Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-04-25
J M..u.sps n.I., - 3, ,ss.,


70 the Fider ef ~ csmMsVsials
wiah to take an pPportupiu thrcHeh the col
umna OF your valrAbe paper to make true stafa.
ment with regard 10 the so-called robbery at the
Clayton House Rsrber-shop.
The azlsment Is made IN last night's EpfrR &c.
ming. have every reason 70 believe is fnlse IN It's
allegaiohs and specimen Of reckless assertion on
the part q tatr local ssSs e1Slatsd so9 y a9 harm,
bly hurt the character OF my employee, MIR. Henry
Rocked AL1eutenant Appleton, the victim. came 10
Flag Presentation, on last Tuesday ing, and Af-
ter the conclusion OF them got pariOtcaly exhlsr-
ated. He rrmafned ID the city the filSwing day,
and on o'clock "Wednesday morning. came into
nv shop and got shsI1pooned. when he was NOT oy
any means Sober msb After Deins nxed up ne
left my place and did not return until O'Clock that
evening, and WIS then grossly intoxicated He got
into chair and went 20 sleep. About o'eiockI
Col sawyer, the steward, and think, one more OF
this hotel force cane doEn, wogs Appleton up and
escorted himtobed When Appleton got TO his room
1t appears that he tr made tne disc very OF being
Next morning d-wn this App eton came into my
shog, accompanied BY -Uo. Sawyer and the night
clerk. sawyer locked the door. and Appleton pull
ed ont pistol and demaAded OF Mr.. Rocken his
valn ables- Recksn denied seeing them and after
some futile attempts TO make Nj; kecken say he
took them, they left the rom short time sitter
sawyer cane down and offered Mt. Reckon 8 o TO
returnthe vauhbles ar. Recken grew ra her an
cry at this pt rsiste en1rt to charge him With the
tue / and gave an emphatic de0ial se5ond timsto
the charge Now siHes this, Mr., Appleton has sent
down 20 MT. keCkeu apoiugiHing for making this
neinOas charge. admitting that he had been drunk
all that day anu did not know where he had been,
and had uo idea where he h I'd Lost hta things. He
further said hat he never would have charged Mr
kecken with he theft bot hat he was drunk NJ the
time. Col. sawyer has Also made some conflicting
statements He remarked IN one breath that apple
toms friends came up from the depot with him TO
9Th and King, Wednesday evening, and that he
then had ala watch aud taen later asserted that he
came up to 5th and kiug alone. Those statements
don't hermoniEe Tue fart Of the matter is Lieut..
Appleton donE know where he was that day. and
the only blame that can be attached TO Mr. Rvcken
in this case la, that he allowed a drunken mau 70
come int1 my estssllAhment and enOozs In Oae OF
my chairs. This is something permit no man 70
40, no matter what social lositlou he may mold IN
this community l would aso stale that there were
other parties Ia my saloon during the whole time
Ii ut pletOn was there. Witt regard to the 4.
b 3 local ediior. he grabbed At the sensation and
published It wt-S0ut ever making any ilqairies of
NT. Recten OF self thus sho ging himself regard
Of what MI hi be he effect upOn the establish
ment or unon US. In Inclusion, though sincerely
hope that Lieut.. Appleton may recover his vslua-
o,s let me also hope that his mis- ortune may teach
him the necessity OF sobriety, that Col. SAWYER
MAJ exercise snme discretion in making charges OF
dishonesty And that the whole matter may be
prODed TO the % tom for he cake OF Mr. heckens
character. Yours respectfully,
FtAkCIs BCcBMES.