The San Francisco call., 1899-04-21
He REFUSED TO MARRY HER
LOVE STORY OF THE DUKE
OF RICHMOND"
Daughters of the Ancient millionaire
Were Opposed to the Love Match
and Dampened His Ardor
Disastrously.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call


S9S Broadway, April 20.
Miss Jane Hodge to-day finally verified
the romantic story Of her lacerated affec-
lions and SAD disappointment caused by
the sudden termination of her engagement
TO the aged capitalist, John Nichou the
Duke of Richmond as published In The
Call last January, by filing suit in the
Superior Court for the recovery Of 5000.
damages for breach Of promise OF mar
rage. The complaint was prepared by At
torneys Reed x Nusbaumer
Following is the complaint verbatim:
That on or about the lpth day OF Novem-
Der, lS9S. at the city Of Oakland, county oi
Alameda. state ot California. in e9asldera-
tCG that the plaintiff. who was tleu un-
married, would at tie request OK the ue-
iencaHt marry him on request, tAe aeLehu-
ant promised o. marry plaintiA "lthln a
THAT tie riaf9-fn. conGdine in said prom
ise. has always since remained and con-
tinueG and still is sole and unmarried. and
has always ra-a4laed from said 10th of No
Nember lssS. up 10 the present time, ready
and willing 10 marry the said defendant,
ana she Is now ready and willing 10 marry
the said defendant.
That thereafter and on OF about the 26th
day of December. 1S9S. the plaintiff re
Quested the defendant to fulfill his said
promise of marriage and make this plaintiff
his WIFE, but the said defendant refused to
fuhl his said promise of marriage and
notified the plaintiff that he would not then
or at any time thereafter fulfill his said
promise ~ marriage. and the said defend
ant refused and still does refuse TO marry
THAT upon the refusal Of defendant to
fulfill his aforesaid promise of marriage.
and hy reason thereof the plaintiff suffered
and stil suffers much in mind and body
ana her health was thereby and still con-
t-res TO be greatly impaired. and she
suffered and still suffers great injury to her
feelings and affections. and her pride was
thereby and by reason thereof greatly
wounded.
That the plaintiff has been damaged by
reason Of the premises in the sum OF S50.-
Wherefore plaintiff prays Judgment
against defendant FOR the sum of 900 and
for costs of suit.
A simpler complaint in a suit Of such
magnitude and behind which fingers the
love story of the ancient millionaire has
seldom reached the file of the Superior
Court Miss Hodge has passed siugly
through fOrty-siX summers and her tardy
millionaire lover whose wooing her witt
burning kisses and twelve-mile drives has
been told in The Call heretofore has
reached the age Of 16 years. Miss Hodge
says that She became engaged to Johr
NichoU on November 10 of last year.
For more than one year he had beer
wanting TO put the question: says the
Duchess Of Richmond" and I finally
decided to give him an opportunity. on
November John NiCholl called upon me
and as he was getting into his buggy he
.
Berry: Jane. ] think you need a com
panion. Tomorrow We will go driving
and talk 1t over.
81 consented. and when we went driving
the following day We had hardly lost sight
of my home when Mr.. Nicholl remarked
Jane, do you know what 1 am going tC
do with YOU? That is. if you will let mt
do it,? 7 answered, What and then ht
said: Marry you. I thought you knew
that for some time What do you say?
I replied that I thought l had better
marry him, and he embraced me and said
God bless US in the union
However. when the news Of the engage
ment was broken to the aged lovers
daughters-Niisse Hester and Maize
Nicholl-there was something doing II
the millionaire's household at 1851 Fourth
avenue MaiZie. according to Miss Hodge
instantly grew cold toward her and finally
the daughter told the prospective step
mother that she did not approve Of it
Soon thereafter Miss Hodge received a
note ostensibly from Mr.. Nicholl, an
nouncng that he knew Of no engagement
but merely an agreement that If the
daughters were willing he would marry
After that Miss Hodge seldom was per
mitted to see him. The daughters kept
him secluded in his palatial home.
Miss Hodge is niece Of Mr.. NiChOll.
She says she is now very much disap-
pointed In him who had made her think
the world pivoted on her. She had not
meant TO take any action for months tC
c0me-pOssibly never-but the action OF
Maize and Hester, who, she says, had
sent a lady friend TO find out who her
lawyer might be, and who also tried tC
effect a reconciliation, has induced her
20 crafty the ladies', who, she claims
destroyed her hopes. by filing the suit
II is hinted that several attempts at a
compromise have been made, but all were
prove most sensational, so 1t is predicted
by friends Of the parties.