The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-09

to woman than was Andrew Jackson
to his wife Rachel, and IL for no other
reason than that his wife loved Peggy
O'Neal he would have been her stauncf
defender. But there was a more power
1ul reason. Mrs. Jackson's life had
been saddened and, Jackson believed
her death caused by the evil tongue
OF SANDER. knowing what she had
suffered, he was all the more ready tc
sNmpathize with another whose char
acter was assaiied. And the Peggy
O,Neal affair developed at the time
when he was almost heartbroken owe
the death of his wife.
The Two Women.
There were strange points of sini-
iarity In the lives of Peggy OsNeal and
clever women. Both were married
twice. The first husband of each of
The women was worthless. The sec
ond husbands of both We're the best of
men. Both women were the victims
Of assassins of character. (
When jackson assumed the presi-
dency in March, 1929, he was sore at
heart. n month after his election
his wife had died. Throughout the
campaign his enemies had been bitter
IN. attacks. Partisan feeling ran
higher in those times thar in these,
ana men We're more violent in their
language. The old. old story that
jackson had stolen another mans wife
they We're free to marry when they
Were not. and that they had to be
married over again.
The fact that there was some irreg-
ularity was sufficient basis for attack
In the heat of the political fight. The
truth was that Mrs. Jackson's first
husband was a scamp who was in
sanely jealous of her and who
riage. They lived in Tennessee, which
AT that time was not a State. The
husband. Richards. went to Virginia
and began proceedings for a divorce.
It was more difficult to get a divorce
then than now, and, besides. divorce
was not looked upon so lightly as at
present. First Robards had to apply
TO the Legislature for permission to
Ering, suit. This ne did. The fact
was duly published when the permis-
~ In those days. and after the lapse
of some time, and supposing that Ro-
bards had obtained the divorce, jack
son and Mrs. Itohards were married.
rage did they discover that Robard,s
did not instituted the suit until after the
marriage. II then made his claim on
the ground that Mrs. Robards was a
biEamist. This was the sorriest point
In Jackson's life. For his wife he had
3 love approaching reverence. Fiery
of temper. bitter and unforgiving, he
never uttered Il harsh word in this
woman's presence. but he fought duels
with and pursued throughout life those
who assailed her good name
Warned.
lie was in no mood to listen to as
saults ~ women's character, which,
shortly after he announced his sclec-
non Of his Cabinet, one of his friends
called his attention to tho fact that Tho
appointment of Major Eaton as Secrc-
tary of War would give rise TO scandal
Major Eaton had been guilty of marry.
Ing pretty Peggy O'Neal. Some year;
before Iackson's election to the presi-
doncy Peggy had married a purser 4,
tho navy named Timberlakc. What lee
her to marry lin Is a mystery. for he
WAS a worthless. drunken
On a cruise in Mediterranean water.
he had cut his throat and thrown him
self overheard, leaving her a widow
Major Eaton, who had lived at the In
dian Queen In rooms adjoining thos,
of Mr.. II Mrs. Jackson, courted ane
married the widow. The marriag,
gave rise to a good deal of Eossin
Eaton. who had been one Of jackson,
staff at New Orleans. was a United
states Senator, a man of great dignity
culture and wealth. The gossips said
that he had been devoted to Perrv
ONea while she was the wifa ~