The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-09-20
ran BIAfR LETTERS GENUINE
as.s,ss sssnexsli Tsrry, ~ ,
3. a,eaves, ssssrsn Umbsrsss
4 COOK. ana "A Nosn-
-BereuewSess 1907
4S2l .0c oss's,-. -
THr DISCUSSION an wE ,,,, BLAIR.
rTstsoN,s INTERVIEW WITH
!. HONOR WOvg buy A BsEah''
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Esq,
vS,,ssrs. att Blair Used ants
~a~.nguage fu a speech 3
Heard by fhem.
wYraEvILLE, Va, september 10: 1881.

~ al
wyrgEynLE, VA. September 10. 1881.
EDITORS Dispatch: Our town and county
h.ye been In a state OF great excitement Ior
The entire week in regard TO the Bisir-wn "
ann letters. Captain Blair was IN Eastern
Virgins. but returned bone on sunday,
ain to meet, as his friends said. the cnarge
that ne ever wrote such letters, and TO brand
The iorper. Monday morning, 12tn Jour
Connty Court lday6 Captain Blair sent sy a
friend a request to CAPTAIN Wise 10 be al
| loved to see the letters. Captain wise
answered that ne could see the letters By
Failing Al General j.. A. Walkers once.
CopIsIn BAR, Nj. Robert Crockett bis
Law partner, Colonel Robert Sayers, ana
| btobsbiy a ~balf-dozen other OF his triends
called. Captain Wise handed the letters TO
| Cantajn Blair. he and some OF his friends
rad the letters, and Immediately lett Inc
room without saying a word. General
Walker turned to Captain Wise and SAID;
"They don't say whether The letters are
genuine or not.n Captain Wise got up,
went to the door and called TO Captain Blair
TO come back, and when he came IN saio
to him.: "Captain Blair, you requested
TO SEQ these le~tters-youe did not say tney
were genuine or nOt-l am going 10 use
them. and would be glad II You would give
me an answer" Captain Blair repl'ed.
:" will answer you at The proper time.
MIR. Crockett then said, "Tbey are base
forgeries.7 Captain Blair assenied 10 II,
and, looking at General Walker, said. "You
know they are not my handwriting" Gen.
eral Walker replied, 81 will swear they
are your handwriting" Captain BAR ana
his friends again withdrew.
This took place IN the presence OF Cen
eral Walker, General William Terry, b. w.
Terry. DR.. Monieiro, w. l.. Yost, Colonel
Robert Savers, Or. SJyers, William Z. Pen.
dletoD, your correspondent, and perhaps q
dozen others. L,I =
The following certificate has since been
prepared. and will speak for ~itself:.
WYrHEyILLE, September II, 1881.
we, the undersigned, do hereby certify
that we are familiar with the handwriting OF
Captain r. S. Blair, and that we have seen
and carefully examined the original letters
purporting to have been written by Captain
Blair 10 w. Leigh Wilson, dated the Sd and
ltth OF October, 1880, and the same read 10
the public by Captain George ID. Wise, 10
his speeches at Big Lick, Wytbeyllle, and
other places, and We give it as ~ opinion
that said letters are in the handwriting OF
Captain +. S. Blair.
Given under our hands the day above
written.
JAMES A. WALKER. Attorney at Law;
y WILLIAM TERRY, Attorney at Law;
w. l.. YosT, Attorney ut Law; 'i
BE- A. III. DICKENsOY, Attorney at Law;
q. j. HOLBROOK, Attorney at Law
BEN. w. TERRY, Attorney at Law
T.. III. McGAyoCK,
S. &. GLsApEs, NJ. d.; ' :
X. n. PENDLET0N,
THOMAS j. BOYD,
Is. II. UMBERGER, Sheriff;
WILLIAM GIBB0NEY,
John A. Cook, Printer.
Some time after the above took place, DR..
Savers came to General Walkers Office, on
behalf Of the Readiusters, to see about a
division Of time, saying they knew ~ was
Msjor Daniels appointment, and they
wanted TO know bis terms. A proposition
was made them giving them an equal OWL
sion Of time-they TO lead OF with one or
more speakers, as they thought proper.
This they refused to agree to-. Afterwards
General Walker stated to Riddleberger ard
others that they 1.-THE Democracy would let
them have any terms they wanted-to come
on and have q discussion, aud they could
lust state their own terms. They refused to
| do that. Sexlon's Hall was in aiew moments
| filed With some OF the best men IN Wythe
county and a few Of the fair sex. Captain
| Wise opened In a speech OF nearly two hours,
aud was followed by Major Daniel In o
speech OF two and one half hours, aud all
| agree that there never were two such
| speeches made in old Wythe before. | will
not attempt to give you even a faint idea Of
The speeches. The Readiusters spoke on
the street. Captain Blair, opening the
meeting, said athe Wilson letter:
were iorgeries; that he did not write
nor dictate one word or line OF them,
and there was not one line nor sylla,
Bile OF them that were his In style or In sen
timent." Captain Blair spoke about Ter
minutes. R~iddleberger, Pendleton, a ne
gro, Newberry, and Colonel Sayers spoke
die not hear them, and can tell you moth
Ing about the speeches.
Wilson arrived here on Tuesday evening":
train, and hearing that Captain Blair wa!
going to leave town that night for come o
bis appointments, wrote the following not
to him: dflf.ir t-I 5sya.sL
.r WYTHEyIILE, September IL, 1881.
Captain Il. ). Blair: | am here to prove
that you are the author Of the letters reaC
by Captain George ID. Wise yesterday, snC
Will be pleased to meet you in the mOrninG
and give you the benefit Of a public denia
in The face OF the people of your W town
1 bear you propose to leave WytheviAe to
night, and write TO ask you not 10 leav'
before you see me. st8 s.i4
Very respectfully, w. LEIGH WILSON.
Captain Blair said to the bearer OF tn,
note, "Tbere is no answer TO this not
whatever" Wilson appeared and remained
on the street oil day Wednesday, ann0un
cling to crowds that would gather arount
him that the letters were written to him b,
Captain Blair, and he was here to prove 1t
and was then waiting for Captain Blsir Il
appear so he could do so. In the evening
about @ O'Clock they met for the first fine
and 1 will nIun AronL doanrInflon ~ ihn