Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-11-24
ANOTHER CHAPTER IN THE
New York Hotel Scandal Case.
Statement from Gardiner Eurniss.
A CARD.

long desired to make, IN ORDER thaI InlSut re-
flute the innumerable calumnies that have been
promulgated in reference to the so-called New
York Hotel Scandal" My acquaintance with
Mrs Woodman began in Paris, in October, 1851
Nv constant visits and attentions to her prior to
the 10Th Of August last had always been not
alone countenanced, but seemingly agreeable to
Mr.. W. After an absence of about year, Mr.
W. returned to Paris on the 23d of July, 1900,
and during his stay was always welcome
guest Mt his apartments, and was constantly in
vited by him to join his family in the visits, ex-
cursions and amuSements which make up the
ordinary life of strangers in that gay capital
They left Paris for the United States on the 2Sth
of August. | sailed from southampton on my
return to America on the 18th of the following
month, consequently could not possibly have
managed, as stated in the Tribune, October Z
''to cntrap Mrs. w. into correspondence which
put into my hands series of letters comPro-
missing her" On my return to New York, in
October 1855, the relations between Mr.. and
Mrs w and myself continued there was no Sc
crccy about them, for none was required. In
November, 1866, the Woodlands left New York
for the South In January, 1856, went to
New Orleans and remained until May. While
! there lodged in the same hotel, sat next them
at table was n constant visitor at their apart
ments, with the full knowledge and consent of
/ Mr. W., and so far from ever having the slight
est cause to imagine my relations to his family
Objectionable to him, had every reason to sup
pose quite the contrary. In August, Mr. and
Mrs W. came north. visited them, as before,
and accompanied them by invitation to New
port That year Mr.. and Mrs. WoOdman went
south in October. joined them in New Or
Ileans in February, 1857, and remained until
| April, as usual, at the same hotel. On the 3lst
| of May last, having occasion to visit Washing
ton, on my way there stopped in Philadelphia
at the Girard House, where Mr.. and Mrs. Wood
man had been staying. ] called upon Mrs
Woodman then, as we'll as upon my way back
from Washington to New York. On 18th
| August last visited Mrs w. at the New York
Hotel, and was received most kindly. There
were two other persons in Mrs. w S rooms Mt
the time-Mr. w IS nephew and another-both
of whom soon left. In about an hour and
half after their departure some one knocked at
Mrs. VS. parlor door, and upon its being open
ed Mr.. w. rushed in and handled Mrs. Wood
man very roughly, so much so that she scream
ed; and he, with Bowie knife and revolver in
hand swore that he would kill either Mrs.W.
or myself Anxious to avoid n scene and the
talk which might cnsue if Mrs WIS OutcrieS
CONTINUED, l showed Mr.. w. aside, as he says,
and left without being shot or even shot at. As
soon as practicable Mr.. w. followed me; but as
there were as yet no spectators, he has only to
blame himself and his foolish publications for
the scandal which ensued. Leaving the hotel |
returned to my home, from which, by the by
Notwithstanding all that has been said to the
contrary, have not been absent an entire day
since. l expected, of course, to hear from MIR.
W., but was disappointed.
have here given rs briefly as possible a
truthful narrative of the origin, progress and ter
minatiOn of my intercourse with the Woodlands.
That it was characterized by much that was
Iimprudent is only to confess what is obvious to
every one; but it must be equally apparent that
| was allowed by Mr.. w. to believe that my at
titudc was not misunderstood by him. He was
a man of business-thought of nothing else
cared for nothing else. His wife was gay, young,
land fond of society All the day and half the
night ne spent in his store; without children.
she was lonesome in her drawingroom, and he
encouraged me to suppose, as always believed,
that it was entirely agreeable to him that |
should pass great deal of my time in the socie-
lty of his wife-thus enabling him to devote
himself entirely 10 his affairs, and yet spare his
wife the enitWi of cherries home. This Is, no
doubt, all very wrong, and so far as it is SO, l
am willing to bear without murmur the CEN
sure of the world. And this is the extent of
! my offence down to the denoument at the New
| York Hotel. But Mr.. Woodmans lawyer and
friends have since endeavored to prejudice me
I i'll the estimation of society, by a series of false
/ accusations, as destitute of truth as they are
offensive. IL Mr.. Woodman had taken my life
on the cventfu day in August, everybody would
] have said it was justly forfeited to him; but he
has chosen rather to act the part of a paltroon
aiming epithetS at me instead of bullets dis
/ grazing himself as well as his wife, and wound.
| ing the feelings of her kindred rs well as my
own. by the shameless invention of fabricated
affidavit" This so-caled affidavit" as was
proved in court, was never read to Mrs. Wood
man; it appeared by the testimony that she did
not know its infamous contents, and that not
word of it was even written dictated by her.
The garbled passages passed off as extracts from
my letters TO her are substantially forgerieS, be-
cause they consist of detached lines and phrases,
so distorted as to have an apparent signifca-
ton wholly different from the real meaning, as
would have been palpable to every one if the
whole context had been given. Woodman con-
fessed in his "card" that at the very time Mrs.
Woodlands signature was obtained to the affida-
Wit, ''shc INDUCED in such free use Of Iadanum,
as to be quite incapable of realizing her con-
dition" This cannot doubt, as he ought to
be familiar with the use of drugs, and consid.
ering the end he had in view, he surely did not
allow her then to suffer from the want of them.
His statements in the Courier DIES Etats Unis,
predcated upon this same affidavit, declares she
was there herself of her own reason; her letter
written at the same time and now in my posses
sion, implores me to seek for her some honora-
bic protection from cruelties which she cndures,
but shrinks from the effort to describe. Piled
by promises of pardon, which were afterwards
broken certified by threats ofvengcance, which
were more than fulfilled-dogged night and day
by an attorney whom fec converted into an
/,.oo Dritrho ciy