Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-12-12
LITTER PROM joins 3 coOa

AHAhLAaioMN JAN a. utcs Ftuf - ~
TO fhe Editor eftIe Mommg Leader.
DEAR SIR.--I had the pleasure Of receiving,
yesterday evening, a copy Of your interesting
paper In its perusal was somewhat sur
prised to see a copy Of letter which had
written to Mr. d Mrs. Seller, Of your city,
When wrote that letter, had 40 thought Of
its ever being published But, asI see sUme
false statements ia regard to my fellow prison
ers and myself, which you have quoted from
other papers, ata glad Mr. Seller took the
liberty to give it publicity. ! en- also thank
ful to you for The e0ameat you made upon
those statements.
Twill only say, such statements as have been
made by the Times" in regard to my c.m-
panions and myself are totally false. There has
not been one single instance, IN iohieh hare flh
or sholon any sign Of fear or nervousness since /
haze been here Neither has my tomrads Coppoe
since he has occupied the cell ioih me, sk0len any
such weakaess, or dreaa Of death. We both dis
like the mode Of death, to which we have been
doomed. But notwithstanding, iss are ehesrfiy
and calmly dioaitng our fate and trlisi zee shall
meet il ike men
l will frankly admit, that on one or two &C.
casions, have been agilated, by the reception
of touching letters from my WIFE and other rel
atiSes iohoss happiness is dsarer 10 me than my
ljfe,, Tie doom that awaits me, has not in tile
least affected my appetite, nor has itoceaaioned
any loss Of rest. sleep as calmly here, as !
would, if in my boyhood home.
have made these statements, because
deem it my duty to my fellow prisoner and
myself to do So by giving this an insertion
in your paper you will greatly oblige.
JOHN E. COOK.
! P.S. / have iust read in one of the pa
pers published at this place, an account OF the
Farewell scene between Capt Brown, Coppoc,
and myself. To show the falsehood of th -se
| reports, iciI state Just tehat passed al his
| fareireH inisrricto. Capt Brown came in smi-
ling, and shouk both Coppoc and myself warm
| iy ivy the hand He asked kindly aiter our
health. lie then said to me, that he was cor
~ thatI had made a statement that was not
| true; as / would only gain contempt by it. /
asked him what 1 had said that vas untrue
fIe told me that il was the statement which
had made, "Thej he had sent me to the Ferry "
! l told him he most certainly did tell me to 90
there. He said he had 10 rec LECTION of
anything 1.-THE kind but that he rcmen bered
distinctly ssof telling me nat 10 go there replied
that had good memory, and had not The slight
est recollection Of anything Of The kind lie
remarked that he thought that my memory
must bo treacherous then; but it would do no
good to talk about that. Bet that if we had
got to die, to meet our fate like men. That We
had gone into good cause, aud not to deny it
now. He then turned to Coppoc and said
that he had heard that he had made some false
statements, but was glad to learn that those
reports were untrue. He then asked il he
could do anything for us We answered in the
negative He gave Coppoc 50ets Temarkina
that, az he owed C's Brother $40 which
he did not knew as would ever be paid that a
little change might do him some good. lie
then pressed our hand warmly and bojo Us a
last Farewell. There was no one present ex>
cept Capt. Avis, Capt Brown Coppoc and
myself Capt Avis will think vouch for the
truth of this statement as will Mr. Coppoc-
Please give this place in your paper and
oblige. Yours Truly
j. e. COOK