New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-12

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When this affidavit as presented neither of
.hs attorneys who figured in the main LITIGATION
vas present and Eage1 was the only witness
sxamined He corrohorated the truth OF the
statements made in the AFFIDAVIT. and as it was
.,.,n from such showing that the Court had
rsver obtained Jurisdiction over Eagan Judge
IYabbard was compelled 10 enter an order va
eating the Judgment against him. This was on
october IS 1892. Esgans action e. iris case
r-oved entirely unnecessary. as the Supreme
court reversed the decision OF the lower courts.
- finally the damages assessed were merely
nominal
r. would have been highly interesting how
.vsr. II one Of General Eagan's old attorneys had
n.en summoned as witness in this suit: at
least II he repeated on the stand the substance
., his statements in talk with friends here AS TO
che nature OF Eagan's communications with him
or the subject
The Eagan Hawaiian property. like that here
does not stand IN the Generals name. II Is in
the name Of his son. Charles. Several years
.eo DESTROYS Of giving employment 70 this son.
rasan visited Charles T. wilder now the Ha-
,ratsn Consul IN San Francisco and asked his
assistance in securing good property in
the Hawaiian Islands for his son. Consul VIII
der advised investment in coffee lands which
were then just beginning To be exploited on the
island Through his brother Consul Wilder OBJ
tanned FOR Eagan a fine plantation IN the Olaa
district back Of Hilo paying for II in the neigh
borhood OF $4,000 This property placed
IN The sons name. although the entire trans
action was conducted by the General in person
That the General still owns this property
though he does not care to acknowledge this
ownership in a legal way. is pretty clearly in
~ NAL u
came from Honolulu month ago. contained
accounts Of General Eagan's wrath when he
arrived in Honolulu and found that his son had
given an option on the coffee plantation to
sugar-growing syndicate. The craze for sugar
has infected every one on the islands. Divi-
dends that represent 80 and so per cent Of the
cspital stock have been paid during the last
wear by the big sugar plantations. Thousands
OF acres Of new land have been plante4 TO sugar
cane and scores OF new sugar companies have
been formed One OF these is the Olaa syndi-
cate which has already planted several hundred
acres in cane. This plantation adjoins the cof-
Zee plantation OF Eagan and other holders OF
small tracts. The Olaa syndicate proposed TO
annex the coffee lands and convert the whole
THO one big sugar estate so options were OBJ
tanned on nearly all the coffee estates. and
Young Eagan. with many others gave the de-
sired option.
The General. however believes that there is a
hig future for Hawaiian coffee. and that island
sugar will decline as soon as It comes into COM
petition with Cuban and Porto Rican sugar.
The two West Indian islands, when properly
dsveIoped by Americans he believes. will supply
an enormous amount Of the best sugar; but
lands suitable for coffee are scarce So when
he learned that his son had made this bargain
10 seu his plantation and uproot the coffee trees
his rage knew no bounds. In his anger he Tor
got the secrecy that had been maintained about
the ownership OF the plantation, and talked
in a way which showed that the son was merely
acting as manager for him. and that he would
demonstrate that he was boss. He departed for
HNo as soon as possible, 10 take controI OF MS
interests What made him specially angry was
that one Of the promoters OF the Olaa sugar
syndicate IS Lorin A Thurston. former Ha-
vanan Minister al Washington, whom Eagan
disnkes.
Easap has been intimate with the large own
ers Of sugar property in the Hawaiian ISLANDS
and recently It is reported he made large profits
in speculation IN Hawaiian sugar stocks. The
books OF r G. Brown, stock broker OF this
city. would show his profits. Eagan cannot
claim that he has to aid in the support OF his
children. One OF his daughters married DR..
n
considerable valuable real estate. His other
son-in-Iax. Dr. ". f. Hopkins. Of Washington.
with whom he makes his home when he is IN
that city, is well off.
General Eagan has been notorious here for
twenty years as one OF the most expert poker
players on the coast, ranking in skill with the
late millionares, Senators Sharon and James G.
Fair His poker playing would have no rele-
vancy in this sketch II 1t had not brought him
into serious difficulty with the Government when
he was a subordinate officer and II II had not
later thrown him under suspicion Of giving
undue advantage IN bidding on Government
contracts 10 several Of his associates in poker
games. While at Prescott. Ariz.. Eagan, then
a captain OF the Regular Army. was convicted
By a court-martial for gambling and for not
paving a gambling debt OF $500. In ordinary
sporting language he WEIGHED" He not
dismissed from the service as less lucky man
would have been. but he severely repri-
manded IN general orders. and his superior Off
Ger. General Kautz. spoke harshly in condemna-
ton Of the lightness Of the punishment
This narrow escape. however. did not cure
Eagan Of poker playing In San Francisco,
while he was connected with the Comrssary
Department. he was an inveterate player Of the
tavorite game One OF his frequent associates
in the old Lick House cardrooms in this city
was the late Fred" Castle. who was not only
ar able business man, but very good poker
player. II was noted by business men that
Castle secured a great proportion Of the large
contracts for tea coffee and groceries TO be sup
piled 70 the Army department on this coast
The most profitable contracts seemed generally
70 drop - Castle. There is a story current
here that Castle one day revealed the secret OF
these biz and lucrative contracts. 1t was print
ed IN The Examiner" Castles sons entered
general denial but people who observed how
the contracts went seem still to think there was
s0rething In II. Tie story ran that man
who was engaged in helping Castle prepare