The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-03-21
DUKES SECOND LETTER.

DUKES SECOND LETTER.
Dukes wrote his second letter and
dated it December 10. 1t WAS rs
follows:
s4DEAR SIR -Ye1r1 Of the 18th instantst hand.
I pas by your hash eplfhets ~ tsrms manu1ne-
tirod for ths cessation You charge me WIN
self. Yca pass BY ali the main facts ct issue and
affect indignation at my call 1t your house ca De-
cember 8. That cali vas for 10 other purpose than
70 reassurs myself Of tho real existence q the
There IL much Of your letter that II either 80
obscure In langusge or my comprehension Is 20
ootass tAst I al % make clear yosr ne5nins. 1
sPsken or death. / hereby indicate TO JOG that l
choose the latter alternative. ! cannot aceept for
. wife the toy OF the town and thus become the
butt OF the towns mocking derfgicn. Death 10 lar
sweeter. / declare in all ssbernsss that I doubt
whether l I'm the author Of the present dimcuity.
II ! we're I have committed no sesh heinsus OIL
ought to b. Had the siri been : chaste woman
asd l had eeduced her, then your anathemas ana
proposed violence would have been perfectly JUS
tfdable. Had such. however, been the case, the
present circumstances had net existed. because
she would have been my wife without controversy
II is not your daughter / refuse to marry. There
10 - reason Why 1 should object 70 an alliance
shall marry . wanton woman, simply because she
is your daughter and has been unfortunate.
The dem and II unreasonable to my mind. l
feel none Of the guilt Of q ssducor. You know l
an mos such. She told me herself that You had
received an anonymous letter warning you Of her
erUtis conduct lou say that whom l found ont
she was not q ut companion for ne that i should
have abandoned her al once. I agree Win you
Such was my intention. But Immediately there
AFTER she was alarmed for her oonoition. was
confident there was nothing wrong and assured
hsr Of the fact and kept calling to comfort her.
Her anxiety Of mind explains my visits there
since that time. / wanted no scene with her, and
intended to abandon her, as you suggest as soon
as she recovered from the effects OF the cold.
"You affect horror at the idea OF b3coming an
actor in q peccadiilo, and yet you appoint ysursel
q murderer and assassin with all the deliberation
of a savage or q thug. Your letter would clear
me II / should take your life upon sight but l
don't want your blood. Ishall not harm you In
any instance. You may murder me II you VIII.
l mall not arm myself; but don't lay TO your con-
sciense the hattcring unstion that the sentiment
of the community will sustain you In the assas-
sination. The woman IL better know by the COM
munity than you know her, and her name -
scarcely ever mentioned without Q snesr. Why
don't you 90 and shoot Frey and Bogardus and
tatien veneered At my sole expense. You want
to blight my whole life torevpr for a cheap little
cloak. No, SIR. My honor is as dear to me as
yours Is TO you, and I preferfo die rather than 10
have . wife Of such shame. j could not look any
man In the face upon the streets. fall TO under
stand why you want q meeting with me. l must
decline the one proposed. l don't care to walk
can call upon me either at M office at 3 p. IN.
Saturday. December %. or at my room at same
hour, whichever you may indicate, and you shall
Every f..psetfully,
IN. L. DUKES"