The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-31

tempt at getting divorce last summer
had been kept q secret and very few
persons were aware Of the last chap
ter. in the millionaire's marital affairs.
AT the Grigsby home On Park avenue,
negro butler said that Miss Grigsby
was not in, and that he did not know
where she was. ''She may make a
statement to the press later" the man
volunteered. . -sSI.' as@ -: - @>'s@
~ Yerkes' Strange Career. -, ~
q Yerkes' career was one Of strange
turns, marked. by strange relations
with society. Thirty years ago he was
preparing to leave a public prison,
stamped with the: stigma Of convict.
At 20 Yerkes was a broker s. clerk;
at rs he was q member Of the firm, and
in 1871 he had become one Of Philadel-
phia 3 leading brokers' Among his
many customers was the city treasurer,
Marcer, who specialized with city
funds. He was called upon for an
accounting, and the truth came out.
Yerkes Sent to Prison.
Then came the startling statement
that Yerkes knew that the money Mar
Ger had given to him for investment
had been drawn wrongfully from the
cubic coffer4 This statement finally
found foundation strong enough to
secure the indictment Of the city treas
urer IS broker as well as the city treas
urer. Both were declared guilty.
In the office Of the district attorney
in philadelphia 3 city hall exists this
condensed record Of the end Of Yerkes ;
prominent life in that town. It tells
Of his trial for embezzlement and lar
ceny, conviction and sentence to two
years and nine months in the eastern
penitentiary in Philadelphia and 5000
fine. This was Feb. 10, 1872. .": p;
In this prison for the next seven
months was Charles T. Yerkes' home.
With his occupancy Of it began pref.
|>ty little drama which his friends
watched with pleasure and approval,
fully appreciating its pathos, and
afte1ward it's semitragedy. . " - -
The oonvict's Wife.
| Yerkes' wife was young and it is
said that she was very pretty. She was
also credited with broad culture and
| brilliant conversational powers. During
his trial she scarcely left his side and
after he had been locked up she
| doubled her devotion. There was little
| or nothing left Of the fortune which
had been theiers before the wreck, SO
she took cheap rooms. These rooms
were near the prison, and as often as
the prison rules allowed she went from
them to her husbands cell to cheer him
| in his misfortune. She kept him con
4 stantly supplied with little delicacies
to brighten prison fare and added many
pleasing comforts to the rough furn
ishings of his cell. This was the one
pleasing feature of the episode-this
faithful wife's devotion. @
| At the end Of seven months, Sept
81, 1872, Mr.. Yerkes' protestations OF
innocence were seemingly accepted by
the Pennsylvania authorities, for or
that date he was granted full pardon
and discharged from custody. But with
this agreeable event came what looked
like the tragedy Of the domestic pic
ture. Charles T. Yerkes disappeared
completely from Philadelphia and the
| devoted wife was left behind without
knowledge Of her husband g where
/ about. People who knew her then say
! she was almost heartbroken.
| Buried In the West.
For several years thereafter nothing
was heard in Philadelphia of the fnan
] cial genius and pardoned prisoner. HI
| had buried himself in the west and, il
is said, had temporarily abandoned th.
name Of Yerkes until he should recover
from Che blow.
The story goes that no one in Phila
delphia heard Of Charles T. Yerke,
again until, several years afterward
he appeared, determined but smiling, il
Chicago By this time he had take1
]. again the old name, and it at once be
came evident that if the story that hi
i had aband oned it were true, he had moi