Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1896-12-05
THE CALDWELL LETTERS.
Sam Davis Charges That Fair Wa
Responsible tor Murder.

Sam Davis Charges That Fair Was
Responsible tor Murder.
Sam Davis, the we'll known writer aud
editor Of the Carson Appeal. has replied
10 the statements about him in the Cald.
well letters Of James G. Fair, and among
other things charges that Fair hired an
assassin 10 murder Fred Smith.
The Appeal Of last Saturday has the
following article touching upon this mat
ter
The Examiner is publishing the letters
which Senator Fair wrote Jerome Cald-
well. In these letters he calls his foes
some pet names, such as ours, dirty dogs
and scrubs. He pays his respects to the
editor ef the Appeal in these terms.
The Appeal deems ID but proper to tell
the public why the Senator disliked the
Appeal and thought its editor a dog.
During his political campaign he sent
81, 900 to the Appeal to purchase its 81
lence. The Appeal was never sileuced,
and Fair accused the paper with receiv-
ing the money and continuing to assail
him. An investigation revealed the fact
that the man whom be had intrusted
with the money and the mission had
skipped to Oregon. So much for that.
He then sent q second emissary to the
Appeal, who stated that il the Appeal
continued to oppose his political smbi-
tions Fair would start q paper in Carson,
take all the dispatches and run the APP
peal out Of town.
The writer sent back word to Fair that
any time he wanted a newspaper contro-
versy he would welcome him to the lin
tied field Of Carson journalism, but prom.
ised him that we would publish a full
history Of the Fred Smith case and call
on the Grand Jury of Storey county to
indict him for the murder Of Fred Smith.
The message was returned to Fair and
he concluded not to start q paper.
In 1875 Fair hired 3 man named John
Kosser to kill Fred Smith. Kosser was
q prize fighter and Smith a very small
man. He broke the frontal bones OF
Smiths skull in by 3 blow on the nose
and Smith died Of his injuries within the
year.
Kosser blackmailed Fair for years be-
cause Of this. Fair finally sent him on a
trip to Mszatlan on some pretense and
he was thrown overheard 10 the night.
Fair offered Prentiss $1,000 to kill
Smith by clubbing him in the dark and
pitching him down q shaft. Prentiss de
clined to commit such a cowardly muir
der and Kosser was hired.
;, The Appeal has in its possession a copy
of Kosser's statement that he was hired
to do the job. The original document
. in Kosser's own handwriting and signed
. by him, can be produced in As hours.
The Appeal also has an affidavit cor
roborsting Kosser's statement. The atb
davit is by the late Bishop Patrick Mon
D ogue Of Sacramento and acknowledged
4 before q notary.
3 It was 9 knowledge of these facts tina
. made Fair hate the Appeal and it's editor
; It was the murder Of poor Fred Smitf
that haunted Fair to his dying day and
drove him to his grave. and Smith wal
not the only man who persisted under thu
2 hand Of Fairs hired assssins.
Caldwell had a position in the Min
under Major Dennis, and after he lef'
the Mint be was in the nursery business
The Fair letters be locked in q tin DO,
and con6ded to the care of George Nc
Laughlin, saying be feared that he would
1 be robbed.
They were lying in the Mint for over I
year in Mr.. McLaughlin's keeping. whit
merely took charge Of the box. not know
! ing anything Of the nature Of the letters
During this time Caldwell was stopped
10 this city three times ct night by mask
ed men who ordered him to throw up biz
hands. They searched in his pockets
each time for the letters and, not finding
; them, let him 60. They never took any
> money. Caldwell, fearing his life. went
to California.
s
The New York Mail and EXPIRES says
Secretary Morton's annual report Of the