Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-05-26
INFAMOUS FORGERY.
The Purported Letter of Gen. Grant
to Senator Conlxling.
CHAUNCEY NJ. DEPEW so DECLARES.
Hon. George G. Gorhsm says That II Bears
on Its Face Unmistakable Evidence
of Being Bogus and n Clumsy
Attempt at Imposition.

NEW York, May 24.-Chaunccy NJ.
Depew, in an interview in regard TO an
alleged letter from Gen. Grant TO
Senator Conkling, which was made
public in Columbus, o., Saturday last
night said:
at is an infamous forgery; there is
no doubt OF it in my mind, and IL Is put
forth at this time for the sole purpose
of injuring President Harrison's chance
for denomination.
What will be the effect of the let
ter?" Mr. Depew was asked
at will act as u boomerang. II will
injure the men who inspired It. II Is a
most audacious forgery and a most in
genious one. do not recall one that
was its counterpart since the forgery of
the Morey letter"
What will the effect Of the letter
be?"
at will utterly fail of its purpose, be-
cause its spuriousness Is so palpable. 1t
Of course attempts TO show that Mr..
Conkling sacrificed Grant against his
wishes for his own advantage and his
ends Of personal revenge. Now, any
one who knew Roscoe Conltling, and
was familiar with events at that time,
knows that that was not true. Mr..
Conkling and ! were not particularly
good friends during the latter years of
his life, but know that he did not
write what that letter would indicate. "
''Do you know anything OF your own
knowledge which would show the letter
TO he forgery"
eyes. had talk with a man to-
day who arranged Mr.. Conlding's entire
correspondence after his death, and that
letter was not among them. ! can't
imagine who inspired the forgery. |
would like TO see IL run down. II gem
uine-which do not for moment be-
lieve-it is an important thing; il not,
1t is equally interesting as u fraud"
Hon. George G. Gorham, in letter to
the Sun, says: 81 think every intelli-
gent reader will conccdc that the pre-
tended letter bears on its face unmis-
taxable evidence of being bogus. |
will not call it counterfeit, because it
bears not the slightest resemblance to
anything ever written by Gen. Grant
lie never wrote or spoke in any such
strain about his services. lie never had
the ill-manners TO thrust himself into
Mr.. Conkling's personal affairs, or those
of anybody else. 1t is within my
knowledge that he was himself exceed
ingly unfricndly 10 Mr.. Blaine in 1850.
II have, however, a better reason for
my own opinion, or knowledge of the
relations between the men, for saying
that Gen Grant never wrote the letters
referred to, and that is Mr.. Conlsling's
own word. lie assured me, after the
meeting Of the national convention of
1880, that he had not received line
from Gen. Grant on the subject of the
presidency or his nomination since his
arrival in the country from his trip
around the world that year, nor had he
received from him any verbal commune
cation on the subject lie assured me
that he never had any intimation from
him whether the contest going on in
his behalf was pleasing TO him or dis
tasteful to him. know / did not mis-
understand him and therefore assert
that the pretended letter Is silly hoax.
If its object is TO affect the mind of a
republican on the approaching nomina-
tion, have only TO say that no man has
been named as n possible candidate
who would have permitted so clumsy
an imposition upon the public TO have
been attempted II he had been consult
ed in the NATTER