, 1869-06-11

William X. McCrncken-Thc Author
of she n1ottcy-SewaFd Lettsr-KRtx
south American nud European Adj
ventures
~ the Editor n the .ye,r Fork ssn:
STR: A brief paragraph, under the head Of
npes8onai Intelligence" in the Sun OF this nvru-
tne. announces the death OF Vim R. McCtackcn,
at RlDounu2tOn, Ill and expresses a BELIEF that
be was toe author Of tas Letter from Europe which
The writer Is familiar with Mr. AcCrackenA his
tory, having nts1 met aotl made his acquaintance
tn Inns, Peru. soale nf1eeu yeals aso- At that
time Nj. McCracEen was engaged tn the puhca-
t,on Of u neNspaper, printed In English, called the
FGrelgn Se.r& He soon hecuule obnoxious to the
Peruvian aprhoEtt'ta ant tie American Asnlsisr,
TO surrender the publication ol bis paper to other
hnnd4
before going To Peru, McCracken haI been en-
ployed "A editor Of th1 8ser1nento Enin, 10 Csll
fotnia, and waa elected Treasurer OF Sacramento
County. Ills sudden departure from callfoa ala
was doubtless innuenced b. the discovery Of a de-
fciE OF man, thousands OF dollalB In h1s accounl
After nsa retirement from tue Fvreim .setcA
McC. figured about Lma and Ca!lAo for 4 month
or twO, and was annllJ imprisoned On charge o1
burglary. The penalty for 1hls oreace would haze
been ten years IN the chatn-Gaug ut the Chlncha
Islands, but Mac saeess1ed IN escaping feou
prison one night, orratlng his leg In the attempt
He WIS careIaIly secreted for several weeks by
his American friends, and with their assistance
made his way to the interior, and dnal1y out Of the
Three or four years .at4r he turned up At Bloom
1ngton, Ill, y here he became connected With the
fEnt0grarA II local editGr. Soon after he mar.
He'd the daughter Of 4 wealthy and respectable
gentleman Of that city, and was assisted In the
ea1ahl,snnen: Of new paper; q n % i,asein!s
tons aud WIS summary hantshed from thell
roof.
| During the war, Mac obtained position In the
Qu2rtelmAster'a once 0t ST. Louis. bus Wos soon
| discharged. Wandering about from Pont u
Potht, he became destitute and desperate, levytou
contributions In the Way Of Ioana from old friend.
| n YHf hn rnftd their GFmO3fhIfA bT
| pit:lIl recltals Of his doMcss.e ErlerAncea The
| writer met him at the St Nicholas Hotel In tht.
! city tu 1864. gave him money, and adr'scd him e
! enllst This Mac promised to DO, snd started fol
| the recruiting station in City PArk Hall for thai
! plfLose- ...-.-...
able n.anneF, Succeeded Ia getting TO Europe
| money from American ofl1caaIs at the slincreE
| carltalA A refusal To come down furnished
| prrfeIt for scoTchinR letter to souae American
jonYnal and IN two or three cases letters were nd
| dressed TO Mr. Se~arl
Wn. r Mccraekeu was the sntho1 Of the is
| NOUS SewArtl- Motley letter. and the whole secre
OF hi. complaint .ay tn the fact that ce had hee,
knoW!edged this 10 me on his return from Europe
boz his slnaiid poverty, hts eufeeoled health, an
his general physical and menta, dilaoldat1on Ell
cited my PITY and promised not 10 expose hin
| The papers Werr at the time fun OF inquiry attoQ
the authorship Of the Motley letter. Nho I
Hc[Tackeu :" headed leading editorials In ever
newspaper IN the tAnd, but the Identity Of tAe A.
thor remained secrt-
asa par. al the stirring political history OF III
past few years, these facts may not prove untr
tere1ttne to the puLltc- EDWARD BL1sa.
| I39 BRooxE SrRIE4. NEW Yokr. June L 100.