The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 11, 1903, Page 1

XO1I—-NO PRICE FIVE CENTS. IN BURNING EPISTLES FILLED WITH PASSION, ADMIRAL MERRY DECLARES UNDYING AFFECTION FOR WIFE ADDITIONAL PROOF OF DISHONESTY CONTINUES TO COME TO LIGHT IN COUNTY CLERK MAHONY'S OFFICE ~OUEHERY o sy « r e ge FELONS MAY ESCAPE. t of 8 r Judge Frank 3 - records to take ‘ s mee \ strong € I c pr rpose of getting Te Quen n the strength of nts of the min- < 11 aspect of tion pre- =8 of the city’s « e be known s aft” will wer for th s 3 filed his Ma vesterda rict Attorney, the rk of the Grand Jury his . chief with the = assessments. He ssessed, told ¥y settied his stAtement before The complaint was filed ation yester- the Grand Jury will investigate the matter as goon as possible. INVESTIGATION ORDERED. | | e expert accountant of the Board of | E rs was directed to let all other | official work go and 1o commence an in- qu nto the condition of Mahony's f Regen sburger of the money-lending firm Continued on Page 2, Column 38, | HE County Clerk’s office scandal is still growing. Of- ficial action has been taken in the matter, and Maheny must now explain. At present he staggered by the blow caused by the publication of his misdeeds. No one ventures to go to his aid, as all of the guilty are trembling at the prospect of the investiga- tion by the Grand Jury. Much new evidence against him is con- is tinually cropping up. It seems as if the end should be near, Judge Frank Dunne is being freely criticized on all sides for his neglect in not inspecting his official records for a period of ree years. I | HoxmAcE \ wiLsoN ZEo<al RVISORS DLED THE FINANCE AND TWO CLERK NATURALIZATION PEMDERGAST COMMITTER S IN MAHONY PAPERS. H.U. ¥ BRANDENSTEIN HABENICHT ruoTe “ AL HousTori Of THE BOARD OF SU- S OFFICE WHO HAN- | Determine on Investigation. OUNTY CLERK ALBERT B. MA HONY will have to convince the Fin Committee of the Boarc of that his disburse funds collected by his office been made according to the strictest letter of the law or suffer the penalty of malfeas: office. The expert ved the committee has been C ments of the ce pervisors em- by dered to lay aside his other work and to or- ceed at once to a verification of the The Call. Finance posures made by The met yesterday and after a brief sion of the reports published in The regarding the financial accounts and af- fairs of the County Clerk’s office agrced that the matter should be investigated. Thereupon the Clerk was directed to notify Mr. Hassell, the expert at present employed to examine the books and ac- counts of the various municipal depart- ments, to suspend all other work and to take up immediately the Investigation of the financial accounts and affairs of the County Clerk’s office and to. report to the mittee the result of the investi- gation at as early a date as possible. “I think the expert should be guided by the charges made in the published a:- ticle,” said Wilson, *“and that he report ithin three days if there Is anything lefinitely wrong in the accounts.” The foRowing letter was then sent.40 the expert: “J. J. Hassell Esq.—Dear Sir: I have been directed by the Finance Committee of the Board of Supervisors to direct that Supervisors’ Commlittee discus- e | ¥ou suspend all work in the matter of ] experting the books and accounts of va- rious municipal officers, and to proceed immediately to fhke up the investigation | of the financial accounts and affairs of the County Clerk’s office, and to. report to the committee the resuit of your in- vestigation at as early a date as possible. Yours truly, “CHARLES W. FAY, Clerk.” The Finance Committee is empowered to examine the records of a public otl] under a section of the charter as fol lows: | “The Finance Committee shall investi- gate the transactions and accounts of ull officers having the collection, custody or disbursement of public money, or having the power to approve, allow or audit de- mands on the treasury; shall have free access to any records, books and papers in all public offices; shall have power to administer oaths and affirmations, and to | examine witnesses and compel their at- tendance before them by subpena. The committee may at any time visit any of the public offices and make its examina- tions and investigations therein without hindrance. “In the exercise of its funections, .he concurrence of two members of the com- mittee shall be deemed sufficlent. Thre committee shall keep a record of its pro- ceedings with the names of the witnesses | examined and a substantial statement of | the evidence taken. If, from the exami- | nation made by the committee, it shall [ appear that a misdemeanor in office, or a | defalcation, has been committed by an officer, the committee shall immediately | report to the Mayor, who if he approve the report shall take such proceedings against such officer as are authorized by law, and may suspend him pending such proceedings. Any police officer shall exe- cute the process and orders of the com- mittee.” | complicity in the plot. — EXPLOSION ENDS LIVES OF MANY e R | HONGKONG, April 10, An explosion has | occurred at the Canfon Fifteen hundred per- sons are reported fo have been Killed. BITY FALLS OF CASTRO Venezuelan Revo- lutionists Win in Battle. curs in Vieinity of Caracas. Prisoners, Cannon and Am- munition Captured by, t Victorious Forces. WILLEMSTAD, Curacao, April| arsenal powder factory. | || T0 THE FOES | |Fierce Fighting Oc-|! |10.—News has been received here that the Venezuelan revolutionists | have defeated the forces of the Gov- | ernment in the neighborhood of Car- | acas and captured two cannon and a | | 1arge supply of ammunition. They | | have also captured the city of Bar- iquisimeto. which is the key to the | western part of Venezuela, taking | | many prisoners. Heavy fighting, un- | decisive as yet, has taken place at| | Coro. Direct cable be- | tween this city and the United States | is delayed on account of the revolu- tion in Santo Domingo. communication ASHINGTON, April 10.—News was iWIIV'u\w‘l here to-day from Venez- | uela to the effcct that President | Castro will remain firm and sus | tain Herbert Bo v s plent- J‘,.‘.mu ry, in the attitude aken [1especting the ment claime | against Venezuela of re- | | ferring the question of preferential treat- | | ment of the blockading powers to The | P for determination. The same ate contained the information that overtures have been made to Presi- nt Castro directly b, ih representa tiveg of the allied governments for set- | the controv t overtures with ave been made to the ndicates. bitterly any settle- nient through financial syndicates and P ent Castro has sustained Bowen. Now that this matter is settled the pro- tocols remaining to be agreed on prior to a reference to The Hague will be con- t in view oppose cluded_before very long. News was also recelved here to-day that Senor Pulido, the Venezuelan Charge @’Affaires at Washington, who was sent to Venezuela by Bowen with a letter to President Castro to block the preposi- tions of the syndicat is to return to Washington. He bears a letter to Bowen from President Castro. As the time approaches in which, ac- cording to the terms of the protocols, the members of the mixed commissions to sit ot Caracas to adjust the claims of the various nations against Venezuela must be appointed, much interest attaches to the personnel of these bodies. Bain- tridge of Iowa, it is understood, has al- ready been selected /to act as commis- sioner for the Unifed States and the names of Frank Partridge of Vermont and Robert C. Morris of New York have been mentioned in connection with the cther places which the President has at his disposal. Among these are an agent te represent the United States and um- pires for the commissions representing England, Germany, Italy and the Neth- erlands. PLOT TO ASSASSINATE ALEXANDER OF SERVIA Treason Is Discovered in Belgrade and Many Arrests of Persons Implicated Follow. BUDAPEST, April 10.—It is stated that a plot to assassinate King Alexander of Servia on Sunday has been discovered in Belgrade. A large number of arrests have been made of persons charged with Amorous Letters to Figure in Divorce Suit Begun in Boston. | OF FRANK AS HTON s LOVE-LORN NAVAL OFFICER AND FAIR HAWAIIAN WHO WON HIS REJUVENATE 103 | <+ nen s and processes arising marital _infelicities sides of the continent gler from both there have sprung fnto start- | on ling publicity revelation which involve the name of one of the high- | est officials of the navy. Letters breath- ing love from every line which were writ- ten by Admiral John F. Merry to Mrs. Mary Ashton whii she was yet the wife of Frank Ashton, a real estate agent of this city, show that officer in the light of compatible a Lothario which is fcarcely with his rank and age Behind the exposure of the ardor of the aged admiral which was allowed to be made public yesterday by the former hus- band of the charmer who was its object there lies a tangled skein of circumstances which hinge upon these self- A bitter fight over the custody of their child, Atyla Leonie, now being waged be- tween Frank Ashton and his divorced wife in the Oakland courts and divorce proceedings now pending between Admiral Merry and his wife in a Boston tribunal are the accessory factors in the disclos- | ures just made public. The ardent letters, which are now in the hands of B. Woolner and E. M. Gibson, the attorneys for Frank Ashton, tell of clandestine bliss enjoyed by the aged ad- me letters. | of a maze of legal entan- | troubled pot is boiling with these same letters as the fuel to keep 1t hot. App! to the courts of Massachu- setts r a decree of separation while his wife was on a visit to South Carolina, Admiral Merry was granted a temporary decree which, according to laws of that State, be of effect until six months have passed Now his wife announced her intention of contesting the proceedings upon evidence received from Ashton of the existence or the ineri ating epistles. The two aggrieved par- s ha joined forces and the bundle of sionate correspendence will be 2 to figure in the Massachusetts di- vorce court. Besides the words of tove, Admiral Merry's letters throw light on the causes of the wedded infelicity which seemed to harass the homes of both the correspond- ents. He alludes to Mrs. Ashton’s hus- band as a drunkard and a brute and con- dones with her for Having to waste her life upon a man who he alleges is not worthy of her affection. In other letters cannot has mi- st he alludes to his own unhappy married | life, claiming that all love is dead be- tween himself and his wife. Extracts from some of the passionate | epistles of the enamored admiral follow: miral and his inamorata under the palms of the Hawaifan Islands, on the beach at Santa Cruz at Del Monte and in San Francisco restaurants. They are redolent of Kkisses and burn with words of love poured from the withered heart of the lovelorn admiral. FIGHTS IN TWO COURTS. Unfortunately for the writer and the re- cipient of the burning epistles alike, they | fell into the hands of Ashton while his wife was living away from him before the divorce proceedings were instituted. This was near the close of the year 191. When Ashton and his wife were legally separat- ed a few rhonths ago a bitter. fight for the | custody of their 4-year-old daughter was immediately~ instituted in the Superior Court of Alameda County and there with | many delays it has remained. Little Atyla was awarded to the care of her maternal grandmother, Mrs. Eliza- beth Ashton. Seeking to recover - her daughter, Mrs. Ashton petitioned the Oak- | 1and court to award the guardianship of the little one to Mrs. Mattie Holland of Berkeley, but Ashton threatened to pub- lish the tell-tale letters if she persisted in pushing her claims in court. ‘When the case came up before Judge Hall on Wednesday the little girl and her father had disappeared. Yesterday the letters were given out to the world. On the other side of the continent, a HEART THROBS FOR HER. HONOLULU, Dec. 19, 1901 My Dear One: Yesterday I received your nice, loving letter by the Maru. I wish I had you in my arms. I feel as though it would do me good. It makes my heart throb and beat to think of it. Just think of the pretty pictures we used to make with your strong arms around me. 1 often think of it and wish for you again, T am glad you are so well, and that Clara is well. * * Now don't get jealous of that Your ma is still away. Mrs. H. has not been very well of late. She has a half Chinese girl asleep in the house. * * * there I go again, but really, 1 am very virtuous and am very happy. * Mrs, Bowman has been away a long time; left while T was at Samoa, and Mrs. Collter is away. They were my most intimate friends. I liked them but * * * Both of them are lovely women.* But you; you set me wild the first time I saw you. We met pretty quick; not much sparring there, was there? I shall be glad when I am away from here. * ¢ * I hed a card party here last eve, all (—) peopie. Mrs. Casey and her daughter are here, Mr. and Mrs. When, Mr. and. Mrs. Rodman, the Ponds and Dr. and Mrs. Taylor. Please remember me to Athalle. I—I could love that little girl very much. . She appealed to me in a way that makes me think of her very often. It may be that I pity her for not having a kind, loving | father, the same as T would be were she mine. Well, my dear, it is getting dark. I must make ready for my dinner. My love is for you, lots and lots of it. Remember me to Clara. YOUR J. A. X. In another epistle the Admiral wonders | L% | that his queen can lavish her charms on an old fell HONOLUL 1901 s mail I received that to you quite as I think I have ellow shall be all next I am awa week and a v cases. We got e Bishop es- tate, as we nly to pay $32,737 50 fer what they claim § 0 for I note all you say about Frank and a di- vorce. o't know what good such a man can be 4, and what Is the use to waste your Iife on s 2 brute The quicker you get rid of him the better for I also note what about being good. with I don't see how ¥ ... T wish I we you to-night, my dear. T am wild with T am in better than T was or have been two ago and am looking forward t see you. Iknow * * * We can have a t D——, where we found everything Y ma is sti away. Mrs, Bowman is at S. F. and the doe tor is at Hilo—will put up a shingle out there Cotton went up to the coast on the last stea I hope she will come down. Mrs. C. Inman I like her. She is very mice. I go about but very little. T am very quiet. I took Mrs. H down to Mr. Emos’ Christmas day. They gave a dinner- to the Whites, the Ponds and my ds will soon be re- I may stop sev- It I go early 1 self ang others. The Poi turning home and so will L eral days at San Francisco. may go down to Mexico. “I wonder how the Mexican women are? I don’t believe any of them cam compare wilh you. * How Is little Athalie? T | closed her a little calendar and was sorry after ward that T d/d not go out and buy her a good one. I did it ¢ spur of the moment, just before 1 closed m I think her a lovely sirl, Well, dear one, the Peking is in and I wiil go to my bed, wishing that I could share a sweet, loving kiss with J p SAYS LOVE IS CCLD. Inayv frank. letter the aged lover condoles with Mrs. Ashton upon the bacle slidings of her husband and throws a sid® light upon his own married, life. The mail | letter reads: HONOLULU, Jan. 19, 1902 your batte: It seems as though he is past redempt: he cannot abstain from his habit a short tim after making a promise to 4o so and when he has so much at stake, I think it will be a good riddance to You as you cannot take much with him, even | haif te what you say about n if fort or bave much pleasure | he did not g=t drunk I know this, the love that I used to feel for & certain woman has fled and T doubt if it could ever be revived, should compert her- I believa it s difficult has died out the other day. her age. She street costum selt ever so well. rekindle love, whepor She Sent me Rer pi looks well fer a up to leok young, She has a on, trimmed with fur. It s of cloth, I shouid say, and has a fur muf in her hand, bearskin 1 should say. I must see Clara and ses If she Contintied on Page 3, Column 4 to . It gots ure woman of