The morning news., 1889-01-11
TIE pR1soNER's STATEMENT.

/ DOf, TthTtu III ldLlildli county . t4Ah oh1iA Vi
| his fathers farm until he was % or ~ year.
old. 1t was there that Sallie Dukes came
as a guest, and no fell in love with her, anc
! after a courtship and correspondence he
married her in Savannah Jan II, 1881
/ In May 1850, he left the parental roof
/ going TO JohnsOn's station, and started q
/ store, and after five or six months, by trust
ing the turpentine hands, he found himself
without money or goods He collected all
be could get, paid his debts and a majority
of what was due him he never got. He left
with less than so IL his pocket Returning
TO Savannah he met j. j. Easterling, who
recommended him to II. A We'll & Bro.
at Darien. where he obtained a sltua-
ticn and remained through October,
November and December, 1880. The mar
riage followed Jan. H. 1851, and he had
lived quietly peaceably and happily with
bis wife until April -, 1888, when the wife
Of Frank Rustin visited him at the ware
house of e. Lowell q Sons, and asked to
speak TO him privately. She told him that
Mrs Smith had been Intimate with Frank
Rustin and Smith said that he Didn't be-
lisve it, and Mrs. Rustin must be mistaken.
She handed him four letters, which
be did not then open, but
repeated that he did not believe bis wife had
done anything. wrong. Mrs. Rustin said
that he would when he read the letters.
Smith admitted that they were not such
letters US a wife should write to another
man. Smith showed them to his wife that
night, and she confessed she had written
them, but that there had been no criminal
intimacy and that she was not so much TO
blame, and then she went aud got some let
ters she had received from Rustin and
handed them to her husband. Some of
them were on the letter heads Of the firm by
which FRANK Rustin was emplO, cd and of
bich +bn father US "a fr1ap1hAr The de-
fendant read them slowly and deliberately.
-Four Of them read as follows:
RUsTINs LETTERS TO MRS. SMITH.
NY DARLING: The tie that binds me to you
brings me at the parting hour to grasp my
darlings hand and with a heartfelt shake bid
her adieu, though it gives me pain. hope that
the time will soon come when ! can meet you
again and with a heart fun of Joy grasp the
the same little hand and draw you to my en-
brace, whose love for you knows no end. Oar
ling, be true and write as directed next page
Good-by. Your ID.
Direction torn off.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT, oct 3, 1887
Mrs. Smith: My DARLINa-I regret very much
not being able to meet you at the depot this
morning, but it was impossible / passed by
your house to-day; you can't imagine my feel
ings. knew that my oarting was far away. |
thought that could imagine how lC0ltid feel,
but now realize the feeling caused by the ab-
SeuCb Ol ono WiDul 1 d0OIt hDOFt any ehILIily
jewel. Could | only call you back to the spot
where you stood last night, and with gentle
embrace press you to my bosom you could not
imagine the pleasure 1t would afford me- My
da ling, | know where | am, and how feel /;
but where and how you feel know nor. Gould
be with you, would be happy, matters not
where it be. When you left me last night
stood and looked after you. When shall have
the pleasure Of meeting my darling again2
hope soon. Look for me at the appointed time.
am sure TO he there, without something be
yond my control prevents.
How did you get thereg All right / hope.
How does everything seem up in the country?
Write me how you feel, and what your wishes
are, and what would contribute most to your
happiness, if anything 1n my power don't
hesitate to tell me. The way that things now
stand. will tell you when | see you again.
My darling write me a long letter write me
your feelings. If you love me devotedly and
want TO see me all that you have TO do is to say
so and will come; for don't think l can wait
four weeks; nothing would afford me more
pleasure tonight than to see you write to your
darling, and excuse this short note. Your de
voted DARLING.
SAvANNAH GA, Feb. 10, 1858.
MY DARLING:-Ihe most miserable and un-
pleasant twenty-four hours that 1 ever spent
since first met you was since last night. You
cannot imagine what would give to see my
darling now, and have her tell me that she loves
me more than all others; I'd that you will al
ways be true to me. My feelings to you are
more than l can tell but you can imagine how
felt. love you and | expect to be true to
you regardless of any consequence; and if pre-
vented by you for you are the only one that
can Will go to hell IN q very short time. My
darling must see you. Can't | ace you Thurs
day evening for few minutes, at dusk, by
church beyond Barnard square, where we
parted some time agof II so, will call and see
hearer Of this letter Thursday evening. You
can tell her yes. or write me note
YoUR DARLING.
Miss SALIIF-Tf you will come down to lower
end Of ware house on New street, I will tell you
something that will be to your interest. want
to see you and talk with you awhile. l will
wait there for you. Yours d.
You can take the Thunderbolt train Satur-
day morning and get OFF at the Catholic ceme-
tary. BE there ty O'Clock aud l will be there.
Yours ID.
2. S.-Destroy this by all means,
Part of these letters were written before
the family conference and part of them
after the mutual agreement.
THE FAMILY CONFERENCE.
The prisoner, resuming his statement,
said that his wife had said she had shown
the letters TO her mother and that the latter
had gone to Frank Rustin and begged him
to Stav away from her daughter and the
daughter had also asked Rustin TO stay
away from the house and that Rustin had
said that he would kill Smith if he tried to
keep him away On the next day, April
l3, to convince himself whether his wife had
told the truth, Smith went to Bloomingdale
TO see bis mother-in law, and she confirmed
it and came to Savannah with him.
The prisoner talked the matter over with
his wife and her mother, and he concluded,
for the sake Of his wife aud children. to
settle the matter without trouble. He then
went 10 Rustin's house on the evening Of
April l3, and bad talk with Mrs Rustiu
and read some Of the letters of her husband
to Mrs Smith. Ms Rustin and he both
thought il best TO settle the matter without
trouble, and meeting was arranged with
her and her husband the next morning, as
she thought IL best for Smith not TO see
Rustin that night as he was drinking, and
his father came in and said the same, and
added that he would see that his son kept
the appointment.
Early the next morning Smith went to
the store and Frank Rustin agreed to call
at Smiths house at 8 o'clock with Mrs.
Rustin, which he did. Rustin admitted
writing the letters, but denied any criminal
intimacy and said it was nothing but his
wife's - jealousy; that Mrs. Smith was
good lady that he was responsible; that he
had done wrong, and agreed to leave her
alone. and would remove to Bulloch county,
and was going 70 start blacksmith shop
10 Statesboro, and would leave Monday to
see about il, and maybe it might be two or
three weeks before he moved, but not
longer. Whisky, he said, was at the bot
tom Of 1t all, and that his attentions would
cease from that time. The prisoner,
after obtaining Rustin's promise as a
gentleman, agreed TO let the matter
drop. Mr.. and Mrs. Rustin then
IL q L.