Wilmington journal., 1875-08-20
CHARLES WESLEY WARREN.
He Turn. up Again IN n New Role

" ~ N N 80 As4Ns
He Turns UP Again IN n New Role
We yesterday gave pretty ful
history of the exploits of the grea
modern fraud and imposter, Charlie!
Wesley Warren We now learn from
the Atlanta constitution that he has
again made his appearance, this time
IN the role of newspaper man, at
the funeral of ex-President Johnson
! The Constitution SAYS:
Among the names assumed by this
! scoundrel was that of COPELAND. with
/ variations" that the description of the
| fellow matches with a man shaped
thing that was in attendanca upon the
! funeral of ex-Presidcnt Johnson at
Greenville, Tenn, during the first
three days of the present month. This
fellow gave his name both az IVY, T..
Copeland" and sc. Copeland" and
pretended to be the special corr espou-
! dent in turn of the Chicago Times,
New York Herald, Associated Press,
A:id United States Press Association
The only tangible evidence of his press
connections was in the fact ascertained
that the Chicago Times was taking the
dispatches sent by him. And i'll this
connection, we come to the latest and
most gboulish OF his eXpioits-one
which no journalist would never demean
himself to perform.
When the letter written by the eX-
president, and containing some expires
sions of his religious beliefs, was found
among his papers, the only copy of it
taken was made by the staff cores
pondent OF the Constitution, then and
there present. At the request of the
family, however, the publication of it
was not entered upon until Monday
night The reason of the delay was
that the family believed the document
would go to the public with greater
claims through the columns OF their
home press. But when they consented
10 the publication, our correspondent
telegraphed it to US, and, By request
of Mrs. Patterson, to other leading
presses, among them the Chicago
Times. Next morning Copeland ap-
preached the COnstitutj0n correspond
ent, and asked for copy of the letter
to be te'egraphed to the Times, when
he was told of is previous sen ling. He
thereupon made some angry remarks,
which was promptly checked by our
correspondent, the conversation oc-
curing IN the presence of Wm. r.
Brown, Mr.. Johnson's son-in-law.
Copeland retired, and just within the
hour of his departure from GreenvilIe,
I'D Mr.. w. E. Coleman, publisher of
tho Greenville ItteiiigGnccJ' that he
had sent telegram to the Times de-
nouncing the letter as forgery. Since
then we have watched for the fact, and
find that he really accomplished this
villainous outrage upon the memory of
the illustrious dead. This is the state
ment as we find it in the columns of an
exchange.
FORGED DOCUMENT.
The Greenville, Tenn, correspon-
dent of the Chicago Times charged
that the letter purpOrting to have been
f.tten by eX-President Johnson du-
ring the cholera epidemic there, and
which breathed very devout aud re-
l5gious spirit. is n forged document.
The Times corr espoudent says:
"Hhe deduction to be drawn from
this paper, that Mr.. Johnson was III
some degree religious man, is abso-
lu.eiy absurd land would be resented by
Mr.. johnson were he living. He was
notriously an unbeliever in the Chris
tian doctrine a1d methods, aud quite
the reverse of what was thus attempt
to be established. He never went
to church, and when, after his death.
the services of the village clergyman.
PGote .tant Episcopal minister, were
rendered to the family, they were de-
clined, | am well Informed, because it
was understood such services wonld
not be desired by Mr.. Johnson could
he have the power to choose in the
matter.
The wretch who would thus wantOn-
Iy thrust his carrlon fangs into the
weak spots of the character OF the
dead, IS a vile serpent upon whose
head every good man should set his
heel. The authenticity of the doc
ument is amply vouched for i'll the tes-
timOny of all who saw it, and who
knew the hand writing of the deceased.
Upon this point We might ask such
well known aud honorable journalists
as Col. Burch, of the Nashville Union
and American, and Col. Sam Ramage,
of the Knoxville Press and Herald, to
bear witness. But against the ven
omous lie Of this fellow Copeland no
honest man will demand proofs. A =
drew johnson, while not an adherent
to the forms of any sect, was yet man
in whose earnest nature and upright
soul lived n strong religious sentiment.
He was buried by the Knights Tenn
piar, to whose forms and teachings he
had subscribed, and in whose ritual are
concentrated the sublimest features OF
christian love and faith. The reasons
for not receiving the assistance of the
clergyman named we will not enter
upon, because we do not care to wound
sensibiiities that possibly may be suf-
! fering from unkind and unmerited
! judgments. But we do denounce
the outrage upon the dead and the
living perpetrated by this character
less hyena, Copeland, and ask the gen
erous press of the country to quencl
/ him with the infamv of his deed.