The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-23
RARE RELICS ARE LOST
CAPT. F. P. FREMONT, U. S. A,
SUES FOR THEIR VALUE
Brings Action Against st. Paul Cold
Storage Warehouse Company for
$7,576 to Partially Reimburse Him
for Loss of HeirIooms Detroyed by
Fire in 1900.

The loss of a priceless collection of
historic relics and family heirlooms,
rich in the memories Of one of the
great pioneers of the far West and of
his beautiful and celebrated wife, has
led Capt. Francis P. Fremont, Of the
Second infantry, u. S. A., to bring
suit for portion Of their value against
the st. Paul Cold Storage Warehouse
company, in whose building the prop
erty was stored at the time of the de-
structive fire of July %, 1900.
The effects in question were Souve-
Mrs of their owners father, Gen. John
c. Fremont, once known to every
American child as the Pathfinder"
the first explorer of California for the
United States government, and the
first presidential candidate of the Re-
publican party. They We're also re-
minders of Capt. Fremont's mother,
Jessie Benton Fremont, the famous
daughter of Thomas H. Benton, thirty
years a senator at washington from
the state of Missouri. Naturally the
commercial value Of such a collection
would be but a small part of its his
torical worth.
Capt Fremont was stationed for
several years at Fort Smelling, where
he was attached to the Third infantry.
of the Spanish American war, he was
ordered with his regiment to Cuba.
Before leaving st. Paul he placed all
his household effects in storage. His
complaint alleges that the defendant
company contracted with him to keep
his property insured for its full value
during the time it should be in the
warehouse.
Sues for s7,576.
When Capt. Fremont next came to
St. Paul he found his furniture and
beirlooms destroyed by fire, and was
presented by the company with the
proceeds of an insurance policy for
$4,000. He alleges that the money
value of the property was at least $780,
576, and therefore demands Judgment
for S7,576 against the warehouse COM
pany because of its alleged breach Of
contract.
That the suit was not instituted
earlier is due to Capt. Fremont's serv-
ice in the Philippines, for which he left
the United States late in the summer
of 1900. He returned to America a few
months ago, and is now in Kentucky
on account Of i'll health. He is ex-
pected by his attorneys, How, Taylor
& Mitchell, to be in st. Paul next
month, when the action will come on
for trial i'm the district court.
The complaint sets forth a long list
of the personal property destroyed
while in the custody of the defendant.
The article of greatest historic inter-
est was magnificent sword that had
been presented to Gen. Fremont at st.
Louis during the Civil war by "the
loyal Germans of the West" This
splendid weapon had g. Damascus
blade, a gold seabbard, a hilt of gold
set with diamonds andfa medallion OF
Gen. Fremont on the hilt, surrounded
with diaInonds. The value of $1,000 is
placed ON this relic Of the Pathfinder.
Other vaIuabIes Lost.
Mrs: Jessie Benton Fremont was
represented in the collection by a vast
number of articles, some of small mar
ket value, others of great price. There
was a capital portrait painted by Fag-
mani, the value of which is set at
$4,000, and then come camePs hair
shawl, $500, and long list of other
objects of utility or virtu. The list also
includes many articles, more modern
than the time of the Pathfinder, such
as a grand piano, $500, and an elab-
crate white maple sideboard, carved
by Gould, $685..
Capt. Fremont is one of the younger
children Of Gen. ]. G. Fremont, and
was born in the sos. He was gradual
ed at West Point in 1872, but before
that time he had seen much of life, hav-
ing spent a long period with his father
in Arizona in the years following the
Civil war. <agsg .s
His wife was the daughter Of John
Townsend, a celebrated New York
lawyer, who took an active part in the
prosecution Of the Tweed scandals.
Capt. Fremont has not been continu-
ously in the military service OF the
United States since his graduation
from the military academy, but has
spent considerable periods in foreign
travel.