The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-10-27
MR.. BALLS VILE STORY.
With the COgnizance Of Blaine.
Special to the Chicago Daily News.

Special to the Chicago Daily News.
BUFFALo, N. Y, Oct. 22.-"Not for
presidency" and not Tell the truth APP
pears TO be the governing principle in all
references to the scandal affecting Gov
Clevelands candidacy among his Buffalo
friends 1t is more than suspected that
this is agreeable to directions coming
from the governor himself, and which
privately preceded his Geographic mes
sage Tell the truth" In pronouncing
his eulogy before the Buffalo Bar asso
citation on the death OF Oscar Folsom
the same reaching point of eloquence in
that description of, address only recently
surpassed by Col. Ingersoll--G Cleve
land concluded with the sentence; Let
US cherish him in loving remembrance
and heed well the lesson of his death; and
let our tenderest sympathy extend to
childless father, widowed wife, and a
fatherless child"
Until the Rev. G II. Ball began rak-
ing in the muck heap of indecent scandal
the memory of Oscar Folsom had been
tenderly cherished and guarded from all
imputations which might cause sorrow or
shame to his wife and daughter. When,
as the result OF his active work among
people whose tales should have discredit-
ed their acceptance, the charge was made
public that Grover Cleveland was the
father of an Legitimate son named Oscar
Folsom Cleveland. it is known that the
one feature in the scandal which gave the
governor the bitterest pain was the use
of his friends name If Mr.. Bissel, his
late partner, would talk he could confirm
this. But mot for the presidency seals
his lips 1t therefore ibecame an impor-
tant question for the Daily Netos cores
pondent to discover If possible what were
the facts of Cleveland and Folsom's rcla-
tons. These extended over many years
Oscar Folsom was married to lady to
whom he was devotedly attached. Their
only child, daughter, was years Old at
the time of her fathers death, in 1875,
and is, consequently. now young lady of
IS. Mr.. Cleveland was then, us he is
now, a bachelor Up to the time of
Cleveland's election as sheriff of Erie
county he and Folsom were partners, that
relationship being interrupted when he
assumed the duties Of his Office. At the
conclusion of his term Cleveland resumed
his law practice, but Folsom having
formed other connections their partners
ship could not be reestablished. As to
the character of their friendship it is pcr~
haps best described in the language of
Grover Cleveland in the address already
referred to. In this he SAID: Il had seen
him in every part of the drama of life.
He was my friend in the most sacred and
complete sense OF the term. l have
walked with him, talked with him, eaten
with him, and slept with him-was he
not my friend?'
1t was while returning from a visit to a
Mr.. Bacons at Grand Island to keep an
engagement with Grover Cleveland that
Folsom met with the accident that oc
casioned his death. The wheel of his bug
gy struck that of heavy farm wagon
which he was passing, and he was thrown
violently over the dashboard and under
the wheels of his own carriage At the
time of the accident Mr.. Cleveland was
sitting in his own Office with Judge
George 8. Wardwell awaiting his arrival
Instead of his friend there came the
shocking news of his death. These are
the facts as gathered from the testimony
of those acquainted with them and the
current reports Of the two republican pa
pers, the Commercial and the Express
Here is the statement of the Rev. MIR.
Ball concerning this incident in one of his
campaign letters.
AS to Mr.. Cleveland's drinking. take
one fact. He and two other lawyers O
few years since visited their club house
on Grand Island, place of drunkenness
& and lust, and the three were beastly drunk
on their return to the city. Oscar Fol
som, ESQ. Zone of them), fell from the
carriage and broke his neck If you de.
sire more facts will do my best to sup
ply them. Yours truly,
GEORGE H. BALL
In this case all Mr.. Balls statements
instead of being facts, are baseless anC
reckless falsehoods which he could have
avoided by turning to the open files Of
local papers, as your correspondent has
done. The Beaver Island mot Grand Is
lsnd club, of which Cleveland and Fol
som were members, was an association oil
some of the best citizens of Buffalo ant
its club house, instead of being place Of
drunkenness and lust, was respectable
resort to which the members habitualy
took their wives and families.
In order to establish the estimation il
which Oscar Folsom was held at the tint
of his death it may be as well to view hin
= as seen through the columns of the;twt
leading republican newspapers, it being
promised that Mr.. Folsom was an arden
democratic partisan.
The Commercial Advertiser, James D
Warren's paper, of Saturday, July "a
1875, in speaking of Oscar Folsom's death
said:
There is no one among the prominen
young men Folsom was 81 of this com
munity whose death would be more deep
ly mourned than is that of Oscar Folsom
With mental abilities and accomplish
ments of high order he possessed the
most frank and genial of natures, anC
though quick and impulsiye, had hear
fairly overlooking with kindness. He wa