Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-15


spoke was false.
understand you have in your pos
session letter written by me to my
mother in-law, which never finished
nor signed. do not remember every
thing | said in that letter, but to the
best of my recollection what did write
was true. My father is innocent of the
charge on which he was convicted. He
has raised me tenderly, nursed me
through my many sicknesses, struggled
hard for living to sc nd me to school
and in every sense OF the word has been
loving aud good father.
If | was in Sacramento | would go to
you and kneel at your feet and beg oil
you to right the terrible wrong which
has been done to my father, for again
say he is innocent. I pray that you
look into this matter carefully, and my
prayer to God and to you is to see the
wrong made right. And surely If you
answer that earnest prayer you will re-
ceive your crown of glory before the
great white throne OF God. / pray that
the beautiful angels will hover around
you and guide you to the right.
| Think what it must be to be in prison
| sick, with criminals of the deepest dye,
shut up away from the outside world for
something you had never done. was
made to do wrong, but my prayer by
day and by night is for God to forgive
ne for being instrumental in placing
papa where be is. l have never been
happy for one moment since my father
has been in prison.
MY Gin was great but my punishment
has been greater. had dear, beauti-
ful baby, who WAS my hearts idol. God
took that baby. Ny husband has proven
villain in more ways than one. Thus
you see have reaped whatI have Gown.
But what must my fathers life be, suf-
feripg for anothef?
Oh, you are good. powerful man.
On you hangs the life OF an innocent
man. Give him life, for he will never
serve out his time. hope l have not
consumed too much of your valuable
time, but to me this is matter Of right
and wrong; to my father it means life
or death. With prayer on my lips
that you will sse justice done to an in
nocent man, and that man my father, 1
will close, hoping you will deem this
worthy Of your immediate attention. l
remain, with great respect,
MRS. J. EDGcoMB.
EDGCoMB's MARRIED CAREER.
Edgcomb, since he escaped the ven-
geance OF Captain Garrett by working
Oh the affections and fears OF the young
girl, has done much to prove the old
man innocent by proving himself thor
ough scoundrel. His continual abuse
of his vile has received the attention of
the police of New Orleans and Mobile.
He is now fugitive from Alabama
justice, and that he is not murderer
Is only because a young victim of bis
fury survived bullet wound that was
just above the heart. Mrs. Edgcomb,
driven away by her husbands cruelty
six weeks ago, sought refuge at the
home of Mrs. William Young in the
Mobile suburbs. Edgcomb followed her,
and when MIR. Young and his 10 year old
son attempted to quiet him, he drew
two pistols and fred at both, hitting the
boy.
rhe Mobile Register says: "Mrs.
Edgcomb told sad story of her unhap.
py life with Edgcomb, and said that she
has silently borne the abuse and insults
OF her husband, who was demoniac in
his torture OF her when in liquor. She
has been constant victim of his drunk
en- fury ever since her marriage, and for
the past two years her husbands con-
duct has been outrageous. He made
police record there by mistreat-
ing her, but che bore it silently, and by
personal appeal had kept the story from
the public prints.
The fear of her fathers vengeance
both on herself and her husband, the
young woman declares, ia what pre-
vented her from appealing to the gov
ernor before, and besides she has been
afraid of her husband and under his in
huence. The confession to Governor
Markham WAS made, however, before
the shooting affair at Mobile, and while
she was still living with her husband,
but Edgcomb knew nothing about it.
She had exacted promise OF forgive
ness from the imprisoned father, and
has continually pleaded that no steps be
taken to punish the man who wronged
them both. The flight of the husband
now prevents the possibility of any at
tempt at personal vengeance, even if
any were intended, for whether at large
or in captivity Edgcomb will be safely
out of the captains reach.
A LETTER FROM EDGCoMB.
The total depravity of all the parties
to this case is one of the most astonish-
ing incidents in the history of crime.
There seemed to be no depths that
either Of them would not sound to ac-
complish the destruction Of the rest,
when the disclosures were made public.
One singular omission by Garrett in
his statement is the failure to refer to
his daughters mother. 1t will be re-
membered that after his daughter ac-
cused him of the unnatural crime OF
which he was convicted, he denied that
che was his daughter. The mother was
then brought on from New Orleans and
testified in the case. Her testimony was
one OF the strongest circumstances tend
ing to show his guilt.
After his conviction the girl lived in
Los Angeles with Edgcomb for several
months, but he finally deserted her.
Then it was that her mother sent for
her and she went to New Orleans. Edg-
comb appears to have drifted there in
time. About two months ago the fol.
lowing letter was received from him by
Mrs. Watson of the girls home in this
city:
NEW ORLEANS, October IL, 1872.
tMRs. WATsoN-KtND FRIEND: MAY
has gone wrong, and is now trying to
get her father out of prison. / caught
hold of letter the other day where she
was telling another man that her father
would receive a pardon in month or
so. will send you the letter
if you promise. to return it. But l
don't see how the governor can give
him a. pardon if he hears the truth.
IN - L.. -