Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-10-19
Osau'ON cow"
public ~ .s,s,a's' l.ho hon or or
gan' Of -. the follow

w lHL lLisf-3 -h3 OSt' -
Last Monday, at Fincastle. Leigh
Wilson made clean breast Of the
forgeries on Capt. Frank S, Blair,
confessing the forgeries and impli
eating Lieutenant Governor Walk
er, Congressman Wise and John
w. Daniel in the purchase of them.
The feel greatly outraged at the in
fanny perpetratcd on Captain Blair,
and the confession of forgery is d
death blow TO Bourbonism in Vlr-
ginia. The confession is written,
aud bears Wilson's signature and
attested by three witnesses.
As reply to this our Democratic
Conservative State Committee yes
terday received the following from
Fincasfle, the signatures to which
are a guarantee to entire correct
ness:
FINcAsrLE, VA, Oct. II, 1881.
lion. h. ". Kelley Chairman En-
ecufiye COmnlttee:
On Monday, October 10, 1881,
at Flncastle Va, II H. heidelberg
er was present 10 fill an appoint
ment to speak. He mad come into
town Sunday evening, and that
night Judge" Robert f. Mays and
other Readjusters were in cons ulta
ton with him. Monday morning
Judge Mays aud Thomas J. Will
son, who had heretofore denounced
W. Leigh Wilson as a Forger and
liar, publicly and privately, APP
preached said Leigh Wilson and
apologizcd for their conduct, and
became very thick with. him. and
went arm-n arm with him on the
streets. RiddIebergcr, who, it is
said, refused to speak TO Wilson at
WytheviIle, met him very cordially
on the street. We had reason to
know that Wilson had no money
then. The political discussion con-
sumed most of the day. Immedl-
afcly after dark Riddleberger. Mays
and Others assembled at the hotel
and went into the most private
room and were closeted with v IL
son for several hours. Wilson was
intoxicated soon after dark. While
in the room they sent for and OBJ
tanned a blank draft. Wilson came
out OF the room between 8 and IL
O'Clock, and stated to us that he
had been approached by Judge
Mays with propositions of compro-
mise in regard to the Blair letters.
and that they had brought the heav-
lest pressure to bear upon him
especially as he was without money,
and they knew it-that Judge Mays
told him he would give him $500
in cash and $500 in sixty days by
draft on William Malone if he
would sign the statement prepared
by Capt. Riddleberger-the draft
not to be presented until maturity;
that he went on their invitation to
see Riddleberger, and the paper
was shown him and he read it, and
the offer was renewed and pressed
that Gen. Malone had written to
them that he WILSON, had given
away when drunk, and that they
must compromise with him at any
price; that q part of the proposition
was that Wilson was to surrender
the letters now on deposit in the
bank of Withville, and particularly
the letters from Gen. Malone TO
Wilson, also lett at Wythville;
that Riddleberger proposed that he
wilson should go to Wytheville
at once and get the letters. and go
with him to Pamlin's on Wednes-
day, October 18th, where he (Rld-
dleberger) waste meet Maj. Daniel
in discussion, after which Wilson
was to go to Colorado, and when
Riddleberger became Sergeant-at-
arms of the United States Senate
lie was to give Wilson an appoint
ment as from Colorado. Wilson
solemnly asserted to us collectively
that he would die before he wonld
sign the papers prepared for him,
and afterwards made affirmation TO
file same fleet privately to one of
us. lie over and over and over
again asserted to us the genuiness
of the Blair letters, and that those
men who were after him knew that
they were genuine, and that was the
reason tfey wanted him TO go