The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1906-03-02
A FAMOUS
SENSATION
RECALLED
THE ALLEGED TRUNKFUL OF
TO THE FORMER MARY CONEY


ALAMEDA, February 19.-The body
Of Frank IL. Ashton, real estate dealer
and Spectator, man about town and
the principal i'm a divorce case that at
tracted widespread attention about
three years ago was found floating I'm
the estuary just off the boathouse Of
the California Yacht Club this after
noon. Whether Ashton went to his
death of his own will or whether he
met with foul play is not known.
1t is known that Ashton has been on
a protracted spree and his family had
lived in the fear that he would end his
life, but to support the theory that
somehow he was slain and his body
cast into the creek is the fact that
when he was last seen alive on Satur-
day he carried considerable money
with him and also wore valuable
watch. A search of his clothes showed
both wallet and timepiece to be miss
ing, and this has excited the suspicion
The body had been in the water for
about twenty-four hours. When w. b.
Johnson, a boatman, found it, 1t was
lying face downward in a hollow on
of violence and not until the story of
the. money and watch he had carr ed
was learned, did the corOner's deput es
believe anything but the suicide theory.
The remains were identified at the
branch morgue by Philip IS. Levy, a
stepson of the unfortunate, and A. r.
IMondoe who roomed at Ashton's house.
For some time past Ashton had been
living with his wife and three step
children at 1921 Grove street, in Ber-
kelley. To occupy his time he attended
to real estate matters for his mother,
Mrs. Charles Ashton of 124 Frederick
street, San Francisco, who is a part
ner in the firm of Ashton & Gardiner
of All Montgomery street.
Ashton came in for more than his
share of notoriety about three years
ago, when his wife, who was the beau
tiful Mrs. Mary Levy and formerly
Miss Mary Coney, daughter of a prom
inent Hawaiian family, brought suit
for divorce on the ground of intemper-
ance. BY some means Ashton caused
his wife to amend her complaint so
/ that the case went into court charging
failure to provide. Then ca ne the SEN
sational dark card of the husband that
he was in possession of a trunkful of
letters that had been written to his
! wife in endearing terms by Admiral
Merry, then in Honolulu. This caused
a great fiutter and for a time the
names that spoke prominence in affairs
were dragged into the case.
Ashton sought the custody of his ba-
by daughter. While the decision Of the
court in this respect was pending the
father took the child and left for Mex
leo. Later he was found in Seattle,
the child with him. His debauchery
Cdied the attention of the authorities
to the case and care was taken of the
little one. The mother was commune
Gated with and she went north to take
possession of her daughter. Last No
vember Mrs. Levy remarked Ashton
in Redwood City, and since then has
been living with him in Berkeley.
The deceased was fOrty-nine years
old. He has a sister, Mrs. Mollie c..
Wharf, of Jolon, Ojitos Rancho in the
South.
The publication of Admiral Merry S
letters in the San Francisco papers at
the time of the divorce proceedings
caused big sensation in Honolulu.
The Admiral entered strenuous de-
NAL of the charges but inasmuch as
prctically every statement made in
them, was corroborated by local news
paper men, his denials We're taken as
the proper perjury of a gentleman
when a ladys name is involved.
A