Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1878-01-01
NR. CUNNING AGAIN AND FINALLY

lIR. CUNNING AGAIN AND FINALLY.
Professor Cunning appears in the Reno
Gazette of Saturday in the epistolary way.
He who excuses himself, accuses himself, says
the French proverb 1lr. Cunning attempts
to explain away some Of the statements made
to his prejudice. He reopens the case as laid
against himself by Messrs. Tobriner and
Whitehill He brands Tobriner's statement
as ''false. He attempts to put that gentle
man in wrong light by stating that Tobriner
after being invited to attend his, Cummings
| last lecture in Carson and make public state
ment about the specimen-stealing charge, had
declined to accept the invitation In other
words that Mr. T. had failed to face the music.
| The fact is that Cunning. instead of sending
an invitation to Tobriner by direct messenger
or going to him in person, put his note into
an envelope and dropped it in the Post office
after dark OF course Mr.. T. did not get it
until the next morning-twelye hours after
the lecture had been delivered. Il is evident
that the willy Professor resorted to a sharp
trick to make his accuser seem unwilling or
afraid to meet him face to face. After this
lecture Gn which he attacked Tobrinor, White
hill and others), he came to the APPEAL Office
and requested that no report be made of it.
Mr. Cunning causes to be published in the
Gazette a letter which he sent to the editor of
the APPEAL through Mr.. Helm, and which we
declined either to read, or publish in refus
ing to receive this letter or give it a place, We
told Dir. Helm that we had seen the evidence
over Cummings own signature that he was en-
tiroly wanting i'll all the the qualities of true
gentleman, and that We would have nothing
further to do either with him or his letters.
Mr.. Helm agreed with our estimate of that
lnalodorous tramp and SAID he would return
the letter to its author; and we suppose he
did So.
As to our having ''importuned" Cunning
70 write the reports OF his own lectures, as he
says We did, the statement is only warranted |
in the fact that We cordially invited him to do |
so, and that he accepted the chance to write |
himself up as eagerly as any other Snowman |
would have done. One night some misbegot-
ten specimen stealing wretch took the copy
of one of his self-pufferies from our table !;
and thinking that he had taken it himself we
went to his room TO ask him about it and to
see if he could not provide rescript, He
distorts this plain fact into an act Of i"lportu-
nifty on our part He is a Dress amounted pre-
varcator and Pre- Adamite fraud
A queer mixture, this fellow, Cunning
We suspect him of apoStacy or disgrace from
some Improbable religious ministry. Possibly
he bears upon him the brand of expulsion
from the pulpit. Certainly he has the look
of man whose moral delinquencies have got
him a church mauling We do not accuse
him of being of the Beechers or the sons of
Beechers; but Tobriners story (Tobrner be-
ing truthful mani, excites our suspicious.
A man who would fitch Specimen might
covet his neighbours wife, or his OK, or his ass;
and he might disregard other injunctions of
the Decalogue. Somehow the man s manner
suggests cross between the cashiered Presi-
lent of a Female Seminary and moon struck
razor-strap man. At all events, we hope to
know more of the mans antecedents than we
know now; Tor we have written to gentleman
n one of the Eastern Universities for infor
nation regarding him and his doings. If he
S a better man than his own bad manners
md strange antics make him seem to be, the
MORNING APPEAL will do him the justice to
ct the public know it. Meantime no more
If the Professor and his eccentricities for the
present.
Poor Fechter! Nobody ever started out in
the profession" with a brighter prospect be-
ore him than lay in his way when he came
o our shores. He brought with him such
etter from Charless Dickens as insured his
Immediate and profitable engagement with 4
he very best of theatical managers and the V
choicest audiences. Also his reputation had r
preceded him, and the play going world of h
America was ready to do him homage. Now,