The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-26
FREE COINAGE OF LIES
FORGERY OF THE FRANCIS LETTER
SHOWN BY AFFIDAyITs.
The Alleged Writer of the POpOcrat tic
Eristle Proclaims the Document
an Absolute Fake.

managers, with the poor diseredited Sen
tinel one of the most active minis for
the purpose, goes right merrily on and Will
continue until a week from Tomorrow.
Earlier In the campaign, when the Journal
took the trouble to look up and expose any
of it's falsehoods the Sentinel acknowledged
them and made the plea that 1t had been
imposed upon by wicked people with a de-
sire to discredit it before the public-a
thing that certainly accomplished,
whether it was the purpose or not. But
now it has conceived the idea that lie
told is better stuck to, even to the
bitter end. On Oct. Is the Sentinel and
other Popocratic papers published what
purported to be a letter from George Fran
els. of Pierre, s. D., making an imaginary
visit to his old home in England, to one
John James, of New London, Howard coun-
ty, this State, wherein it was stated that
the factory employees of England were be-
ing assessed to help the election of McKin-
ley. This idea was preposterous, of course,
but the PopocratS are graSpfng at strawS
and gave the story as wide a circulation
as possible.
The Journal few days later published
a letter from Mr.. Francis, stating that he
had not been in England outside of
South Dakota all summer. This should have
been sufficient hint to the Sentinel that
it was getting into deep water with the
story, but it did not seem to realize the
danger and on Oct. 20 returned to the mess
with an engraved forgery, evidently pre-
pared by the Popocratic State national
committee in plate form for publication in
a number of papers, purporting to be a
facsimile Of the letter. The Journal yes
terday received from Pierre the following
affidavits, completely setting at rest all
controversy on the subject:
State of South Dakota, County of Hughes,
George Francis, being duly sworn. on
oath deposes and says: / have seen and
read what purports to be a copy of let
ter written by me from Southport Eng
land. dated Oct. !, 1885, to John James, at
New London, Ind. If any such letter was
ever received by John James / pronounce
it an entire and deliberate forgery. / am
well acquainted with John James. Came
over here from England with him in either
1879 or 1880, but we separated soon after
at Streetsville. Ontario, and l have not
seen him since. nor have l heard from him
since about $780, nor have l written to him
since that year. / have been a resident of
the city of Pierre, Hughes county, South
Dakota, since 1885, and have not been in
England since 1 first landed in America. /
have not been outside the State of South
Dakota this year. l have been, since my
and am now. | am not now and never
have been in politics, though | am Re-
publican and expect to vote for William
Mckinley for President.
My fathers mother was married twice in
England and the second time she married
a man by the name of Vaughan, and my
father in England was known by his step
fathers name. and so were his children,
but since coming to this country 1 have
George Francis. This is reason for the dis
crepancy between the affidavits of the two
brothers, John and Thomas James, in In
diana. Thomas James knew me by the
name of George Vaughan-he left England
long before | came-and John James knew
came over here with me.
The letter purported to have been writ
ten by me is false. The facsimile of which
writing, nor can imagine who 1T was writ
ten by. but the writing resembles that of
John james very m GEh,tcn pANc1s
Subscribed and sworn to before me this
2Sd day Of October 1896
State Of South Dakota, county of Hughes,
We the undersigned, citizens and rest
dents of Pierre. Hughes county, South Da-
kota, being duly sworn on oath, depose and
say follows:
with George Francis and know OIL our own
knowledge that he has been a resident of
this city, for the past seven years. That
mess here and for the past six years has
been proprietor and manager of the North
western Hotel in this city. That during
said time the said George Francis has not
been absent from this city more than a
few days at a time. That during all of
the present year said Francis has not been
away from this city at ALL We further
take pleasure in testifying that said George
Francis is a man of reliability and that his
reputation in this community is good.
Signed:
j. E. Mallery, Mayor of city of Pierre
r. n. Locke, postmaster of the city of
Pierre.
b. A. Cummins, cashier First National
Bank, Pierre, S: d.
Bank G. p Rsnaets president First National
p. F. Mcclure, President Pierre National
Bank, Pierre, s. d.
J. d. Hilger, Pierre.
l.. e. Albright, merchant, Pierre, S. d.
Geo. l.. Fay manufacturer of cigars.
A. Ewert, cashier National Bank of Com
merce Pierre, S. d.
Sworn to before me this 23d day of
October 1896. CORWIN D. MEAD.
Notary Public, Pierre S. D.
Accompanying these documents in evil
dence' is a note from Mr.. Francis in his
own handwriting, which does not in the
least resemble the chirography of the
forged letter printed by the Sentinel Oct.
90. Whether the Sentinel has again beenI
imposed upon whether it has gone
into the publication of forgeries with its
eyes open and is endeavoring to braZen
the thing out for another week is a mat
ter of comparatively small Importance to
the public. The main point is the proof of
the utter falsehood of the alleged Francis
letter.