The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-14
HUSTLED UP SCANDAL.
Is Again Stirred by an Attorney Suing
for His Fee.

New York, July 14-Secrecy which
had been allowed to carefully cloak
scandalous charges against Thomas F.
Walsh, wealthy mining operator of
Colorado, was torn from his entire
story of Miss violette Watson, his ac-
cuser, when Detlef c. Hansen, a law
yer. sued Miss Watson for 40 per cent
of the sum Hansen asserts she has re-
ceived in satisfaction of her claims
against Mr.. Walsh. He was the young
woman's attorney, acting for a contin-
gent fee.
Her total demands upon Mr.. Walsh
were for 1896, 900 in the suits brought
by Hansen, and upon this basis he asks
that the courts award him 1885, 900, as
40 per cent He says he is not informed
OF the exact amount which, he declares
has been paid to Miss Watson by Mr..
Walsh.
Mr.. Walsh with his wife went to
Newport last month, where they have
taken the Vanderbilt mansion for the
summer. They have a fine residence
in Washington. which has been their
home for several years.
Miss Watson is about % years old
and the daughter of Henry E. Watson,
3 wealthy merchant of Paris, but of
English birth. Her suits against Mr..
Walsh, brought last summer and aban-
doned SO long ago as last November.
were, for an attack upon her, $3.50, 900;
for breach of promise of marriage, $780,
600. and for failure to provide for her
| maintenance as agreed, $4,000.
She Met Him in Paris.
Mr.. Walsh is made a party to Han
sens suits, and Judge Bowling granted
! Hansen's application for service upon
Mr.. Walsh by publication. Nicoll,
Anable & Lindsay asked that this or
| der be set aside, and yesterday Judge
Downing denied their application, but
without prejudice to it's renewal upon
additional grounds.
It was this order that gave publicity
| to the long secret suits.
Hansen in his complaint declares
| that Miss Watson informed him that
while she was under the protection of
| Mr.. Walsh she lived at the rate of
$4,000 a year, that he promised to
make her his wife and to see that she
lived in all the luxury his wealth
commanded. Hansen says he has pa
pers and letters to substantiate her
declarations.
According to Hansen's story Miss
Watson passed her childhood days in
the English home of her father, who
possessed great wealth and lived ac-
cordingly, but after he married she
quarrelled with her stepmother and
was sent to a convent near Paris.
On q, vacation in Paris, she says.
she met Mr.. Walsh, who is financial
adviser to the king of Belgium and
prominent in finance in the French
capital, during the year 1898. He was
| then SO years old, but became greatly
attached to the girl.
She was naturally hattered by his
attentions, Hansen says, and when
Mr.. Walsh asked her to leave France
and come to this country she con-
costly jewelry and other gifts and paid
all her expenses. She was 16 years
old at the time, Hansen says, and
looked upon Mr.. Walsh as guardian
4<I 1T
to various cities and went to Washing
; ton.
It was while there, the lawyer says,
that Mr.. Walsh attacked her. A child
in a hospital, surrounded with every
. comfort. What became of the child
. or in what hospital Miss Watson re-
, manned does not appear. This was
about 1900.
Hansen does not disclose, if he
knows, what caused the severance of
the relations between the young wo-
man and her wealthy admirer. 1t was
, | in September, 1904, that she told her
story to the lawyer.
Got Large Sum, He says.
Mr.. Walsh was then served with a
. summons in the three suits. John G.
Carlisle was engaged as Miss Watson
counsel. Not being able to serve the
complaints within the time allowed by
law, Hansen obtained from Judge Nc
Cali an extension of time to November
4. Within two days, however, Judge
Mccall, upon application of Nicoll,
Anable & Linsay, vacated this order,
upon consent to discontinue the
above entitled actions"
Meanwhile, according to Hansen,
the agents of Mr.. Walsh were endeav-
oring to see Miss Watson, and an offer
! of settlement was made. which he ad-
} vised the young woman not to accept
She consulted with Mr.. Hansen about
! his compensation, and, he says, enter
} ed into an agreement TO pay him forty
per cent of any judgment. Following
{ this the lawyer received information
r that a settlement was accepted by the
Young woman and she notified him
: that she desired to discontinue the
5 suits He could not serve any com
! plants because of the order of JUcgt
Mccall, and believing. he says, that I'd
would be treated fairly by Miss Was
] son. gave his consent to the discoA
= tinuance of the suits. He believes =
2 large sum was paid to Miss Watson
! because she appeared to have plenty
of money and was spending 1t literally
Hansen then decided to bring sui
l against Miss Watson and Mr.. Walsh tC
D enforce his lien, but failed to serve Mr.
g walsh at the Waldorf-Astoria or in
Washington, and ascertained that he
: had sailed for Europe on the Deutsch-
2 land in January last. He obtained
i. from Judge Bowling, on March IT, the
order for the service of summons by
: publication.