, 1877-11-10

PESM GlIll, October ls.-The ST.
"r|ay EceniHg CNv OF to- nlurrow wiz
A.uhlish the reply Ot Robegt q. Mgersoll
~ the Nc~ York GLserOer. He begin,,
ty stating that ia San Francisco hs
: >SSaRmcr BIC made aa oifcr ol $i 900 to
airy one who wopld prove that Thomas
PAyac disd in agcny and fear, On the
~ st of August Mr.. Jugersoil hcaring thut
the UtScrrot had accepted the challenge,
wr~te the editor letter stating that he
would dcpssit 81 G9O in gold in the bank
'"9e to lie paid ifa coIumissi"w chosen
by-ltm aad Mr. Ingersoll should tiud
chat Paine died in agony and fear, aud
all the evidence should he preseuted to
this commission and Arguments heard.
To this challenge tie Oiserrer replied,
'cnying that it had alade the affirmu-
tions ia the torn stated, aud therefore
chere was ne need to substantate them
Mr.. lngers0ll IN the uaeantime getting
copy "i the Ob~rcer, prints from it to
show that the Obsercef not only said that
Pain died a drunken, cOwardlr and
bclstly death, but that il accepted his
challenge, calling upon him to deposit
the moncy, and therefore he charges it
with iaIshood, and says; "You have
"aten your own dirt; woNId rather have
dincd with Ezekiel Mr. Ingers,sll then
,akes up the subject OF
PINE's RECLAMATION,
And gives the statements ot two clergy.
men who visited him un his dcath.bed,
Mcssrs. MiddletlOlIar and Cunningham,
10 whom Paiec replied; Let INC have
none of yaur PopisII stuff" lie prints
u letter from Tnuluas Nix n and Dauiel
Pclten To the same effect also, II letter
from Gilbert Vale and Philip Graves, who
were hath acquainted with Amos Wood.
rL, u man ~hu sat up with Paine the
AT before his heath. Mr.. WoodwOrth
says that he died as he had ta9ght lie
had sore upon dis side, Sad when we
rurnri him it WAS very painful, and he
would cry ou., 80, God" or something
like that. The next witness is Willet
Hicks, Il Quaker preacher. lie says that
Paine died rs he had lived. 1t was this
same Willct Hicks tp whom Paine APP
piled for Il place in the Quaker cemetery.
1t Was denied him. II Paine had recant.
cd they would have given him burial
place. lie also gives letter from W. J.
Hilton, who Was acquanted with u Jus
tice at the rrxcu named John Hodgeboom
lyRg in Rensselaer, County n. Y. John
lIOdscbUom was well acquainted with
Paine; saw him frequently in his last
years, and said there was no truth in hts
az cnntation.
AFTER ENUNERArING HIS WITNESSES
And attesting the truth ot his state
,aeents he gives the will ct Paine, in which
he simply acknowledges Creator, and
Shcn asks, "Lf Thomas Paine recanted
why do you pursue him!" "Onc by one
e instruments OF torture have been
enched from the cruel clutch OF tile
Church, until within the armOry OF or
thodGxy there remains bat one weapon
--sunder." Then he takes up tue evi'
deRcc of the principal witnesses on the
other side, Mary Hinsdale and Mary
Roscoe. OF Mary Hnsdale lac says that
William CObbett in 1918 visited her,
when he said she had no recollection of
what she said. OF Mary Roscoe, whom
he believes to I've the same rs Mary lIins.
dale, he says her own story retutes itself.
Next, rs to the lite OF Paine being that OF
y drunken beast this evidence rests on
the evidence OF Grant Thorburn, who
says oil Paine: First, that his wife obtained
divorce from him in England: second,
that lie WIS defsulter and fled to Amer.
lea. and third, that he was II drunkard.
In the first place Mr.. lugersoll says
that the charge of divorce is utterly
false, and asks for the record The fact
is that they separated, mutually respect
ss7g each other, and Paine frequently sent
his wife money afterwards. The second
charge is equally false; he asks for the
records Paine came to America with II
lcttes of Introduction signed by another
intidGl, Beninmin FrnnkIin. As to the