MILLIONAIRES AND THE MORAL CODE.

Evening Star, Issue 11683, 15 February 1902, Page 3

MILLIONAIRES AND THE MORAL CODE.

Tire bright light of publicity (writes the New York correspondent of the ‘Argus’) shines upon tiie social life of our great multi-millionaires, as well as upon the results of their financial and industrial labors. A recent order of a New York court, concerning the care of Mrs Ida Flagler, recalls the matrimonial ventures of her husband, Henry M. Flagler, one of the chief ownon »f the Standard Oil Company. Mr Flagler, a man of seventy-two years, rnarrieef liis third wife two or three, months ago. His second wife, Mrs Ida Flagler, is” confined in a private asylum for the insane. As her fortune iimoimts to 2,500,000 dollars, the Court orders that her keeper shall spend 25,uj0 dollar's a year in the maintenance of an establishment for her, and also that 20,000 dollars of her income shall be paid annually to her brothers and sisters, all of whom are in , straightened circumstances. Three nephews, who were sent to a foundling asylum in their infancy, and have just discovered their relationship, will have a part of the money. Flagler obtained a divorce from this unfortunate woman in a novel manner. He lives a part of the year in Florida, where he has built several 'malarial hotels on the shore for winter tourists. His influence in the Legislature of that State was iwwerful enough to procure the enactment of a- law declaring that the insanity of a wife for four years should be sufficient ground for divorce. Ten days after the passage of the Bill h© married his .bird wife, a beautiful woman of thirty-two, celebrating the event by a grand banquet, at which he gave her £BOO,OOO, and presented a. large sum to each of five of her near relatives. _ The divorce has Iweu denounced in public by prominent clergymen, but Flagler found no difficulty in inducing a minister to perform the ceremony. ’Flic marriage was preceded by a. suit at law', in which one Clarence Foote asked damages in 100,000 dollars from Flagler for tlie alienation of his wife’s affections. It was alleged that during Ids association with Mrs Foote, preceding the insanity of Airs Flagler, the old millionaire had given her a house and £IOO,OOO in Standard Oil shares; and there was some testimony as to the disposition of the sluues in question. Flagler’s counsel promptly denounced the proceedings <as an attempt to blackmail his client, and nothing has been heard of the suit since Flagler’s marriage.