Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1884-03-21

A Card.-ln its article las, week concern.
ing the escape Of Billy Brooks from IN the
Times has made several erropeeu. .,.,.,,ests.
one particularly affecting myself ant evil
IDENTIFY intended to convey suspicion ,g.inst
my conduct rs jiilor.
1t is there stated that ",he i,iio, -,,or,.
that he lost the KEYS Of the shackls, an the
night Of the escape. No such repor, vas. or
has been, mads by me, nor we're tbs keys
lost on The night in question. The srt, re.
laing to this part of the affair wsr. =. fol-
lows.
When Mr.. Smoot, the sheriff, came to my
house between nine aud ten O, clo,k an the
night aforesaid, aud announced the p,,b,ble
escape Of the prisoner, we both ren,ired 10
the Jail and found that such was The fact.
There were two sets Of keys to the several
doors, the sheriff carrying one set. and T. the
other. The doors that night we've opened by
the keys in my possession. In the ronfu-
SION and excitement attending the di,coyery
OF Brooks escape, these keys, together with
those Of the shdeklss, were left in the i.il and
subsequently taken by the sheriff to his own
hose aud are now in his keeping. When
we went to the Jail next morning to examine
more particularly ints the prisoners mode OIL
egress, we concluded, upon leaving 70 lock
the doors for which purpose, the sheriff,
handed me has keys, which, after locking the
doors, put into my pocket, and these are
the ones afterwards lost.
Shortly after this, started for the rail-
road stations to look after the re.capture OF
Brooks, and found upon my arrival at La
Plata that my pistol and these keys we're
gone. Upon examining my pocket dis.
covered a hole which | concluded must
have been made by the point of Mr.. Smoot'
large revolver which ! carried the might
previous during my search for the fugitive
1t was through this hole that my pistol and
the sheriff keys must have fallen, and on tn,
morning after, and not Un the night Of the
escape.
Immediately after alluding to "a general
suspicion" prevalent, that the prisoner had
''accompices in making his escape, the editor
remarks that the fugitive sis son-in-l4w OF
the jailor" This taken in connection with
the mis-statement regarding the lost KEYS,
admits Of but one construction, which indi-
rectly connect me with aiding Brooks ia
making his escape. 1t is true the man IS my
son-in-law, yet, do say (though it may
seem superhuous to many for me to do so
say in all candor and truth, that | have not
nor have ever had. any sympathy with him il
any Of his felonious acts. Could have fore
seen events be would never, with my consent
have stood in that relation to me any NOR,
than some other gould-be son-in-aw Of an
other color and in other directions; have sue
cpeded this coveted station for themselves.
1t is hard to have to stand under false &C
cusations, to have our motives misconstrued
aud our fidelity to duty impeached, -harde
STILL when there is no possible way Of prov
ing the falsity Of such charges The only re-
lief in such a case as mine is clear and fear
less conscience, (which thank God, | have
aud An abiding hope that the truth will, at
last, be revealed, aud the wronsed aud ma.
ligned SET free from the clouds Of suspicion
which prejudice and falsehood hive thrown
around them.
WAsHlNGroS BURCH, Tailor.
Port Tobacco, March 18Th. 1874.