The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-06-01
THE BRYAN SCANDAL.
MeCraw's Confession 20 sheriff For.
man.

man.
As the Bryan scandal, owing to the high
position of the parties in society, is still a
matter Of public interest we give below tho
confession of NJ. w. McCraw to Sheriff w.
B. Forman, of Brszos county, as obtained by
the Galveston News. II seems that Forman's
name had some how been mixed up with tho
matter at the time Of the supposed drowning
of Mrs Davis. OF this he says, he went to
Galveston on the same train with McCraw
Mrs. Davis and her sister, to look at piece
of land owned by McCraw, on the Island.
When they reached the city he went to his
hotel, and next day, and and looked at
the land and that night, with II. A. Moore,
ate his supper at a restaurant and then went
to bed. The next morning, at the train, he
heard It said Mrs. Davis had
been drowned the night before, but
as he could get no confirmation Of it from
any one, and as he had urgent business up
the International & Great Northern rail-
road at Longyieg and Marshall, and also at
Sherman, he went on. On the train that day
he was in company with L. p. Barton, of the
postal service, and n bagg 60 man named
Purday all day, and if Mrs Davis was on
that train he did not know it, He further
says he went to meet McCraw, in answer to
the following telegram: "Oncinnat Ohio,
May II, lSS0.--W, B. Forman, Bryan; Meet
me Sunday night Mt the Grand Windsor ho-
tel, Dallas, at supper. NJ. w. MCCRAw." As
he was pressed for time he went on to Deni-
son, hoping to hear all McCraw had to say
bet ween that point and Denison, but McCraw
insisted that he stop over at Dallas, that he
might make his statement to him and Mr.
Flippen Mt the same time. Forman's state
ment of what McCraw said to him is as follows:
Il want to make clean breast of an affair
that has become too great u burden and too
distracting for me to longer bear. Mrs Davis
is in New York, keeping boarding house on
Sixty-seventh street. (Forman was not posi-
tive as to this street, but was positive the house
is about forty minutes from 309 Broadway,
McCraw's otice.) 1 come to consult you AS
to the chances for a reconciliation. Mrs
Davis wanted to return to Texas on the train
with me, but advised her not to do so, Ms
wanted to come down and consult you first.
L have with me letter to Colonel T. ID. Will
son from Mrs. Davis, and after | leave you |
will go to Hot Springs and deliver the letter,
The letter asked Colonel Wilson to allow the
writer to come back, and asserts that the
motive for leaving Texas as she
did was not for any wicked purpose
not to be with McCraw, but
simply to get away from Bryan. Mrs. Davis
corresponded with no one on this matter till
she wrote this letter. AS to the plot of
drowning, no one was in it except myselfand
Mrs. B. II. Davis. Her sister, who went in
bathing also, was not in the plot. The plot
was gotten up and executed by Mrs. B. ii.
Davis and me, and suggested by Mrs D. AS
to my conduct with Mrs. Davis in New York
at her boarding .hoase, where l boarded, |
can refer to persons who will testify to its
being proper. assert her innocence of any
transgression of the marital VOWS, whatever
else she has done that is wrong Mrs.
Davis keeps her house under her
own name. She asserts her chastity in
her letter to her father and asks him to
come on to see her, and promises to abide by
his advice in everything he might urge, ex-
cept separation from her children. She was
willing to remain away if she could have
them, and would live anywhere with Major
Davis, except at Bryan. She wants me to
bring Colonel Wilson with me when | re-
turned to New York. If Mrs. Davis had
known that Major Davis took the children on
to schoollast February she would have met
him. Mrs. Davis never uttered word
against Major Davis She wanted to get
rid of Bryan and its talk, not him.
As TO the drowning, when Mrs
Davis was in deep water her sister was
in shallow water, nearer shore, being more
timid; was still in the bath house. putting
on my bathing suit. This was part of the
plan. When Mrs. B. Ii. Davis could no
longer be seen, her sister, becoming alarmed,
ran toward my bath-house to give the news
to me. But Mrs. Davis had waded out to
water reaching her chin, and then circled
around to II carriage in waiting for her, into
which she got and was driven off"
McCraw gave no further details OF the
drowning escap ,de than what is contained in
the above. Mr.. Forman said McCraw also
told him he uld have told Mr. Davis
the full facts in the case when he met him at
Galveston on his search for the body had he
not manifested anger toward him. 1t seems
that upon the arrival of Major Davis and his
friends in Galveston to make search for the
body, McCraw eyinced the .greatest sorrow
ant distress, and shed bitter tears. exclaim-
ing, "My God, VIII shall do" This was
acting of the highest order. He had been
the fast friend of Major Davis their two
families living near each other, and he had
been given the liberty of his home. There
are no words adequate to express the horror
of an upright mind and truthful heart Mt
ct,o ,lpnt ibio Of MoD.u