The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-11-10
MURCHISON REVEALED.
HE is AN ENGLISH CANADIAN.
HIS REAL NAME Is JAMES C0SNER
Author OF the Letter Addressed to Lord
SackyilIe-He Admits He Wrote the
nil

Author OF the Letter Addressed to Lord
SackyiIIe-He Admits He Wrote the
Communication.
A special dispatch from Pomona, Cal,
to the st. Lsuis Republic OF Sunday last
furnishes the following i'll regard to the
authorship OF the letter signed James
Murchison, addressed to Lord SackvIlle,
the answer 20 which resulted i'll the dis
missal of the British minister by Presi-
dent Cleveland.
notwithstanding diligent work by
| detectives, assisted by every Democrat
in Pomona and hints from the California
Democratic State committee, the secret
| of Murchison's IL tier was kept until Sat-
urday, and the disclosure was made In the
| Pomona Progress, who editor has author
| ity TO make The authorship public. The
| letter to Minister West, sigued by Charles
| B. Murchison, was written by young
English Canadian, named Jamas Cosner.
| He made his home in Pomona for seven
years and was naturaizsd last April at
| Los Angeles. He is IA very strong Repub,
lican, and having been i'll Canada during
the tariff discussion several years ago,
became an ardent protectionist.
| III UulS hO was ohS VI oHS
first to declare for Harrison, while his
two cousins, Andrew and George Wilson,
who have also been recently naturalized,
were undecided whether to vote for
Cleveland or Harrison. Cosner is a bright
| young lawyer, and has an aspiration for
public office from the Republican party
of this county. He said that during a
heated argument with his Democratic
cousins and an Irishman last August on
Cleveland's attitude toward Great Brit
ain the thought suggested itself to him
to write to Sir Charles Upper and get
his private opinion concerning Cleveland S
attitude on the fishery question He
talked with two Rspu blican lrishmen and
former Democrats, F. G. Haly and Pat
rick G.. Tanner, both lawyers on the sub
jecu, and they suggested that if an opln-
ION favorable to Cleveland could be OBJ
tanned from Upper, and also from Minis
ter West, and could be spread abroad at
the proper time in the campaign it would
be another Morey letter seDsasation, and
be of inestimable benefit to Harrison.
Acting upon this suggestion Cosnel
made a rough sketch of letters calculated
to draw Upper and West into giving
opinions favorable to Clevelands admin
istration, and especially i'll relation tc
retaliation to Canadian interests. There
was a secret meeting of Cosner, Tanner
and Haley in the office of the Pomona
Progress, where all made suggestions as
| to Inc alterations in the letter. The
letter when revised and rewritten redG
very smoothly. Another republican, w.
| A. Bell, who was called into council,
suggested that letter to Joseph Cham
| berlain might have some effect III drawing
| an opinion from him, and also one It
General Fisk, the prohibition candidate,
| might induce him to advise the prohlbl
tionists in doubtful States, like Califor-
mia, to cast their votes for Harrison Ill
order to smash Clevelaud's party.
Then another day was spent in writ
ing more letters, and then, when all were
carefully revised and rewritten, they
were dropped into the Pomona postotfice
ON the night of September 4. The name
of Chas. +. Murchison was signed to the
letter to West, because that Is the name
of English relatives of Cosner. The name
OF George o. Watson was signed to the
letter to Tupper, and Edmund Mande'
vile to ChamDerlin's letter.
ION September 20, ohe of the men i'll
the secret called at the postofflce and
got the West letter. 1t was carried al
once to Cosner's office where, with locked
doors, 1t was read to Tanner and Haley
with glee. MIR. Cosner says he could
| scarcely believe at first that West had
really fallen so completely into the traI
set for him. Then there was week oi
waiting for answers from Upper, Cham
berlaln and FISK SO as to have all IN one
batch. Upper and Fisk replied very
briefly and without the least expression
of the desired opinion, and their replies
were destroyed. Then there was a wall
of a week more for possible letter from
Joseph Cham berlain, which has never
| come.
meanwhile the republican national
committee in New York had beeu notI
tied OF the bonanza letter from Vest and
it was agreed to publish the letter OIL
October 81. just ten duys before the
election. w. Bell and Patrick Tanner
took Vests letter to counsel with a law
yer there as to the possible penalty tol
writing letter under an assumed name
to West. Their Editor OTIS, of the Los
angeles Times, heard of the letter, and III
some way unknown his paper published
| Vests letter ON October q. The letter
was published throughout tho United
States during the next As hours.
"hlr. Cosner admits the authorship of
the West letter, but does not admit writ
ing letters to Fisk and Topper, although
he had hand in their composition. He
says that he knew when he received the
letter from West that its publication
would make sensation, but he had no
idea it would result SO disastrously to
that gentleman's diplomatic career, aid
he regrets now that he helped to get
West into such scraps."