happily until about year ago,
when for some reason which his suicide
may disclose they separated.
What brought the baron into world
wide prominence was his claim to the
island of Trinidad, a worthless speck
of rock in the Atlantic, several hundred
miles east of Brazil He asserted his
right to the island by discovery, and al
once devised a chimerical plan of colo
nizlng the place and forming a kingdom
of it, and at once styled himself King
James / of Trinidad. He formed a cab
met, had postage stamps printed. de-
vised a money system, engaged ships to
transport colonists, and had everything
ready to launch his kingdom.
He was taken up by the newspapers,
and this served to bring the island,
which no one had ever thought of be-
fore. to the attention of the powers. Ac-
cording to its habit, England at once
claimed it, and so did Brazil. and the
matter was subject of diplomatic con-
troversy between the two nations for
several years, during which time King
James l was utterly ignored, and at last
Brazil was awarded the rock. The baron
would willingly have fought England OF
Brazil, or both, if he had seen fit, but by
this time his enthusiasm had waned,
and he let the project slide.
Latterly he had lived much alone, and
for year or more past spent most of his
time in San Francisco. His departure
from this city was not generally known.
the news of his suicide at Ell Paso being
the first intimation that people here had
of his absence.
The recent domestic relations of the
baron are not known. According to one
who knew him, he had been away from
Mrs. Hickey for over a year, but wheth-
er or not this amounted to a separation
is not known, neither of them having dis
cussed their affairs with their friends.
A few years ago Baron Hickey wrote
treatise on suicide, treating the subject
from a historical and reasoning point OF
view, holding that the act was not only
not reprehensible, but under certain cir
cumstances creditable. 1t is evident
that he wrote what he believed.
If he had lived two or three hundred
years ago his life might have been more
of a success.