Terry lost the election to Republican Augustus L. Hart. Marriage to Althea Hill In the 1880s, Terry became entangled in a volatile public scandal. Thirty year old Sarah Althea Hill had been the mistress of 60 year old silver millionaire and former U.S. Senator William Sharon. When he ended the relationship and took up with another woman, she sued for divorce, claiming adultery. Sharon countersued, claiming that the marriage contract she provided was a forgery, and that they had never married. Hill wanted a share of Sharon's wealth. The court ruled that the marriage contract was a forgery. Terry appealed the ruling to the United States Supreme Court. After Sharon died on November 13, 1885, Althea married Terry on January 7, 1886, in Stockton. She produced a will that she said she found in Sharon's desk which gave her all of his assets. United States Supreme Court Justice Stephen J. Field, a former friend of Broderick's, heard the case in 1888 as the senior justice of the Federal circuit court in California. On September 3, 1888, Field delivered the final Circuit Court opinion. He ruled that the will was a forgery. Sarah Althea Hill suddenly stood up, screamed obscenities at the judge, and fumbled in her handbag for her revolver. When Marshal John Franks and others attempted to escort her from the courtroom, attorney Terry rose to defend his wife and drew his Bowie knife. He hit Franks, knocking out a tooth, and the marshals drew their handguns. Spectators subdued Terry and led him out of the courtroom, where he pulled his Bowie knife and threatened all around him. David Neagle was among the Marshals present and put his pistol in Terry's face. Both Terrys were subdued and placed under arrest. Justice Field had them returned to the courtroom and sentenced both to jail for contempt of court. David Terry got six months in jail, and Sarah Terry got one month. While being transported to jail and while serving their sentences, Terry and his wife repeatedly threatened Judge Field. The Terrys suffered several more setbacks. Both David and Althea were indicted by a federal grand jury on criminal charges arising out of their behavior in the courtroom before Justice Field. In May 1889, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review the order that invalidated Althea Terry's marriage contract with Senator Sharon. Then, in July, with only one of the four