Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1873-04-24
srATEMsNr.

We grieve to notice q disposition on
the part Of the LEGAL Of ths Virginia
Chronicle to givsa wrong bias % pub
lie opinion In the matter Of the recent
attempted assassination Of VIM. b.
virden, at Virginia, by G. F. johnson,
last evenings Issue Of that paper
throwing out certain insinuations de.
trimental.to the character Of yirdsn,
and intlmating that he has made false
statements a. to the particulars OF the
tragedy, saying that 1.-THE wounded
mans memory Is bad. or that he has
deviated slightly from the truth, ETC."
Such insiauations are not only unjust,
but under the circumstances cruel,
and unworthy the source from which
they come. Mr.. Virden Is confined to
his bed. with his life still trembling In
the balance, unable to speak, or refute
such undeserved calumny, and must
depend upon his friends to do so for
him. He has the right to expect his
reportorial brethren Of the press to
have tho decency TO await either his
recovery or death, before traducing
his we'll earned character and reputa-
ton. 1t Is enough, at present, to re-
port simply the statements Of the 9TH
ers concerned, and do him the justice
to await his, when able to make 1t.
We will. however, do our Chronicle
friend the justice to say that he made
the Objectionable remarks referred to,
upon information derived from unau-
thentio sources.
When he says: "Virden has made
a statement In regard to the stabbing,
confirming the suspicious Of the COM
munity and the theory adopted BY US
yesterday" we will simply remark
that tho only statement Of any kind
relative to the tragic affair made by
Virden to any person whatsoever, I'm
mediately subsequent, was about two
hours afserward, and to the writer Of
this article. He revealed the name OF
the man who stabbed him, together
with tho principal attendant oircum.
stances, under a solemn promise Of
present secrecy, as he could not even
then realize the motive Of bis friend
and brother Mason In thus wilfully
trying to take his life. and was de-
,irous to shield all parties. But for
this, johnson would have been arrested
that very night. Owing to the serious
nature Of his wound, and tho painful
effort made in speaking, he could only
reply TO- questions, or talk In low dis
connected sentences; but what he did
say 10 embodied in and corroborated by
the already published statement Of Mrs.
johnson, the only known eyewitness
to tho sad affair, which he said oc-
Cured near the Episcopal Church. The
statement that he said the Catholic
Church. was a mistake. The next day,
BY urgent request, he merely signed a
statement to the effect that johnson
was the man who stabbed him. Even
this would not have been done, and
johnson would not have been arrested,
had 1t not been for his brutal and un-
expected assault upon District Attor-
nsy Stevens the next afternoon after
his assault on Virden.
Calmly awaiting his fate, whether
1t be- death or recovery, Mr.. Virden
evinces still no feeling Of vindictlVe-
ness toward the misguided johnson,
but only that Of deep grief and aston
ishment at the treachery of n whom
he had always befriended and was
willing to serve. We are happy to
state that at latest accounts he was
liable to recover, and will meet all
evil reports aud aspersions with his
own reliable statement. TIL then,
common justice suggests that all should
| let him and hiS case rest.