Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-08-08
THE STORY ABOUT CLEVELAND.
Explicit Statement of Buffslo Bushes,
Mantle Governor Enjolns His Friend
to Tell the Truth"

Explicit Statement of a Buffalo Business
Mantle Governor Enjoins HIS Friend
to Tell the Truth"
Boston H,r1,id Ind. RIP.
A buffalo penny newspaper Of a sensa
tionai character having published story
about Gov Cleveland, charging him witt
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, Boston merchant wrote
TO a friend in Buffalo, q merchant OF the
highest reputation there, asking for true
statement OF the facts of the case: The
reply is gwen in full below, except that the
names Of the writer and his correspondent
are suppressed.
BUFFALO, n. Y, July %, 1894.
DEAR Mr.. -: Your letter Of the
2lst was received at noon yesterday. | am
not a personal acquaintance Of Grover
Cleveland, and at the time your letter was
received knew but little Of the scandals in
circulation. have to-day talked with two
gentlemen, men Of family and high chsrac
ter, who are intimate personal friends o.
Grover Cleveland, and who know all the
facts OF the Maria Hslpiu case, and who art.
also warranted, through close personal &C
uuaintsnce to speak as to his habits. The
following story, the result Of the interviews
is. | feel certain, to be depended upon a.
being a true statement. enclose with this
the story as printed in one of our sensa
tional evening papers last Monday. Cpop
the appearance of the paper, Monday even
ing, one of the Governors friends advised
with him, asking what action should BE-
taken. The reply came BY telegraph: Tel.
the truth
Grover Cleveland has not lived a chastc
life; but his connection with impure women
has not been TAINTED in the face of the pub
lie, and, except for his present prominent
position, his life in this respect would doubt
less have been unknown by the general
public.
Now, as to his connection with Maria
Halpin. She was widow, with children
at the time Cleveland became intimate with
her and she herself was, and had been for
soms 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 pater
nifty, and he made provision for mother and
child. When nursing the child the woman
began drinking heavily, and the child was
neglected. About this time Cleveland de
cided to put the matter Of the care Of the
mother and child into the hands Of somt
one on whom he could depend, and chose
Judge Burrows, Of our city, gentleman sd
vanced in years, and ofhigh standing in the
community One day the report was
brought to Judge Burrows that the woman
was in high state Of excitement through
drink. He, without Clevelsnds knowl
edge, sent detectives to the house, who, OIL
their own responsibility, took the woman to
the Providence Asylum, where she was
kept but a short time, and the child was
taken to the Protestant Orphan Asylum
Cleveland then gave the woman means to
start in business insNiagsra. She did not
stay there long, however, returning to Buf
falo, where she frequently visited and final
" abducted the child from the orphan asy-
lum.
The woman then consulted Milo A.
Whitney, q welLknown lawyer of our city,
With reference to bringing suit agains;
Cleveland. Soon after q brother-inlsw
came on from the East and the matter, so
far as the woman was concerned was set
tied BY payment Of $500, she agreeing to
surrender the boy. The boy Is now adopt
ed into a family in this city, where he is
well cared for, aad knows nothing Of his
parentage.
Mr.. Whitney. the woman's lawyer. states
that in all her conversation with him she
never told him there Was any promise by
Cleveland Of marriage. The worst features
Of the story seem to be disproyed. in that 1t
was not . case Of seduction, and that the
woman being taken TO the Providence Asy-
lum was without the knowledge Of C:eve-
land The stories Of his drunkenness are
to be absolutely false; in Misuse
Of LIQUOR he is not an abstainer but is tenn
perate. am informed that other stories IN
circulation concerning immoral actions said
10 have been committed during late years
are without foundation in fact The letter