A proper understanding of this exciting chapter in the life of Justice Field renders necessary a narrative of the litigation referred to.  It is doubtful if the annals of the courts or the pages of romance can parallel this conspiracy to compel a man of wealth to divide his estate with adventurers.  Whether it is measured by the value of the prize reached for, by the character of the conspirators, or by the desperate means to which they resorted to accomplish their object, it stands in the forefront of the list of such operations.

CHAPTER I.

THE SHARON-HILL-TERRY LITIGATION.

The victim, upon a share of whose enormous estate, commonly estimated at $15,000,000, these conspirators had set their covetous eyes, was William Sharon, then a Senator from the State of Nevada.  The woman with whom he had terminated his relations, because he believed her to be dangerous to his business interests, was Sarah Althea Hill.  Desirous of turning to the best advantage her previous connection with him, she sought advice from an old negress of bad repute, and the result was a determination to claim that she had a secret contract of marriage with him.  This negress, who during the trial gave unwilling testimony to having furnished the sinews of war in the litigation to the extent of at least five thousand dollars, then consulted G.W.  Tyler, a lawyer noted for his violent manner and reckless practices, who explained to her what kind of a paper would constitute a legal marriage contract under the laws of California.  No existing contract was submitted to him, but he gave his written opinion as to what kind of a contract it would be good to have for the purpose.  The pretended contract was then manufactured by Sarah Althea in accordance with this opinion, and Tyler subsequently made a written agreement with her by which he was to act as her attorney, employ all necessary assistance, and pay all expenses, and was to have one-half of all they could get out of Sharon by their joint efforts as counsel and client.  This contract was negotiated by an Australian named Neilson, who was to have one-half of the lawyer’s share.

On the 7th of September, 1883, a demand was made upon Mr. Sharon for money for Miss Hill.  He drove her emissary, Neilson, out of the hotel where he had called upon him, and the latter appeared the next day in the police court of San Francisco and made an affidavit charging Mr. Sharon with the crime of adultery.  A warrant was issued for the latter’s arrest, and he was held to bail in the sum of $5,000.  This charge was made for the avowed purpose of establishing the manufactured contract of marriage already referred to, which bore date three years before.  A copy of this alleged contract was furnished to the newspapers together with a letter having Sharon’s name appended to it, addressed at the top to “My Dear Wife,” and at the bottom to “Miss Hill.”  This pretended contract and letter Mr. Sharon denounced as forgeries.