The Osceola times., 1884-08-23
" TO THE PUBLIC"
4" Letters Which Explain
rhcmscIVcs.'

"TlMEs" of Aug. rs, published some
letters which do not think explain
themselves as fully as they should;
especially those of +. Is. Hamilton.
1t gives me pleasure to read w. g..
Ewing's letter. I. l.. Fox, who is
well and favorably known in our
town, gives her some excellent advice
and concludes by saying, (what be-
lieve is true of all persons) " Your
character is all right with your
friends" Mr.. Ewing says: 81 have
never read Dudely's pamphlet ac-
count of the Ballou Trial" That is
the book Of POS pages which Mr.. e..
b. Hamilton sent me when he
thought was brother lawyer want
ing I" the history of remarkable
case," and he was doing san act of
professional courtesy" by sending it
to me. He certainly believed it to
be the ''history of remarkable case,"
for he has had a copy of the book for
years." and says he was a partner in
the law firm, who were her counsel
at that time, "and as such, he is
supposed to know whether it was
the +" history" of that case or not
Now il Mr.. Hamilton believed he
was doing an act ofprofesslonal e9Sr-
tcsy and did he not think the book
reliable, why did not ~ so, to a
brother lawyer? NI~nanilton be-
lieved it to be the " history" of that
case and AS such sent it to me, as
would have done, or any gentleman
would have done for another. That
is the book | read that is Tie book
| gave our school Directors that is
the book that claims to contain the
testimony Of witnesses as ~ivcn in
court, with letters of correspondence
between her and her brother-that is
the book that claims to be +" An Au-
thentic History of the Trial." that is
the book that gives the name of the
man who sworc out the states war
rent for her ('On Jan. H., lS7lD"
James O. Lamb swore out warrent,
charging Miss Belle Ballou as acces-
sorry to the the murder Of James T..
Golden. 1t gives the name of the man
who arrested her-the house at which
he arrested her, the city she was i'm
prisoned in, aud thousand other
specific things.
| Now if READING this, and much
more Of the same nature relative to
her character, can be called I" a iiend
ish attack upon her character" | am
guilty, otherwise ] am not, for that
is all | have done, except to put the
book in the hands of our Free School
Directors, AS said ] did III my first
communication in defense of what |
have done. | am making no war
upon woman, and if she were a
man, the facts in the case would lead
no one to conclude was 'maliciously'
trying to malign his character. If
those offensive words are intended
for the dead author of the book, (the
dead man Dudley,) ] do not suppose
we will ever hear any reply to them;
and, in fact, if they were intended
for the living, coming, as they do,
from lady, no living gentleman
would pronounce them consumatc
falschoods. do not say the book
is true. know nothing Of my own
knowledge about any part If 1t. 1t
claims to give the facts pertaining to
the trial, sentence and execution OF
one BalIou. 1t may all be false, or
it may be false only in part; have
no means of separating the false from
the true account, and, as such, must
either believe it all or disbclieve it
all.
Now Mr.. Hamilton is the man who
sent me the book, a, my request,
and in sending it he did nothing
more than would have done for him,
nothing dishonorablc, nor unbecom-
ing a gentleman. Nor did | use any
deception" to get the book. Pray
why should ] usc any deception to
get book, printed in broad day
light, entered according to
Act of Congress" in broad day
light and publicly offered for sale,
to any and all persons who could pay
for 1t? Why use 'deccption" to get
bible, or any other book publicly
offered for sale? | do not doubt
that Mr.. Hamilton "infcred was
a lawyer and sent it to me as such.
1t was natural for him to infer some
thing of the sort, as the book is en-
titled can Authentic History of the
Trial." and | wrote wished it by
Court which met soon.
The reason | wished the book by
court was this: was arranging my
affairs on the. farm (being tar
mer) so as to spend court week in
town, and would then have time to
read it, as | had a furnished room
there, where ! expected to rest, when
at lcasure. my health not being good.
That is WHY said in my letter to
him | desired the book by court. ]
am personally responsible for all said
IN my letter to him, and wrote him
IL days ago to please send it here
to our editor, that it might be iden-
! 4. A..