The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-08-29

The following letter, received yesterday
by Mr.. Curtis Trenchard, will be read
with interest by the people of Astoria;
Roosendaal, Belgium, July 20, 1896.
| C. j. Trenchard, Astoria Or.
Friend Curtis: Pardon me for taking
the liberty of writing to you after my
actions, but it is after many efforts ever
SINCE the day left, that gathered the
courage sufficient to write to some one.
To commence with, Curtis, 1 want it
distinctly understood, in writing this, I
do not intend to play the baby act, or in
any way attempt to In the least justify
any Of my acts in connection with my
disgraceful disappearance, but to plainly
make a clean breast Of the whole trans
action to some one,
The first of all, this misery which I
have caused myself, and ruin to the
happiness of those l love, and whose
memory 1 shall cherish until death, al
though 1 am not worthy of their love;
begin with my desire to be always in
company and drink whisky and second
not listening to the good admonitions and
pleadings of true and loving wife and
daughter. Curtis 1t Is more than l can
write on paper to sit quiet and let my
der my hair has turned snow white.
The truth of 1t all is, Curtis, when l
went to Portland to sell those warrants
on Thursday evening I had or never
had a thought, why 1 never dreamed of
such an act as leaving, received the
money, $500, from Bernard on Friday
at IL o'clock, and ON Saturday afternoon,
the day following, I was confronted with
a condition that 1 must either face the
public or choose the latter course, and of
course, with my whisky soaked brain, l
did what 1 have DONE l left on the
Northern Pacific to the East AMI there
embarked on a steamer and landed in
Antwerpen on the 9TH day of May with
s2166O ami one extra coat beside the one
on my back, and I had left Portland
with $340 On my arrival In New York
tried to gather courage to return and face
the music, for the whisky had left me
sufficiently to know what / was about,
but no, miserable wretch that was,
had not the courage. The particulars of
how it was that l left Portland with
only that amount of money, 1 shall not
explain, and thereby cause further dis
grace, for God knows, the affair is al
ready disgraceful enough. 1t rs an eX-
pensive lesson to get over the habit of
drinking whisky and seeking company,
for the balance Of my miserable exist
ence. Curtis, 1 have not the heart to
write to my dear beloved wife and
daughter, if 1 may call them such yet,
for God knows they have been kind and
loving to me, for no truer woman exists.
Curtis, I can't endure it. 1 have seen
the Portland Sun, where 1t is said l
squandered $14O,OOO, including $4,000 from
my once beloved wife. Well 1 shall not
attempt to go into detail. bat simply
say 1t is a lie and that's all. Again, the
same paper says on July 5 that Port
land gentleman received letter from a
friend in Honolulu wherein it said that
Smith is still in Honolulu with plenty
of money and spending 1t lavlshly upon
his female companion. Now, Curtis,
never SAW or thought Of Honolulu or
taking a woman with me when l went.
have, though, an idea who this Portland
gentleman is who is so interested in
manufacturing news about my absence,
and without the question of "a doubt his
name is w. j. Barry, but day of reck-
oning comes for us ALL
Concerning my debts, Curtis l will
state them to you freely: