Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-08-13
ENERGETIC PURSUIT OLA ISLANDER AND
IT'S PROMPT RErRAcrIoN

ITS PROMPT RETRAG"I0N
( The following s'card' from Rev. J ohn
J Kahn, Catholic priest, which we
we find in the Winchester (Va.) News
Of Yesterday, affords SO correct and
manful an exhibition of the right course
for an innocent man to pursue, especi
ally a minister of the Gospel or other
public teacher, when ourrageously
slandered, that we give it in full. 1t
affords a healthful example for all un.
der similar circumstances.
i Hmper's Ferry, w. Va, August 6,
1874.-Messrs, Editors of Winches
ter News: 1t is with great reluctance
that am compelled to resort to the
public press in defense Of my character,
so foully assailed in your community.
For eight years l have been laboring
in this and the adjoining counties Of
Virginia and West Virginia as Catho-
4 Fc priest discharging the onerous du
ties Of my Office with the fidelity of one
who is fully conscious of the high and
awful responsibilities of the sacred
ministry. Thus far have claimed and
received from all good men of every
Christian denomination the respect
due to a pure-ninded and faithful min
lister of God. Bit within the past few
days l have been attacked by most
base and villaino,is SANDER No soon
er had l been informed of it than
proceeded to Winchester III search of
its author. / was not long III getting
upon his trail. Before the first evening 1
sun had set he was confronted in his
place Ct business lin Martinsburg, and
the following letter placed in his
hands.
Martias6awg, W est Virginia, August
5, 1874.-Mr. J. L. E. Combs-Sir:
you have circulated reports in Winches
ter Va, excessively damaging to my
character as a gentleman, a Christian
and priest. The nature of these re-
ports were communicated to me this
morning by Messrs. Reed and Manning
to whom you spoke in this disparaging
manner of me. l have in my possess
| ion written Statement of what you
told those gentlemen. l know not, sir,
why you should have thus vilified me.
Remember that when asked by Mr.
Manning if you were sure 1 was the
man, you reiterated your assertion that
you were not mistaken; that was Ger
tainly the one about whom these
reports were current in this town of
Martinsburg. Are you prepared, sir,
to substantiate these grave charges
against my good name?
Under legal advice | call OH you be
fore taking any further steps. 1t will
not do to say you did not speak slanderS
ously Of me. Amy such denial on your
part will caiise me to institute legal
proceedings against you at once, as |
am fully prepared to prove by the
above named gentlemen that you did
| now demand full retraction, with
the understanding that | am at liberty
to use it as l choose to repair the in~
jury which your slanderous reports have
done me-
Three points your statement must
cover. You must declare these reports
false as far as you know; you must
deny that any such crimes are imputed
to me in this community, and you must
apologize otherwise, will brand you
in court of justice as an Infamous de-
famer. This note must be replied at
once. I will tolerate no delay. If you
do not make an ample retraction imme
diately l must seek redress at once in
court. Respectfully, JOHN J. KAHN.
Pastor of ST. Peters Church, Harper's
Ferry, West Virginia.
| To this peremptory demand for rep
aration of the SANDER this declaration,
including all my requirements, was
promptly returned:
L, J. L. E. Combs, declare that the
defamatory stories in reference to Rev.
J. J Kahn, Catholic priest at Harper's
Ferry, are not true, to the best of my
knowled ge; that there are no such
charges circulated in this community
about the Rev. Mr. Kahn, that in re-
porting such infamous tales have done
an incalculable injury to the character
of this reverend gentleman, whose rep
utation lie pure and blameless and |
regret most sincerely the harm which |
have done by circulating those base
ISLANDERS and l do freely and fully
apologize for doing this injury to the
character of Christian, gentleman
and minister of God
'In witness whereof hereby affix
m y name and seal this 5th day of Aug
, ust, 1874.
q. L. E. COMBS.
"Witness L. A. MONTAGUE"
Perhaps, Messrs, Editors, there was
no malicious motive prompting the
said Combs to utter these foul asper-
sions upon the character of one totally
unknown to him. But with his mo.
tives l have nothing to do. Whatever
may have been his intention, the in
jury to that which is to me dearer than
life itself would be none the less if tn is
SANDER had not been thus fully acknow-
lodged and repaired, as far as such an
injury can be repaired. The moral at
mosphere is SO compile tely charged with
the most ~abominable corruptions that
men are fast losing all faith in the puri-
ty and integrity Of even those Who.
should be models of every Christian
virtue. Mems minds are therefore pre-
pared to drink in every imputation of
guilt upon the slightest suspicion. No
course, consequently, renamed for ME
but to trace out these libellous charges
against me to the one who first gave
In q.