The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-10-10
Is the Record of Porter Whites
Life as Told by His
SiSter.in-laW.
She Says He was a Demon,
and Slew Four Innocent
Victims.
A Story of Blood and Dark Crimes.

dead" has about 1t the very OdOr OF charl'
ty and the grace Of forgiveness, if not Of
forgetfulness. Where death has sealed the
lips of one whose life has many stain
upon it, there can be no more detestable
Jrm of cowarlice and mslignity than
an attack upon that record, when only per-
sonal spite is the animus and personal vim
dictiyeness the motive for it. "The evil
that men do lives alter them, the good is
oft inferred WITH their bones" and, like a
Mem, sis, flows their memory with devil
ish CAiishr, End sheds its shadow on the
name y Il liz of those who cali such hus-
band OF ia,ner. Better far let the dark
story of crime and unholiness Of life be
buried in the grave with the man or woman
who has made il, than To blazon il before
the world in all its ghastliness, il only
a satanic heart and demoniac mind prompt
the work.
But there are circumstances which need
to be spoken of ven alter the principal ac-
tor in the drama ias played his part aud
sleeps in death. TLere are stories which
need to be told, records to be written,
crimes to be denounced, that the living
may be warned, tie young shielded, and
history preserved with truth The story
of Arnold's treachery cannot be loo often
told, nor his conduct too bitterly denounced.
To speak only good of such man were al
most to condOne the crime of traitor and
to write ones self as an enemy to his home.
And there are many others, who, having
lived as veritable Ishmaelites, deserve no
kindly words which would palliate their
dark deeds or excuse the preparation Of
crime.
But just when and where to draw the line
between that which shoiild be told and
that which should be hushed into silence,
is no; SO easy to determine. That diem
ma frequently troubles newspaper men and
there is, under such circumstances con-
fiict between duty and charity, between
what should be published and what should
lind its way into the waste basket.
Such hes been the struggle of the man.
sgemenl of this paper fJr the past three
days, caused by letter written by one
who lives In Little Rock, Arkansas, lady,
and the sister of the woman who was
murdered by her husband, Porter White,
in this city, last evening three weeks ago.
1bis letter, which is published below,
NAV seem too bitter in its language and
too savage almost for a woman But
calm perusal of its contents with the rela-
| tionship existing between the dead wife and
| the writer, and the brutal murder which
robbed two children of their best, and al
most only, earthly protector, in view, will
go far to excuse whatever OF harshness it
NAV seem To contain
The BAZOO at first thought declined the
publication of this letter, but alter mature
deliberalion it decided to let it see the
light, since it is done with "malice toward
none with charity for alp who bear near
or remote RELATIONSHIP the man who went
to his grave with the double crime of ux-
orcide and suicide TO meet him at the bar of
his God.
THE LETTER.
LITTLE Rock, ARK, Oct 4. .
EDITOR BAZOO: 1T seems that in your
publication of that terrible affair of White
killing his wife, that you could get no
definite information in regard to his per-
sonal character in Kentucky. In the first
place, his name was terror to the citizens
of Logan county, in that state. He was q
blood thirsty outlaw, his wife making the
fourth person that he has slain in cold
blood. His first terrible deed was to MUIR
der young man of good family, by split
ting his head open with an ak, when death
ensued instantly. His second deed was
with two other rufians to murder young
man i'm ball room, at Auburn, Kentucky,
by shooting him through the heart. Then
comes his third, the killing of Mr. Harris,
a native OF our state. He shot him with
out any cause, whatever, killing him in
stantly, leaving a wife and four little chill
dren.
Now, the question would arise. how he
escaped the law By just such as he was,
swearing lies and fear mixed with it. As
to those parties knowing him in Kentucky,
they certainly did not, or they would not
say he never got on sprees. lived neigh
Dor to them a long time. So often his wife
has run to my house in the dead hour of
night to save her life. Oftentimes has he
tried to kill her. She was perfect lady
in every sense of the word. She is of as
good family as Logan county affords, but
since her marriage with White her life has
been a torture worse than death. Her
family did everything in their power to
prevent the marriage, and her mother
grieved SO over it that it eventually killed
her.
Her dying words were that White would
kill her child some day. For four long
years her family has been prosecuted by
his hellish work. | thank God to day,
that he is gone. but oh, how sad to think
that dear woman had to be slain by his
hand
As to his having brother in your state,
can't say, but think he was killed.
know that he had brother killed in
Franklin Kentucky, his ensrails were cut
out and thrown in the streets, that / was
an eye witness to /; and he deserved il. 1t
wss done by the Whitesides of that place.
He has a sister in the insane asylum at
HOpkinsville, KENTUCKY, a perfect devil
and always was. The whole family are a
fieudish set. / know them like book.
What write know; and were to write
you one third of his devilment il would
consume great deal of time and paper;
but all have stated is correct. III any
proof is needed as to its correctness, you
can have the best in Logan county, KY.
! am very respectfully,