The San Francisco call., 1898-02-20

tion at the hand of the head of the principality.
 After abandoning his kingdom, Bar on Hickey, with his wife, visited Soutn- l,e ern California and there invested III
 property. Whether 1t was an lnIlate characteristic, or that he had been em-
 bittered by many disappointments, he
 made but few friends in the City of
 the Angels. On the other hand, Mrs.
 Hickey, who is woman Of great
 charm of character, and who While
 very exclusive and diffident in forming
 acquaintances, had a large circle ot
 friends and is highly respected by all
 who know her.
 While in Los Angeles Baron Harden Hickey devoted most of his time to hls
 family correspondents, study, little
 writing and but few pleasures. He received but very little attention at the
 hands of newspapers, except on one
 occasion, when the chancellor of the
 principality of Trinidad had by some diplomatic move at Washington again Drought the personality of James l be- fore the public. His peculiarities came to the surface even in his dealings with
 reporters. It was not every one to
 whom he would give his story. To
 get a good story one had to be per
 sonally known to Baron Harden Hic-
 key. It was his practice when he
 met a reporter for the first time to
 start in and interview the reporter
 himself If, after a little talk with
 the new-made acquaintance, he con- cluded that the reporter belonged in
 the class known as sticks" he would
 immediately shut up as close as a
 clam and not a word could be got out
 of him. If, however, he concluded
 that the reporter knew his business
 and could write a good story the Bar on would start in and give all the in formation desired. He had the fac
 ulty of presenting his views in a clear, forceful, yet entertaining man.
 ner He seemed to know intuitively what would be interesting to the re- porter and he could present the most
 commonplace affairs before his man in way that would give the matter a sensational tinge.
 There was one subject, however, on
 which he would rive but very little in- formation, and that was his experience as a duelist. He seemed to regard with no little pride the fact that he had attained a national reputation as duelist, but as to the causes which led to them and the result of the pas sage at arms he was as silent as a
 mummy.
 The fact that Baron Harden Hickey was a man looking for kingdom at l tracted the attention of the conspira- tors who wished to overthrow the new
 republican government of the Ha- waiian Islands. It was proposed to him that he join forces with them and in consideration of his having provided some of the sinews of war Baron Har- den- Hickey was to be set up as an in- dependent sovereign on the island of Kauai The plan was to successively occupy all the islands, leaving the capi- tai till the last The plot was exposed however.
 Some time ago Baron Harden Hickey attracted the attention of the literary
 world in a book of which he was the author. entitled "Euthania, or the Eth ics of Suicide" In this he treated the subject from historical and reasoning point of view. His line of argument all tended to the one point that suicide
 under some circumstances was not only pardonable but creditable. Subsequent events have proved that Baron Har- den-H Hickey not only wrote as lie be- | lieved but had the courage of his con- victions.