Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-08-15
NO. III
Tell the Truth.

A Buffalo penny paper of sensation.
al character having published a story
about Governor Cleveland, charging
him with drunkenness, seduction and
so on, and the story having been copied
In whole, or in part, by various Blaine
organs, including one in this city, a
Boston merchant wrote D friefid in Buff
falo, a merchant of the highest reputa-
tion there, asking for true statement
OF the facts of the case. The reply is
given in full below, except that the
names of the writer and his CORRESPOND
ent are suppressed:
BUFFALO, N: Y, July @, 1884.
| DEAR MIR: Your letter of the
2lst was received at noon yesterday. /
am not a peIsonal acquaintance of
Grover Cleveland, and at the time your
letter was received knew but little of
the scandals in circulation. 1 have to-
day talked with two gentlemen, men of
family and high character, who are in
innate personal friends of Grover Cleve-
land, and who know all the facts of the
Maria Halpin case, and who are also
warranted; through close personal ac-
qraifitance, to speak as to his habits.
The following story, the result of the
interviews, is, 1 feel certain, to be de-
pended upon as being true statement.
enclose with this the story as printed
i'm one of our sensational evening pa
pers last Monday. Upon the appear
ance of the paper Monday evening, one
of the governors friends advised with
him, asking what action should be ta-
ken. The reply came by telegraph:
Tell the truth" Grover Cleveland
has not lived chaste life; but his con-
neetiOn with impure women has not
been fatitited in the face of the public,
and, except for his present prominent
position. his life in this respect would
doubtless have been unknown in this
respect.
Now, as to the story of his connection
with Maria Halpiri: She was widow
with children at the tihie Cle4e1ahd be-
came intimate with her, and she her
self was, and had been for some time,
intimate with two or three other men,
although at the time Cleveland did not
know this fact. When she became
with child she charged Cleveland with
its paternity and he made provision
for mother and child. While nursing
the child the mother began drinking
heavily and the child was neglected.
About this time Cleveland decided
to put the care of the mother and child
into the hands of some one on whom
he could depend, and chose Judge Bar
rows of our city, gentleman advanced
in years and of high standing in the
community. One day report was
brought to Judge Barrows that the wo-
man was in high state of excitement
through drink. He, without Cleve-
lands knowledge, sent detectives to the
house, who, on their own responsibility
took the woman to the Providence asy-
lum, where she was kept but short
time, and the child was sent to the Pro-
testant orphan asylum. Cleveland then
gave the woman money to start in bus
iness at Niagara. She did not stay
there long, however, returning to Buff
falo, where she frequently visited and
finally abducted the child from the Or
phan asylum. The woman then con-
suited Milo A. Whitney, well known
lawyer of our city, with reference to
bringing suit against Cleveland. Soon
after brother-in-law came on from the
east, and the matter, so far as the wo-
man was concerned, was settled by
payment of $500, she agreeing to sur
render the boy. The boy is now adopt
ed into a family in this city, where he
is well cared for, and knews nothing of
his parentage. Mr.. Whitney, the wO-
mans lawyer states that, in all her con-
versations with him, she never told him
there was any promise by Cleveland of
marriage. The worst features of the
story seem to be disapproved, in that it
was not a case of seduction, and that
the woman being taken to the asylum
was without the knowledge of Cleve-
land. The stories of his drunkenness
are pronounced to be absolutely false;
in his use of liquor he is not an abstain
er. but is temperate. i am informed
that other stories are In circulation
concerning immoral actions said to
have been committed during late years
are without foundation in fact. The
letter in the Telegram headed "a Citi-
zen's Statement was written by man
who was convicted for Offering to sell
his vote and influence in our last city
election. In short, Cleveland's charac-
ter in this city stands as one III which
our citizens take pride, because of his
good judgment and sterling integrity in
all public matters; and he has and will
continue to receive the support, in his
nomination for the presidency, of the
best classes of all the opponents of Mr.
Blaine. Very truly