The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-02-25
STRANGE TALES
OF THE LIFE OF
EDWIN HAWLEY
He LIVED IN HIS MANSION WITH
HIS WARD, THE BEAUTIFUL
MISS CAMERON, WHOM He
NEVER ALLOWED ANYONE TO
SEE.
speelal % ne JournaI.

New York. Feb. 24-Strange tales
that smack OF medieval times are
being told here Of the life Of Edwin
Hawley, the multimillionaire railroad
magnate who died here recently They
relate principally to his handsome out
Of town estate, 'The Towers" on Long
Island, where he and his ward, Mss
Margaret Cameron, beautiful woman
now about thirty years Of age, lived In
regal splendor for many years. Out
side Of a few of his more intimate
business friends, none knew of tina
existence of Miss Cameron until after
the death Of the master Of the man
sion. According to the stories now
being banded about, Haw1ey. who WAS
often referred to as "tke human icioie"
because Of his uniform coidness. pur-
posely desired and planned that no
one should know of her. It is said he
had q secret staircase built in the big
whenever anyone visited him at '"The
TowerA" Since he was bachelor
and not accountable % anyone for his
conduct, such extraordinary precau-
tions to shield her from the gaze OF
his callers are 6ifacu1t TO explain. sven
by those who were aware of his secret.
Hawley never allowed anyone to get
close to him and never exchanged CON
ndences with any human being on
earth. unless It was the woman. who Is
to make fight for a substantial share
of the $40.00o. 900 estate he left on his
death.
And there b a suspicion that she
shared In few Of his condolences, for
she IL apparently as much I'D In the
air az to whether he made a viii as
are his married sisters and nephew,
VINO have made claim for his proper ~
on The assumption that he did not.
With the possible exception Of the
chauffeur who took the railroad man
and his ward on long automobile
drives and the army OF servants EN-
ployed in the mansion, no one recalls
ever having seen Miss Cameron at
Gloss range. The closest she came to
being caught In the presence Of
5awIey was on one occasion when
they returned from Cne of their motoTN-
ing pilgrimages into the country and
found business friend OF the million
a4re IN The library awaiting his return.
On learning OF his presence the wom-
an QUICKLY disappeared through the
secret passage. Where this. opening
led to no one pretandB to know for
even the servants are said to have
never explored IL. That the chamber
20 which 1t extended vas the retreat
IN which the young woman Uninsured
herself whenever the millionaire en-
terta1ned his financial associates a:
The Towers" IL regarded as highI1
probable Stories are related of how
HawIey and the woman frequentIy
quarreleo over money matters Or
these occasions Il 10 reported he was
stingy with her to the point of par.
simony. But when they would make
up" he made amends by laSishing OF
her Jewels and other exfravagances ri
for queen. Who she is and wher,
che came from is as much of a mys-
terry as that concerning her life IA
The TowerBH In this she is vastly
different from Emily Grigsby,. tn
beautiful ward Of the late Charles T
Yerkea, the Chicago and London rail
road builder. who was touted arount
Hurope by the latter and proclaiIne,
/ everywhere az her friend and pre-
tector. Yerkea, though he had a beau
ttful wife IN New York, seemed to tax
| entirely the opposite view OF It I,
Hawley and encouraged his ward {.
frRternize with other women. He e.
tablighed her IN q big mansion OF he
own, appointed with the munifcen
appurtenances Of q duchess and tool
| pride in her friendly intercourse wit
the children Of King George and oEhe
members Of the royal family and tn
peeragA
Roberta Joa1nes, the attractive youn-
ward OF Robert Zoe, the rnflIi0nafr
printing press manufacturer who ha
Deen SUNG In9 Hoe executors for bond
she alleges he set aside for her, wa
/ similarly exploited by her protector
fBut then the friends OF Hawley sa
Hoe and Yerkes weFe indis~eeti
frank In taking the world into thei
confidence concerning their prediiec
ton for their wards, a thing Hawis
never did in either his business or per
sonal relations To his great secre
tiveness in business matters he owe
much of his success IN the rallroa
werid and he evidently imagined tha
what was good in one fiald must b
wise and. good in the sother fnevitahI
: the sisters of the dead man are dis
} posed to lock upon Miss Cameron as
usurper and to refer to her status |
'The Towers" as that of a servant, b.
the facts disclosed since the death {
Hawley contradict this and show cor
| cIusfvely that she was the admire
and honored guest of the big estaH
lishment, with all the. administrator
| privileges of a wife
-