The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-02-03
rHE WEEKLY COURIER.
(. (. NJ II. Habh1GK, HAMIET5,S. EDITORS.
FEBRUARY 3, 1870
CRIME.

| Rev. Horace Cooke. pastor OIL q
church in New York, and who re-
Gently eloped with Matte Johnson,
one of the pretty lambs of his flock,
has returned.
Directly after his return he assault
ted one of the World editors for an
abusive account of the affair, for
which he got chucked into Jail, from
whence he writes the following pa
thetic appeal to the New York iri-
| buUe
SIR: Will you give the words Of a
criminal place in your columns? l
do not ask to excuse myself-Oh no !!
I only wish the TRUTH to be known.
IF 1 could only write, l would ga
plain, unvarnished tale" deliver, but
my head and my heart hurt me SO
that l cannot.
On this day the young lady will be
returned to her home, as pure and as
good as when first l saw her. She
has been with me as my SISTER. OF
course we did not intend that, but
my wretched heart stung me at the
beginning, and my only desire is to
repair Gas far as CAM the injury l
have done to all my friends-so good
to me-and to the church-but sthe
damned blot" will neuer out. lex
cuse the blots, they were caused by
the swapping of the pen.)
/ wish that l could write, but l
cannot. Let mo make a few state
ments, and for Gods sake BELIEVE
me:
1st. Ibid not haze not seduced
Miss Johnston. lfI had, why should
l bring her back? If l was villain
enough to ruin her, would [ not have
been villain enough to keep her? 1t
is no fear of personal injury that
prompted me, because could have
eluded everybody, if / chose, and l am
back now, and ready to pay any
penalty the family may require, only
don't let anybody else come near me
for inasmuch as the papers say l am
a aUolf it must be remembered that
wolves BITE.
I'd I did not correspond with her
when in Europe.
Sd. l neuer visited the school until
the day we left the city.
4th. / was never in an assignatien
house with her or any one else, in my
life.
5th. No "panel-thieves" have black
mailed me, and l defy and challenge
any living man or woman to lay aught
against my character since l have
been o Minister of the Gospel. If
neutrality-suspicious. or anyone else
have letters of mine, let them pup
lish them. AS hope for mercy-no,
l don't hope for any; but on my soul
on everything that men hold sa-
cred, even the mostdepraved--Iswear
10 is not true.
| have done wickedly enough, but
don't paint me blacker than +! "a
What l was before | entered the
Mi istry ought not to damage my
character or veracity now. Many
actors are better than | am; and be.
cause have turned out q reprobate
that is no reason why such villainous
TRADES should be launched against
the Church. If | could be five min
utes in the presence of the man who
wrote the report in The World, |
would be satisfied.
My chiefest anxiety is about the
young lady. Oh, l am certain that
those who know me, who have been
intimately connected with me, ,oiu
believe me. L never did wickidly at
Mamaroneck or Flushing. l don't
wonder they write so, for man who
would do what have done, it is
very natural to suppose will do any
thing.
Don't understand that am trying
to excuse myself. lam not. | want
neither pity nor mercy. Let that be
understood-pegectiy.
l say, again, the young lady is pure
as snow, and | am ready to do any
thing that will tend to confirm my
assertion. Pardon for troubling
you, and put this in good shape for
| can't write-although | want TO-
HeRAcE Cooke.
Wednesday, p. m. Jan. IL, 10.