Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-06-20
"Not Dead Yetv-as the Irishman
Said of Webster.
EILrsBoRo, Wis. June II. 1878.

ELLEsBoRo, Wis, June II, 1873.
Editor of the HERALD:
| see in your last that you are az willing as
tattlers generally are, to spread the scandalous
report on John Mcpherson. In the first place
you state he taught near Animation last winter,
which is false. He taught in Utah last winter
The next place you stated that he wrote for
his friends to come and see him before the
execution and hear his warning against drink
ing, which is also false. / will present to you
letters that he wrote May I4th, 1878, stating
that his brothers should sell out and come out
where he is, thinking they would better them
selves by so doing. He also stated that lie
had not averaged drink of liquor month
since he left home in October, 1877. He is
working in lumber yard for 5000 month,
clear of expense 1t is fact that he drank
some, as too many do though don't think
he lacked more balance than some do in Ian :
caster, and think those that are so willing to
circulate such rumors had better learn the
passage in scripture that tells US to pull the
beam out of our own eye before trying to see
the mote in our brothers. John Mcpherson
will answer your hattering account as soon as
he gets it, G.. w. MCPHERSON.
If the report current in regard to John Me-
Pherson is incorrect we are glad to learn the
facts and make the correction The report
| came to us from different quarters and in
every case we believe was told by friends of
John MCPHERSON We doubted its accuracy
but was assured that the story was on good
| authority, and however sad it had to be be-
| lieved. 1t was said that brother of John in
company with a young lady had dropped let
ter that she had found and that this letter
contained the ''news,D written by John him
self. G. w. Mcpherson says that this story is
wholly fabrication. 1t came to us so direct
and positive that we believed il, but in mind
we thought it was only trick that John had
been mischevously playing on some one and
| that the accidental dropping of the letter was
part of the playful game Therefore when we
| published the rumor we said it "looks like a
hoax" If not that. then we thought it pos
| sible that John Mcpherson's name had been
| COMPOUNDED with some other involved in the
crime alluded 10 and therefore added, at may
| be mistake" Mr.. g. w. McPherson's exhi.
| bition of disturbed temper in denying that
| John taught school near Animation last winter
will hardly have the effect to make readers
believe that everything is lovely. Some time
| last year John went there to teach and his HER
AID was directed to be sent there. 1t was
only lew weeks ago we were n0tlned OF his
removal. His HERALD was going there until
| that time We supposed he was teaching
| there until about that time. And this was one
of the reasons doubted the truth of the
| rumor in circulation about him. In keeping
with the slow movements of the law in this
country, man could not go to Utah, kill a
man, be tried, convicted, sentenced and hung
in so short time. His teaching at Annaton
last winter, if he did teach then, was evidence
that the rumor was untrue and that is why we
said it.
| The letters referred to in the above letter
were shown to us. They are dated May Id,
signed by John MCPHERSON, and read as if he
were prosperous and happy in the land of the
Mormons, who he says are about played out,
and he wishes bis brothers were out there do
ing as well as he is. At the very worst lie is
| in much better condition than being hanged,
| and we take pleasure in congratulatng him
1 and his frfan1S