The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-08-13
society

! This letter was not to Mrs. Spencer. but
TO the president of the soldiers aiG society,
and it was her duty to have laid it before. the
society for action. Instead OF doing this she
very strangely came to the conclusion that
| she was insulted; took the letter to Jim
| BsardsleY. and il was this that caused the
cowardly mob of soldiers t. lie in wait be-
hind a building and spring upon us unawares
while walking on the streets, giving us no
| opportunity for defence. more dlsgrsesful
aud cowsrdly act was never committee
gang of three rutfians, led by Jim Bssrdsley.
laid in wait behind building, armed with
| revolvers, and suddenly spring upon II man,
in a cowar1ly manner. rs nc passes the COR
ner, giving him no notice Of the attack aud
no possible chance for defence. And this
gang of towards malsreat and rob a man on
the streets, while Ez Beardsley, Seth Hunt
& Co. stand around with dozen hackers to
see that Jim and his two cowardly builies
don't get hurt, and to instantly kill the man
who might make any defence If there is
any glory IN such a susaking cowsr6lv act,
those who melted and committed il ought to
have the monopoly of it. Had their coward
~ ASSASSINATION and highway robbery ended
in the murder of thsir victim, as they proba
bly, hoped il would, they would. doubtless,
have escaped punishment for their crime as
or the murderers of the editor of u democrat
ic newspaper in Dayton.
We did not keep copy of tue letter, but,
after it was delivered. we endeavored to pro-
cure q copy and Mrs Spencer refused to fur
nish it. We then Immediately wrote, from
memory. the above copy, which will be found
to DO substantially correct. 1t may not be
literally correct, but il is substantially so,
and we defy them to prove to the contrary,
by producing the letter and publishing it
And we pow Offer if they will do so, that
we will pay one hundred dollars to the Hi.
nois soldiers orphans home, if Sheriff Mer-
rill and Circuit Clerk Hodges, both repu bill
cans, will say there is anything insulting to
any one In the letter.
We had no earthly object in view but to
screen the ladies of the soldiers aid society
from what we believed to be unjust suspi-
cions, freely banded about town at that time,
of wrong appropriation of the funds of that
society, That was the only earthly object
we had in view, and we 50 stated to Mr.. E.W.
Spencer, some weeks before the letter was
written, and sent by him printed report of
the Springfield soldiers aid society, to his
mother, for her information rs to how other
societies managed their affairs. 1t she mis-
understood our plain, honest statements, and
courteous, well-mosnt requests, or could not
appreciate our motives, so plainly expressed
both verbally and in writing, or was led by
others to misunderstood them, it was not our
fault. We never treat ed her or any other
member of that society other than with the
greatest courtesy and respect, nor had she
or any other member any just cause of com.
plant against US, Every one of them knows
that our paper and our labor was always at
their service, and they seemed glad to avail
themselves OF both.
As to the other squib, viz: "ridiouliug the
funeral escort of one of our brave Union de-
tenders, that is too small to require much
attention. After the G. A. RS returned
from the funeral they marched past their
hall and up to Market Square, for no other
reason In the world than to make q show of
themselves. This was an indelicats and RI
oicolous act, and so characterised by large
numbers OF people who witnessed it. The
people who SO characterized it had no refer
ence to the duties of the Cars as q funer. |
81 escort, but only to little piscs of peacock
ism whloh, at that time, had better have been
omitted.