Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-15
AkGRfW


been saddcnd, and Jackson believed.
her death caused by the evil tongue
of SANDER. Knowing what she had
suffered he was all the more ready to
sympathize with another whose
character was assailed. And the Peg
gy O'Neal affair developed at tho time
when he WAS almost heartbroken over
the death of his wife.
THE TWO WOMEN.
There were strange points of SINH
laI1ty in the lives of Peggy O'Neal and
Rachel Jackson. Both were hand
some, clever women. Both were mar
ried twice. The first husband OF each
Of the women was worthless The Sec
ond husband OF both were the best
of men. Both women were the victims
of assassins of character.
When Jackson assumed the presi-
dency in March. 1929. he was soro at
heart One month after his election his
wife had died. Throughout the cam
paign his enemies had been bitter In
attacks Partisan feeling ran higher In
those times than in these. and men
were more violent in their language.
The old, old story that Jackson had
stolen another mans wife was told.
1t was true Jackson thought they were
free to marry when they wore not and
that they had to be married over
again. The fact that there was some
irregularity was sufficient basis for
attack in the heat of the political
fight. The truth was that Mrs. jack
sons first husband was a scamp who
was insanely jealous of her and who
abandoned her soon after her mar
riage They lived In Tennessee. which
at that time was not a state. The hus-
band. Robards. went to Virginia and
began proceedings for a divorce. It
ltffinI1lf n rrof divorce then
than now, and. besides. divorce was
not looked upon so lightly as at pres
ent. First Robards had to apply to the
legislature for permission to bring
suit. This he did. The fact was duly
published when the permission was
granted, News travelled slowly In those
DAYS and after the lapse Of some time,
and supposing that Robards had OBJ
tanned the divorce, Jackson and Mrs.
Richards were married. Not until two
wears after their marriage did they
discover that Robards did not institute
the suit until after the marriage and
then made his claim on the ground
that Mrs. Robards was a bigamist.
This was the sorriest point In jack
sons life. For his wife he had love
approaching reverence. Fiery of tenn
per, bitter and unforgiving. he never
uttered a harsh word in this woman's
presence but he fought duels with and
pursued throuhout life those who as
sailed her good name
WARMED.
He was in no mood to listen to as
saults on women's character. WHOM.
shortly after he announced his selection
Of his cabinet, one of his friends called
his attention to the fact that the ap-
pointment of Maj. Eaton as secretary
of war would give rise to scandal. Maj.
Eaton had been guilty of marrying
pretty Peggy O'Neal. Some years be-
fore Jackson's election to the preslden-
cy Peggy had married purser In the
navy named Timberlake. What led her
to marry him Is mystory, for he was a
worthless, drunken creature. On
cruise in Mediterranean waters he had
cut his throat and thrown himself over
hoard. leaving her g. widow Maj.
Eaton. who had lived at the Indian
Queen In rooms adjoining thoso of Mr.
and Mrs Jackson, courted and married
tho widow. The marriage gave rise to
a rood deal of gossip. Eaton. who had
been one of Jackson's staff at New Or
leans. was a United States senator. a
man of great dignity. culture and
wealth The gossips said he had been
deyoted to Peggy OEenl while sho was
the wife of Timberhke. Then they
added to the story until they had him
the father OF Peggy's two children and
made her out to be a woman without
shame.
When the friend told Jackson that
through Peggy O'Neal the appointment