Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-09-21
The Blair Letters

The Blair Letters.
The Richmond Dispatch publishes tho fol,
lowing communication:
WYrHEvILLE. VA. September 10 1881,
E1ltors Dispalh Oar town and countv have
boon 10 state of great excitement for the en-
tire week 10 regard to tho Blair Wilson letters
CAPT. Blair was in Eastern Virginia, buI retnrn.
cd homo en- Sunday. llth, to mset as b;s
friends said, the charge that he ever wrote suoh
letter.. and to brand the forger. Mopdav mnrn.
ing, l2lh, Tour County Court day., Csn. RIa;r
sent BY friend reques! to Capt. Wise 10 hs
allowed to SEQ the letters. Capt. Wise snsvcr
cd that no could $40 the letters By calling =,
Con. j. A. Walkers Office. Cspt. Blair, Mr..
Robert Crockett, his law partner. Uol. Robert
Sayers. and probably half dozen other Ct hi,
friends called. Capt. Wise handed the letters
to Capt. Blair. Lilo and sem, of bis friends
read tho letters, and Immediately left the room
without saying word. Gen. Walker turned 10
Capt. Wise aud said: They don't sly whe,h
er the letters are genuine or not" Capt. Wise
got up, went to the door and called to Cap,.
Blair to o,me back. ard when he came 10 said
10 him: "Uspt. Blair, you requested to SEQ
these lotters-you did not say they were gen,
ulne or not-l am going 10 use them. and would
be glad If you would give mo an ansRer.'
Capt. Blair replied, ~ will answer you ut the
proper time" Mr., Crockett then said, "Thsy
are base forgeries." Capt Blair as,ented to il,
end, looking at Gen. Walker, said, You kooN
they are not my handwriting" Gan. Wslkor
repisd, II will swear they are your handwrit:
ing" Capt. Blair and his friends again With
drew.
This took paca 10 tho presence of Gen. Wal,
lev a., wv, Torrv W T,... II.
teiro, w. l. Yost, Col. Robt Sayers, Dr.. Saw.
ers. VIM. q. Pendctoo. your correspondent.
and perhaps dean others.
The following certificate has sioco been prs.
pared, and will speak for itself:
WYTHEvILLE. September II, 1881.
We. the undersigned do hereby certify that
wo arc familiar with the handwriting of Capt.
/. s. Blair. and that We have seen aud carefully
examined tho original letters purporting TO have
been written by Capt. Blsir to w. Leigh Wis
SOD. dated tho 81 and 18th OF October, 1880.
and the same read to the public by Can't. Geo.
ID. Wise in bis speeches at Big Lick, Wythe-
vile, and other places, and W. give it as our
opinion that said letters arc 10 the handwriting
of Capt, L. s. Blair.
Given uoder CUT hands the day above written.
JAEEs A. WALKER, Attorney at Law;
WILLIAM TERRY. Attorney at Law;
w. l.. YosT, Attorney at Inv;
A. Nj. DICKINSON. Attorney at Law;
q. j. HoLBROoK, Attcroey at Law;
BEN. w. TERRY. Attorney at Law;
+. II. McGAvocK.
:. o. GIEAvEs. NJ. d.;
r. N. PENDLEroN,
THOMAS j. BOYD,
IL IL. UMEERGER. Sheriff;
WILLIAM GIBBoNEY,
JoHN A. Cook, Printer.
Capt. Blair subsequently, mado apeeoh in
which no said, Tho Wilson letters were forge
ries; that he did not wrto nor diotate ona
word or lieu of them, ADD there was not one
limo nor syllable OF thom that were his 10 stsls
or in sentiment"
Wilson arrived 10 Wytheville 90 Taoadav
evenings train, aud hearing that Capt. Blair
was goiog to leave town that right for Soma
OF his appointments. wrote tho following noto
to him
WYTuEvILIE. Sept. Is, 1881.
Capt. Il. 8. Blair: am hero to prove that
You aro the author Of tho letters read by Cant.
George ID. Wise yesterday, and will DO pleased
to meet you in tho morning and give you tina
btnoiit ofapubio donial in tho face Of the peopls
OF pour owu town. hear you propose to
leave Wythovillo 10 night. and writo to ask you
not to leave boforo you soc no.
Worry respectfully.
w. LEIGH Wilson
Capt, Blair said to tho bosror Of tho note
There ls no answer 10 this note whatever"
Wilson appeared aud remained on tho street
oil d.y wednesday, announcing TO crowds that
| would gather around him that tho letters wurr
written to him by Capt. Blair. and no WAS thrra
to provo it.
About o'clock, as Wilson Was going dosn
tho street, Blair stopped out of his door and
aAid 10 Wilson. "Do you want to see me2" b.
w. Terry answered. you have his oommnni-
cation" Wilson repeated it. saying, lyon
have my communication" At this point Cant.
Kobfrt Crockett. with others. stopped out and
said Come in Blsir; you can't have any ius
here" and took Capt. Blair back into his
office.
The Dispatch says editorinlly:
The certificate that the Wilson letters are
10 MIR. Bl.ie's handwriting was prepared after
lull and careful examination of them, the ettors
being 10 tho possession of gentlemen on cur
side. Tho readinster gonlemen who certified
that they did not consider the letters genuine
did so, Wo learn, after comparatively brief and
oursnry look at them.
10 scttlo tho question. Senator Withsrs,
lltuE. Gov. Walker, and A. A. Phlegar testify
that they hoard Mr.. Blair say 10 his speech. or
rather 10 two speeches, Honor wont buy q
breakfast. As no has so positively denied
that he used those words. bis denial of the
genuinoness Of tho Wilson letters wilt now 70
for nothing.
INT. Lewis is willing to have his mama
Wlthdrawn from tho resdjuster ticket, sccud-
Ing to his latest published letter. Wonder if
Mr. Blair wouldn't like to drop out of ,iehi ?"
Worthless Stuff.
Not 80 fast my friend; you could zoe the
strong healthy. blooming men. women and
children that have boon raised from beds OF sick
moss, suffering and almost death. bv the useof
Hop Bittera. you would say "Gloriou, and in.
valuable remedy. PHILADELPHIA Press.
"BlACK.DRAuGHIU curns dru,,a,