Imperial Valley press., 1936-12-27

way extending from the basement to the attic,
and the lavish ballroom lined with mirrors from
floor to ceiling.
It was Nanny who manipulated the mar
riage between Thomas and Teresa after they
had begun life in their new home-that is,
marriage ceremony performed by Father Bres-
lin Catholic priest, but a ceremony for Whlch
no civil license had been obtained.
Almost Immediately there ensued vehement
quarrel between the newly-married pair, which
terminated in Teresas hasty departure from the
house with bag and baggage. Bell had her ar
rested and returned and from then on they lived
in a divided house-she one side and he on
the other, with Nanny as the intermediary
Alone in his side of the house Thomas Bell
brooded If he had children his life would be less
lonely. But he was not on particularly good
terms with his wife. Nanny plotted with him.
1t was decided that with each child Teresa pre-
sented to Bell, she was to receive casn settie-
ment of $4,000 AS speedily as the laws OF ma
ture allowed, she produced six children-three
girls, Robina May, Muriel and Marie Teresa
three boys, Reginald, Eustace and Thomas Fred
erick.
After Thomas Bells death great controversy
arose among his direct heirs over his will. 1t
was taken to court time and time again. In the
trial during September 1897, Nanny testlhed
that Thomas Frederick and Marie Teresa Bell
were not Teresa Clngan Bells own children
That Thomas Bell had brought these children
as babies to the ranch where Nanny lived and
asked her to care for them year before
Thomas Bell had married Teresa. This testl-
mony all the more backed up the ugly rumors
which had circulated throughout the years that
all six children had not been borne by Teresa,
even though she was crafty enough to have COL
lected a cool 100000 on them, from her hus-
band.
THROUGHOUT Mammy's career, it is evident
that she not only directed and enjoyed steer
ing the Bell family's various intrigues among
its different members, but she took an especially
keen delight in arranging the aHalrs OF others
as we'll
In 1878 Senator Sharon became the enemy of
Thomas Bell when he secured the control of the
Bank of California after its failure. Probably
as a means of revenge Nanny introduced
Sharon to Sarah Althea Hill, who Immediately
became Sharons mistress Growing tired or her
rather quickly he tried to disentangle himself
from the liason with the result that Sarah
Althea filed suit against him in which she pro-
duced a marriage certificate to back up her
claims She lost her case. 1t was common gos-
sin that Nanny Pleasant had spent 100000 OF
Thomas Bells money in backing her protegee
After the trial Sarah Althea was courted by
her attorney the former Judge Terry. They
married feud arising during the trial between
of Terry who was shot down by one of Fields
henchmen Sarah Althea Hill lost her mind, ano
it was Nanny who stepped in, to instigate pro-
ceedings whereby the unfortunate Althea was
placed in an asylum
In the meantime Thomas Bell was growing
old and weak and feeble. with frequent faint
ing spells and attacks of vertigo. Nanny re-
mained with the family deftly managing the
large household, doing the marketing each
morning and engineering quarrels among the
nearly grown children.
At a late hour night in October 1892
Thomas Bell was found sprawled out in the
courtyard unconscious. He had apparently faller
from the balcony three flights above He dice
without regaining consciousness red shaw
belonging to Nanny was found in extremely
close proximity to where he met his death, ano
when the servants went to Mammys quarters
to arouse her, she Immediately appeared at the
door entirely clothed despite the fact that the
rest of the household had been in bed for hours
, Police suspected that Bell had not accidentally
fallen from the balcony, but the case was al
lowed to drop.
1t is coincidental that four years later
Thomas Frederick Bell met with an accident
which almost the exact duplicate of that
causing the death of his father. He fell over
the bannister of the circular stairway from a
high point down into the courtyard below. Fol
several days he lay unconscious and was bed