Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-26
A LETTER BY DUDLEY.
A Sensational Forgery Published by News.
papers-The Original Promptly
Furnished.

WASHINGTON, April 25-The following
alleged letter from Colonel w. w. Dudley
to Samuel Van Pelt, an old army comrade
living in Anderson, Ind, was published
here today as special dispatch to a Chi
cago paper from Anderson:
My Dear Sam:-Yours received. | need
not tell you that it would be very crafty
Ing to NE TO see you get the Indian
agency, knowing as | do, your special
fitness for the place and your service to the
country in the hour of her sorest need, but
| am sorry to say that | will be unable to
render you any assistance whatever
with the president He has lost
his backbone and too cowardly
to BE- seen consulting with me for the SIM
pie reason that the copperheads and rebels
OF Indiana have trumped up lot of charg-
es against me. He seems entirely oblivious
to the fact that it was through my efforts
that Indiana was saved to HIM"
When the above was shown to Colonel
Dudley he pronounced it "a clear, cold
forgery" and said he had telegraphed to
NanPelt as soon as he saw it in the paper
today demanding that Van Pelt give out
Tor publication the letter which he actually
wrote and added II wrote only one and
have preserved copy. Here it is. Whue
don't care to have my private letters pub
llshed to the world yet there is nothing in
while it was hastily written in confidence
to my old friend, | would
have no objection to the president seeing
1t. | have asked nothing from General
Harrison, and therefore have : othing 10
complain of. ] wish the administration
every success, and would not if l could,
embarrass it in any way. am out of pol
itics and would not accept any public Of
flee. | have recently associated with Mr..
Charles ID. Ingersoll, of New York, and
Jerome Carly, of Philadelphia, and have
decided to devote my entire attention to
the practice of law | neither seek nor
would accept any public Office"
Following is the letter:
wv WASHINGTON. d. c.. April Is, 1899
D. 5. VanFel. L O., Anderson Ind
Dear Old SAVIOUR good letter of the
6th Of Glarch | got in good time, but it
found Inc absent. | have recently re-
turned from a trip to the south where |
went on legal business and had good
time and Il little rest from the crowds of
people who throng my Office from morn
ing until hight and from the mountain of
letters which pile upon my desk every
day. Your letter got into the pile, where
l rescued it tonight and | hasten
now to say how much good
it has do!e me to hear from you again.
There is nothing | should like
better than to do something for you. Sam,
but am afraid YOU greatly over-estimate
my influence. Your Old friend Reed has
placed his pension Ia nay hands and | am
work. & away at IL 10 get it soon Per
EapS there s 10 one in the country who
has done SO much for General Harrison
during The la~o twenty years as | have, but
Gecaus- oar Democratic friends down in
i.di5usp3 = nave started the hue and cry
or ne bro ner Beu does not seem To feel
tAat ne Ca. afford TO recognize me as an
acquaintance. aud consequently l
DO not take dinner at the
y mite HOUSE Is might be expected. !
have not been inside the White house
since Cieve!and's in ,uguratioD, little
over four years ago, but will see if some
thing cannot be done a little later ana tell
you what to do II you shouldn't hear
from me for the next two months don't be
alarmed, for there will lie Just rs good
chances Two months hence, and a little
better. IS there are now.
Give my Kind regards to all the boys at
Anderson ana regard me always as your
friend. W. W. DUDLEY"