Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-10-21

Given under my hand this 18th day of
October, 1881.
THE EXPOSURE.
F1NcAsTLE, VA, October II, 1881.
Hon. 4. N. Kelley, Chairman, E1ecative
COMMITTEES:
On Monday, October 10, 1881, at Fin
castle, Va, I'll. Ii. Riddleberger was pres
ent to fill an appointment TO speak. He
had come into town Sunday evening, and
that night Judge" Robert f. Mays and
other Readjusters were in consultation
with bin. Monday morning Judge Mays
and Thomas j. Wilson, who had thereto
fore denounced w. Leigh Wilson as for
ger and liar, publicly and privately. APP
proached said Leigh Wilson and apologiztd
for their conduct and became very thick
with him, and went arm-ln-arm with him
on the streets. Riddleberger, who it is
said refused to speak to Wilson at Wytle-
vile, met him very cordially on the street.
We Tad reason to know that Wilson had
no money then. The y litical discussion
consumed most of the day. immediately
after dark Riddleberger, Mays, and Others
assembled at the hotel and went into the
most private room and were cloSeted with
Wilson for several hours. W son was In
toxjcated soon after dark While in the
room they sent for and obtained blank
draft. llson came out of the room be-
i. ween and 10 O'Clock and stated to US
Il at he had been approached by Judge
Mays with propositions OF compromise 10
aegad to the Blair letters. and that they
Rad brought the heaviest pressure to bear
upon him-especially rs he was without
money aud they knew it-that Judge
MAYS told lin lie would give him $500 in
lash AMI $500 in sixty days by draft on
William Malone if he would sign the
statement prepared by Captain Rddleher
| ger-the draft not to be presented until
! maturity; that he went on their invitation
| to see RIddlebeTger, and the paper was
shown him. and he read it, and the offer
was renewed and pressed; that General
| Malone had written to them that he Will
SOM had given them away when drunk,
and that they must compromise with him
| at any price; that a part of the proposition
was that Wilson was to surrender the
| letters now on deposit in the bank at
| WythevilIe, and particularly the let
tiers from General Malone to Will
son. also left at Wytheville; that
Riddleberger proposed that he (Wilson)
should go to " ytheville at once and get
the letters, ami go with him to Pampln' s
on Wednesday, October 18th, where he
| (Riddeberger) was to meet Major Daniel
| in discussion; after which Wilson was to
| go to Colorado, and when Riddleberger be-
came Sergeant-at-Arms of the United
| States Senate he was to give Wilson all
appointment as from Colorado. Wilson
solemnly asserted to us collectively that he
would die before he would sign the papers
prepared for him, and afterwards made
affirma ton to the same effect privately to
one of US. He over and over again as
serted the genuineness of the Blair let
1 for nd ho yuh ~
him knew they we're genuine, and that
was the reason they wanted him to "go
back" on them. He also assured us that
he had the affidavits of four men who had
seen these letters last fall wheE they were
received-some of them, at least, the same
evening.
Wilson, after leaving us, returned to
Riddlebergers room, and the proof OF a
bargain and sale there is indisputable. =
And it is confirmed by the fact that Will
| son and Riddleberger left here together
this morning. aud Wilson and his cousin
ia Readjuster Republican, went on the
train to Wythevile.
You can use this as seems to you best.
Very truly, &C.,
J. II FL FIGGAT,
J. r. GOODWIN.
GEORGE D. WISE THROWS DOWN THE
| GAUNTLET.
After referring to the letter of Wilson Is
in the ''Whig," Capt. George D. Wise re-
piled in card in the evening State" o.
the same day, as follows:
/ shall not condesccnd to notice Wilson
the correspondent, friend and hireliDg Vi
Malone, Blair & Co., further than to de
clare that the statements above given are
miserable lies OF the whole cloth; but
avail myself of this opportunity to de
nounce II. H. Riddleberger, who concoc'
ed these SANDERS. and the person or per
sons who directed or sanctioned their pub
| LEGATION as base liars and slanderers.
GEORGE D. WISE.
October IA, 1881.
THE estate" MAN GOES FOR RIDDLE
BERGER
in that paper of the same date, as viii
be seen in the following conclusion of al
editorial:
s'The man is blind IN bis boldness. A
seconds thought might have reminded
him that the name of RiddleberseT il
| worthless as an endorsement of any state
ment. But anything that Riddlebergsl
may do IS no cause for wonder. However
disgraceful any character may be 1t is not
surprising to see Riddleberger put it or
and wear it with the shameessness tn
has long marked the career of this politi
Cal adventurer. Can any disgraceful ac'
/ astorish when that act is committed BY
Riddleberger I? Who is this man ? The
heartless demagogue that made sport o.
the MANNED soldier, whose wounds are
donors won in war. The same whose
scared conscience, strange to say, had still
| hat Ia fpnohpd "
pentance. at least by the fear of public
execration. The same who, therefore
made afraid by his words. sought to deny
them in bubble, and, when detected
| tried to find excuse for his brutality by 8
laundering lie ter, in which he did nothing
! but tray his own duplicity.
IL is also reported tfaG this mans ad
vice to Blair was to say that be never
wrote the letters that he did write, to stick
to this, and. if needs be, to swear to it.
| Beneath cont empt, therefore, is any state
ment that comes from H. HI. Riddleber-
| ger
THE DUELs.
The same evening of the appearance Of
the above publications Capt. Wise and
Mr.. Beirne of the "State'' received and
accepted challenges from Capt. Riddleber-
ger duu Ou GIlo ucAU LuOIu1uS, SdtuIudy-
about o'clock Messrs. BeiIne and Riddle,
berger met for duel on the road from
Richmond to Ashland, about miles from
| the latter place.
Mr.. Beirne being the challenged party,
of course had to furnish the weapons. No
| fight occurred, however, because the sup
ply Of pistol caps, prevented such from
taking place. Beirne's second, Mr.. Will
liam Ryan, of the State staff, asked that
| the matter be postponed awhile until he
| could make the necessary arrangements
but Riddleberger's second, Col. Robert
Richardson, could not agree to wait be-
| yOnd a certain hour, as Capt. Riddleber-
ger had 10 fiji an engagement made to
meet Hon. Geo. D. Wise at a place some
| miles distant.