The Forrest City times., 1888-05-26
An rsplannt,on Further Explained.

[ X highly amusing. eloquentiy WordeU ! yet an altogether uncalled for article ! entitled an Explanation Explained, which doubtless cost the writer many i sleepless nights. much deep thought and dilligent labor. appeared in the last issue of TIE TINES.
 My first intention was to let the affair pass unnOticed. but after due consideration, feel il my painful duty to make a few remarks concerning the statement uf this misguided youn gman. | When on the Sunday afternoon III question. MT. Hicks came tQ my store and called for cantharides, l admit l was somewhat surprised that any one of sound mind would think of obtain ing such drug without q physicians prescription. In his Explanation EX- plaiped' Nr. Hicks goes on to state, that l knew nothing of the nature Of this drug until l had questioned DE. Williams as to it's use. This however is a gross mistake as can be proven, for on the following Monday, my part ner and not 1 asked Dr. Williams whether cantharides was used for other than certain purposes. In his letter dated the 7th inst. Air. Hicks states that two months had passed since the day on which he called for the drug. This is another falsehood as it was on sunday, April 1st, and not March 7th, that he asked for the cauthaTides. Now since MT Hicks has seen fit to at tack me in so vicious manner through the columns of the TIMES upbraiding me for ungentlemanly conduct through out the whole affair and heaping dire imprecations upon my head for-as he T.alu fslt Il. tf cious designs, scandalous reports con corning hlm, l will say it seems re- markedly strange, that he would bring a prescription from Dr. Beauchamp di- rectly from Forrest City to a general merchandising country store and call for d single ingredient of this harmless compound of which he says cantharides is q constituent element. Some nights after this Mir. Hicks called at my gate long after dark, bringing with him prescription from Dr. Beauchamp which he asked me to examine. taking it to the light found it to be a prescription having the appearance of having been recently written, signed by Dr. Beauchamp. The paper on which it was written was entirely uns0iled and had apparently never passed through the
 
 firmly believe the prescription was ob- taned since he called for the drug. At the same time Mir. Hicks appealed to me to do all in my power to assist him in removing the stigma cast upon his character. either by his thoughtlessness or evil designs. At the time, thinking Mir Hicks was honest in his intentions l agreed to sign anyting of reason able nature that he might care to have published, On Saturday he called at the store with an article which he had gotten up to suit his own designs and in which he made no mention of his own name or even the name of the drug. hence my reason for not allowing it go into print This statement was gotten up in such q manner as to leave the impression l had seriously wronged him. or had been instrumental in i'm pairing his reputation. 1 felt that I was in no way responsible for what had been the result of his own indis- cIetions, or evil motives, tas the case may be.) and could not suffer so eron- eous statement to go before the pub lie. 1t was only through compassion as his distress seemed so genuine that even condecended to submit to the publication of my explanation of May lst. Had MT. Hicks no other than pure motive in calling for drug of so suspicious a nature why did he SO se- riously object to his name appearing before the public, and why refuse to mention the name of the drug if it was to be used for no other than legitimate purposes? If innocent of any criminal intentions, why should he be SO averse to the publication of plain stTaightfur- ward facts, which only tended to exon crate him from all illegal designs. Had he only allowed the matter to rest it would have established in me the firm belief of his innocence. but now taking it for granted that his communication of last week was only the promptings of spiteful and venomous nature. | feel no scruples, whatever, in giving full vent to my candid unbiased opin- ion. Without further prologue. sub nit the foregoing to the judgement of the public. Should MT. Hicks in the future wish to obtain cantharides. 1 trust he will take the precaution to provide himself with prescription be- forehand.
 Respectfully, JAMES l.. SCOTT.
 Mcpaniels, Ark, May 2l, lsss.