Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-10-18
From the Richmend state, October 18th.
RIDDLEBERGERS PLOT.

The infamous Washington Repu6N-
can, the Gorham- Malone organ, Of yes.
terday had the following telegram:
WYTHEvILLE, VA, October 12.-Last
Monday at Fincastle Leigh Wilson
made clean breast of the tOrgeries on
Capt. Frank s.. Blair, confessing the
rorgeries and duplicating Lieut.-Gov.
Walker, Congressman Wise, and John
w. Daniel in the purchase Of them.
The people feel greatly outraged at the
infamy perpetrated on Capt. Blair, and
the confession of forgery IL q death-
blow to Bourbonism in Virginia. The
confession is written, and bears Will
sons signature and attested by three
witnesses.
AS reply and offset to this our DEM
ocratic- Conservative State Committee
yesterday received the following from
Fincastle, the signatures to which are q
sufficient guarantee of it's entire cor
rectness, and which fully explodes the
whole infamous plot concocted by Rid
dleberger, Malone and others to dam.
age the bright prospects of our candi-
dates in the Southwest. It was q des-
perate expedient. but, fortunately, its
timely discovery will react with telling
force upon the plotters:
FINCAsTLE, VA, October IL, 1881.
Hon. a. N. Kelley, Chairman Executive
Committee:
On Monday, October 10, 1881, at Fin
castle, Va, Fl. 81. Riddleberger was
present to I'LL an appointment to speak.
He had come into town Sunday even
ing, and that night "Judge" Robert F.
Mays and other Readjusters were in
consultation with him. Monday morn
ing Judge Mays and Thomas J. Wilson /,
who had heretofore denounced w.
Leigh Wilson a. forger and liar, pub
licly and privately, approached said
Leigh Wilson and apologized for thej.
conduct, and became very thick with
him, and went arm in. arm with him
on the streets. Riddle5erger, who, it il
said, refused to speak to him at Wythe-
vile, met him very cordially on the
street. We had reason to know that
Wilson had no money then. The po-
litical discussion consumed most of the
day. Immediately after dark Riddle
berger. Mays and others assembled at
the hotel, and went into the most pri-
vate room and were closeted with Will
son for several hours. Wilson was inc
tOxicated soon after dark. While in the
room they sent for and obtained blank
draft. Wilson came out of the room
between 9 and 10 o'clock, and stated to
US that be had been approached by
Judge Mays with propositions of COM
promise in regard to the Blair letters,
and that they had brought the heaviest
pressure to bear upon him especially
as he was without money, aud they
knew it-that Judge Mays told him he
would give him $500 in cash and $500 in
six days by draft on William Malone il
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 Riddle
berger, and the paper was shown him
and he read it, and the offer was re.
newed and pressed that Gen. Malone
had written to them that he Wilson.
had given them away when drunk, and
that they must compromise with him al
any price; that part of the PROPOSE
ton was that Wilson was to surrender
the letters now on deposit in the banh
of Wytheville, and particularly the let
sees dtoW 1Gn Manos sa " p H.sHI, a,s,
,1.s a. I ihat W. 1w,san, shnn,d ao =
RWItHn;, Sa ~ S 80 ~ 1at 5o =,
mJ'.. o s;sh ~ o LIZ, 81" ~ o. 49, -,
W. Wodn ~ " octoher 1oth phare ~ ~,
p;JdIaho:rer wos - tM"; non,a
y S;so,,ss;an Ief re. w;,sd .eas :,
-, - Cn1n-adn 90 ,,i,e,. p;dIiaha- o !
became sergeant-at-Arms of the Unitet
States Senate he was to give Wilson al
appointment as rom Colofado; Wilson
waniS d;e hefor ~ h us wnn1J s;ny s th
papers prepared for him. and afterward
made affirmation to the same effect pri
vately 70 one OF US. ne over ana owe