The morning call., 1894-08-16
HER STORY TOLD.
Mrs. Martin Comes to Her
Boys Defense.
HENRY'S LETTER EXPLAINED.
Why He Spoke of Little John b.
AS "Our Boy"
HENRY'S LETTER EXPLAINED
SIMPLY A TERM OF AFFECTION.
An Old Letter Produced Which Tells
-- of What the Great Wrong tie
Did Her Consisted.

After six weeks of mental torture, in
v0lving her own honor and her baby boys
good Dame. Mrs. John Martin broke down
last night and gave her explanation Of
Henry Marti ms letter to herself, dated
February "a. 1892. in which he spoke of
my boy" and ''our little one"
She became almost hysterical at times
while telling how unjustly she had been
accused. She paced back and forth across
the room, gesticulating wildly and shaking
her clinched fist to emphasize her state
ments.
"Oh, how could any one be so cruel as
to think l would wrong this dear little
boy" she said, as she picked up little john
Il B. Martin Jr., who came toddling toward
her, and sho cred on him dozen kisses.
"AlI the money that could be piled up be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacif wouldn't
hire me to cast any reflection upon his
BIRTH"
Mrs Martins story is corroborated by
letter which she declares Henry Martin
wrote her. dated April % 1889.
Against my wishes" she said, 1.-THE let
ter of February "a. in which Henry Mar
tin wrote TO me about our boy was intro
/ duced in court without an explanation
| begged of my lawyers not to do it, for |
knew people would think l was trying TO
! barter my little boys good name for a
/ share OF Henry Martins estate. The next
two nights | cried until my pillow was wet
with tears, aud on the following days re-
| newed my entreates to my lawyers that
! the letter be explained. They refused.
and then / asked that / be placed on the
stand in order that l might tell who was
the father of my child. This request was
also denied.
when | was called as a witness for the
other side l felt that a. last was going to
have n opportunity TO explain myself.
was anxious to remove the reflections that
had been cast upon my honor, but when
the direct question was asked me / was
not allowed to answer il. II would kill
me to let these insinuations go unexplained
any longer"
Mrs. Martin then told how Henry Mar
tin happened to refer to her child as "our
boy" in the letter ne wrote 10 her a day or
two before he died. She began with the
narration OF events that took place five or !
six years ago. She said Henry was always
in love with her from the time they first
met, and on two occasions asked her to be |
his wife. She declined both proposals, |
but his love for her remained unchanged. |
ln April, 1889. while her hus band was at |
Weaverville, she said she was living at the |
Baldwin Hotel. Henry called upon her
frequently. as he had been in the habit of |
doing. and occasionally took her out driv- |
ing.
while be was in my room on Saturday, |
April Is" she said. "he forgot that was |
his brothers wife and insulted me. I |
ordered him out of the room and told him
I
next day was taken very i'll In DR.. Bar
rows church and was supposed to be dead
when taken home. Henry telegraphed TO
my husband at Weaverville and John
wired him TO give me $1,000 and send me
up north to the springs.
The next day Henry called at nv botsl
to give me the money. My nurse brought
me his card and refused to admit him
Tuesday he called again with thu same
result. Then he sat down and wrote me q
note, which Grove L. johnson now has in
his pocket in which, as nearly as | can
remember, he said:
Dear Belle: John telegraphs me 70 give Won
$1,000 and send you up to the springs. have
called twice, but could not get it. Forgive me
for the great wrong / have done Won and Gee
me If only for few minutes. HENRy
This is the wrong that Henry Martin
did me-" she continued, land for which 7
never f0rgave him. 1t is the great wrong
he spoke of in the letter he inclosed with
the will he made just before his death
Because that letter has remained so long
unexplained | have had to suffer all of the
fortunes of which the human mind is sus-
ceptible, and my innocent child has been
exposed to the world in false light"
With regard to what Henry Martin
wrote about my boy" and ''our little
one" Mrs John said it was the wav in
which he was accustomed to speak of little
John b.
AFTER my husband died. and was left
alone in the world, Henry took a greater
interest both in myself and my child.
John died with the baby's picture on his
pillow, and almost the last thing he said
10 me was always to 20 to Henry when 1
was in trouble and he would protect me
told Henry what my husband said, and
he always did everything be could for me.
He was greatly attached to my little boy.
and frequently spoke Of him as my boy
and our boy"
Grove Johnson was greatly disturbed
last night when he learned that Mrs. John
had told the story connected with Henry
Martins letter OF April %, 1889. Mrs.
John sent a note to him, intimatinR that
she would like him to show the letter to a
representative of THE CALL.
Il will not show you that letter" he
said with emphasis.
81 don't believe in trying cases In the
newspapers, and will not consent to show
ing any letter that has not been intro.
duced in evidence. / think Mrs. Martin
has made great mistake In saying any,
thing about the matter, and il I had
known she was contemplating any such
thing / should have objected very yehe.
mently."
Then the gray-whiskeredla lawyer dropped
his head in a detected sort of a way and
thought so hard that he muttered his mus
ings aloud.
''It's great mistake. great mistake"
he said half dozen times. 81 don't see
why she did it,"
Mrs. Martin half blames her lawyers for
allowing the impression to go abroad that
she was making the LEGITIMACY of her
child the basis of her fight in favor of the
second will. In this connection it may be
stated that she is having a stormy time
with the legal lights who are managing her
case. She says she has discharged Crit
tenden Thornton three times, but as Crit
tenden is toillng for a contingent fee he