Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-11-14
TELEGRAPHIC.
THE MOREY LETTER.

taken any action in reference to it.
That no member of the committee
ever saw the letter or copy until
after it's publication, or
was in any way concerned
therein or gave any advice in
reference thereto; that after all who
were familiar with Garfeld's hand
writing had come to the conclusion
that the letter was genuine, the com
mittee decided to purchase a mum
ber of the electro-type plates OF the
fac simile which had already been
published in the Truth; that no der
NAL having come from Garfield Of
the authenticity of the letter for
four days, and in view of his record
on the subject, the committee decided
to give out the plates finally, the
committee approves of all honest
measures to punish all who have
violated the law. IL
Judge Davis, this morning, rem
dered an elaborate decision in the
case of Kenward Philip. The accus-
ed, his honor says, is cha. ged with
two offences: First, that he wrote
the so-called Morey letter, counter
feiting the signature of Garfield
thereto; and, second, that after Gar
field made public denial of having
written the letter the accused
wrote the article headed
"Lying and sticking to it, and as
serted Garfield was a liar in denying
the authorship of it. It is apparent,
his honor says, that no such person
as Henry L. Morey existed at Lynn,
Mass. The letter, he also holds, is
unquestionably forgery, and not in
the handwriting of Garfield. The
question of the guilt or innocence OF
Philip must be left to a jury to de-
termine. The defendant is held to
answer the charge of criminal libel
and must be committed or give bail.
In his decision Judge Davis is
very severe on Hewitt. He says
'sHewitt's connection with the letter
and the transactions that have grown
out of it are, to say the least, of the
most extraordinary character. Ac-
cording to the testimony of Hart,
when he received the letter, the very
singular manner in which it reached
him arrested his suspicious. He
said its Importance, if genuine, was
q weapon of deadly power in the
hands of Garfeld's politica
foes. He was not satisfied
to publish it upon the
assertion which his editorial staf
could make, and he therefore tool
the letter and envelope to the demo
cratic national committee for inspec
ton. He there saw Hewitt, Randall
Barnum and several others. Har
showed them the papers and said in
substance that he did not want tC
publish the letter if it was forged
but if it was genuine he did, anG
wanted no other paper to get aheac
of him in it's publication. He says
it was examined by all the persons
named, but Hewitt made the closes
and most careful examination ant
spent fully half an hour n its exam
ination and then pronounced tn
letter, both body and signature, t.
be in the handwriting of Gen. Ga1
field. photographs were then takel
for the use of the national commit
tee, and Mr.. Hart returned with th'
letter to his Office; but his mind wa
not fully satisfied, and late in tn
evening he sought and found Hewitt
again and was again assured that he
Hewitt, had examined a large mum
Der of Garfeld's letters, and that tn
Morey letter was genuine, and thi
was clinched by impressing Hart
mind with the idea that we woulC
have made it out forgery if b
could.
It is not very surprising that MI
Hart, with the usual anxiety o
newspaper publishers, to be ahea'
of their neighbors, should have pub
lished the letter without further in
quiry, but it is astounding that
man of known sagacity, of grea
experience in business and in publ
! affairs, and who is supposed to hav
a decent respect for truth and jus
tice, and who speaks as a
expert in writing; with all the SUI
picious circumstances that attende
the reception of the letter; with tn
,, envelope and its erasures before hin
. with the city, postofice and static
and the stamp on its back; with th
; letter marked "personal and conf
Denial" and addressed to some pc.
son whom he certainly did nc
know; with the letter before hin
the corterts of which, if true; woul
. do wrong to his intimate friend
as base and wicked as the assassin
stab, he should have thought
i just to press and cause il
J.. publication without first removin
, all doubt as to it's character. How
: ever much equitable division it ma
leave for others, upon Mr.. Hewitt
must rest large share of response
biity for the first publication of th
base and shameful forgery, and hi
: subsequent relations to the forger
: do not lift a single shadow frol
!, his conduct. He was membe
of the national committe
. TT hn