The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1876-02-10
Dave BadgIey, Once More.

shown that King Kalakaua was identical with
Dave Badgley, umquhle deuizen of West
Alexandria, PreLle County, Ohio. After reply
ing to questions almost innumerable, both in
the paper and by letter, we had supposed that
the thing was about quieted down; but here, af
ter the lapse of year, mp pops Dave Bee, as big
as life The citizens of West Alexandria were de-
termined not to rest satisfied, until they knew
positively whether King had been born in that
town or not. Chicken Street could endure no
uncertainties. 1t will be remembered that our
correspondent stated that the King told him,
when he visited San Francisco, in 1860, he met a
man whom he recognized Sam. Hervey, who
formerly lived in West Alexandria. This Hervey
still resides at San Francisco, and he was writ
ten to by a citizen of West Alexandria, TO inves-
tigate the affair. The result is the following let
ter, published in last weeks Eaton (0hio) Reg
ister:-
SAY FRAscrsco, Cal
January I'd, ls76. )
You sent me, last spring copy Of the Eaton Registsr
from the "Kinsas 0hi purporting to De conyersa;
ton between one Bob Nc and N siakana the hs Al & g,
As set forth in that article the King Acknowledged him
self be Dave Badgley that lived when boy in West
Alexandria Prebe County Ohio and gave account Of
ands and subsequent events connected Herewith
1t ingeniousy written and to Ike It more plans-
saw ms the street at the time he visited this city,
years since The writer Of this article wh" sup
Kansas - cRi IL % who @ ~as boy With Dave Badgey in
West Alexandria has displayed much ingenuity but
1860 in the city but living in Nevada City some
800 miles north Although he erred in this the article
authors skill in writing sensational articles.
Being well acquainted with Masters Of vessel. run
ming and from Honolulu wrote letter to his M Ies
Kaakaua and sent il and the paper containing said
article by an officer of the Steanpship CShmi who dr
received line from the Hawaiian Consul informing me
~, EGnd % Sa q, MS oGe & ne css a. N,
read the Kings letter and had pleasant interview with
feeling manifested in regard TO the article but of course
denial Of all things stated therein He commented some
what upon the similarity Of the article to started some
years ago emanating from New Bedford.
received his likeness and autograph and returned
home wondering what would be the next sensation In
So it old Preble is not the birthPlase Of
King and the question now is where Is Dave bldsleyi
Wishing you all Happy New Year, am,
Fraternslly, yours ,,
Now, We suppose that Sam. Hervey is not good
at supposing. We have no doubt that he tells
the truth as to his correspondence with Kali
kaua, but it does not convince upon the ques-
ton. Our correspondent stated distinctly that
he wrote his account of the interview with Kali
akaua wholly from memory, and claimed to give
only the substance, not vouching that all the
small details and dates were exactly correct. He
may have been mistaken about it being the year
1860 when the King saw Mr.. Hervey i'll San Fran
cisco. Or, on the other hand, the King may
have met some one whom he thought sufficiently
resembled Hervey, to be him, but may have been
mistaken in the identity, as he had but a glance
at his face, in passing along crowded street.
Then, again, the Kings denial, in his letter to
Hervey, proves just nothing at ALL onr CORES
pondent stated that he appeared greatly annoy
ed at being recognized, and confessed to his den-
tity, apparently only for the sake of hearing
something from his family. 1t will be remembered
that our correspondent stated that Kalakaua
exacted pledge from him to say nothing about
the discovery until he heard he was we'll on his
way home, as then the subject would not be like
Iy to follow him to his dominions. His idea
seems to have been, that his school-fellov would
write about it TO his friends and that after af.
fording food for local gossip, the matter would
soon die ont. He was not aware of the mania of
the American people for rushing into print, and
little thought that the story would follow him
up to his sleepy dominions. 1t can well he i'm
agined what disastrous effect this disclosure
wOuld have upon the Kings subjects, when they
foudd out that he was not of the royal line, Tin
fact, be intimated such a contingency to our cor
respondent,) and it is the most natural thing in
the world that he should deny the whole busi.
ness fatty and in toto. Indeed. if he had made
an open confession, in answer to Mr.. Hervey's
letter, he would have shown a want of cunning
that wonld have been discredit even to Dave |
Badgley of ante-Kalakaua days. Mr.. Hervey
should have foreseen much, before undertake
ing to pump the King. The answer he returned,
proves just nothing at all.
To tell the truth, when the Kalakaua commu- |
nication first reached us, we had considerable |
doubt as to its genuineness. we were startled |
by its systematic statements of facts and Incl |
dents, which could have been related only by |
one thoroughly posted on the subject, but still |
there was possibility of its being a sensation.
But month or to later, we received letter
from man in Michigan, whom we had never
before heard Of, who had seen the story, and cor
some of its most important points,
from his own knowledge. Then, some months af-
terwards, we heard through a newspaper in
Southern Kansas, from John Badgley, a brother
of Dave, who related the time and manner Of the
latters leaving home, since which time he has
never been heard of; and these circumstances
tally almost identically with the account given
by Kalakana to our correspondent. Last of all,
nobody living seems to know where Dave Badg-
ley is, or when, where, how he died. Taking
all these things in connection, We firmly believe
the story sent us from Chicago, and that Dave
Badgley is the potentate now known as Kaa
kama. We have an old friend who has for years
lived in California, VINO informed US, last Fall,
that he expected, this Winter, to make voyage
to the Sandwich and probably other groups of
the Pacific islands, as well as to China and Japan
We then sent him the Kalakaua story, with n re-
quest that when in the Sandwich Islands, he
would take means to personally find out some
thing definite about the matter, giving him di-
rections by which We thought he could not fail
to get at the truth. He promised to do So
Whether he has gone on the voyage, we have
not learned; or, if he has, We do not know wheth-
er he has returned, or when he will. But If he
has gone, he will do his best to find out the facts;
and when he returns, be will write them to us.
We shall wait for that time, long or short; and
we shall accept his decision as conclusive.
MODEL OFrICER.-Sheriff Wade, of Shawnee