Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-31
S c oRING A FAKE
Friends Of Governor Alexander B. Shepherd
Arc Indignant.
Repetition Of Stories of His Serious
Illness by n LEGAL Paper De.
noaneed Vigorously. ,,fr

OF this city, has had a stroke of apoplexy,
and that his condition is now serious"
Morning Times. December 30.
/ Relatives and close friends of Hon. A.
X. Shepherd in this city are not surprised
| at the report that the governor was strick-
en- with apoplexy, as announced exclusively
In the Times yesterday morning."
| Evening Times, December o.
Ihere has been no change for the worse
IN the condition of former Gov Alexander
/ X shepherd. according to late advices this
AFTERNOON from Batopilas, Mexico He is
| seriously Ill at that place, from a stroke of
apoplexy.
Morning Times. December 80
| Governor Shepherd, who was recently
p pr by illness at his home. Batopi-
las. Mexico rapidly recovered, and is now
quite well. - The stroke from which
I sne governor suffered was received three or
| four weeks ago."
The Times story that Governor Shep-
nero mas been seriously Ill is as matter
VI course true. The denials of it are lies"
| CHIHUAHUA. Mexico, December 3O-No
direct advices have been received here from
| oat0pllas mining camp Governor Shep-
| hero 5 nome, for about three weeks The
iatest Information was that Governor Shep-
hero was recovering slowly from his
stroke OF apoplexy. His condition at that
TIME was regarded serious, and a second
attack was feared. All of his family are
t NH MN. MN. me stage from Batopilas makes
tW0 Trips per month to this city with silver
Sulion' and 1t Is expected that it will arrive
mere within few days"
The DeniaIs.
The authoritative denials in The EVENING
Star yesterday of the fabrications publish,
| ed regarding the condition of the health of
Alexander r. Shepherd relieved the ANXIETY
winch the persistent false reports had cans
ca among the legion of the ex-governor's
,.ienos mere and replaced this feeling in
their minds with one of profound ind.gna-
ton at the course pursued by the local
| journal of bilious hue
The additional chapter in that paper this
morning, by which it is endeavored to show
| that the alleged attack Of apoplexy was
suHered three or four weeks ago. and the
purported telegram received from Gov
shepherd to the effect that he was enjoying
, perfect health now, thank God" was re-
garded In all circles as a ridiculous make
| shift to get out of a dilemma This will be
all the more apparent when the facts of the
case are known.
Friends who have scanned closely the
| alleged stories call especial attention to
| the proved taking, exhibited by the quo
| tat!on from the Evening Times, December
| 70. stating that Gov. Shepherd is seri-
| ousiy i'll, according to late advces this
| afternoon and the alleged telegram in this
| Mornings Times from Chihuahua stating
| that no communication has been had with
BatopilaS for several weeks,
| Justice Andrew Bradley's wife is a sister
| or the wife of Mr.. Shepherd. Mrs Bradley
was married from Governor Shepherd
house IN this city. and Justice Bradley. as
| ISOLATED with Mr.. William f. MattingIy.
was Governor Shepherds attorney from
! 1913 to the time of the latter's departure
| from Washington. Justice Bradley today
| stated to Star reporter that he placed
no credence in the report that Governor
| Shepherd had suffered an attack of apo
| plexy three or four weeks ago, as stated in
| a local paper this morning.
| On Christmas day., said Justice Brad
ley, Mrs. Bradley received letter from
| Mrs. Shepherd in which she spoke of the
| family affairs at Batoplas in very cheer
ful tone, stating that all the family were
well and We're looking forward with much
pleasure to Christmas, when the entire
| FAMILY would be reunited, Mrs. Brodie
Governor Shepherds daughter. who has
| been living in the City of Mexico. being
| then on her way from Chihuahua to Bato-
pilas, and within a few hours ride mule
back of the hacienda.
Mr.. William Mattingly. the well-known
| lawyer, viii has been Governor Shepherds
attorney and intimate friend from the time
| he first began to be prominent in the bust
| ness and civic affairs of Washington to the
present time, was equally certain that Gov
Shepherd had not suffered any of the WISH
tatlonS which had been first rumored at
| in dispatches from San Antonio to the New
York papers, and then rudely manufactured
| into alleged facts by the carpenters and
wood-sawers now engaged in choppng
away at journalism in the capital city Mr.
Mattingly stated that his wife had received
letter from Mrs. Shepherd day before
yesterday, written at Batopilas just before
Christmas, in which she announced that
all the family were in good health and look
ing forward 20 the reunion at Christmas
with much pleasure.
Mrs. Shepherd, in her letter to Mrs Mat
tingly, wrote, Sue Is coming down the last
hill, meaning that her daughter, Mrs.
Brcdie. was approaching Batopilas from
her long ride from Chihuahua. The dis
patches from the Banco Minero of Chihua-
lua, from DR.. Merchant and from Gov.
She pherd himself to Mr.. Stevens entirely
relieved any of the anxiety which might
have been caused Gov. Shepherds friends
by the recent sensational publication
Mr.. Frank A. Miller, who has been ident;-
fled with Gov. Shepherd and his interests
in Mexico ever since the latter's departure
for Batopilas, and who was there with him
for quite a period, did not conceal his in
dignation at the persistence with which
the unfounded rumors Of Gov. Shepherds
illness had been magnified in community
where the subject of them was the object
of such universal love and generation.
If anything serious had happened to
Gov. Shepherd, said Mr.. Miller this morn
| ing, Il would have undoubtedly been in
formed of it at once from various sources.
My relations with Batoplas are very init
| mate, and lam kept informed of every
thing that occurs there. The persistent
publications about the governors alleged
illness IN the Washington Times were, in
my opinion, outrageous and entirely outside
of the limits of decent journalism. The di-
rect communication maintained with Ba-
topilas made 1t easy for the truth to be
ascertained the subject with but little
delay. The Geographic communication be-
tween Chihuahua and Batopilas is not as
quick as 1t is in the states, because every
thing is slower in Mexico, which Is the
country of na-tomOrrow-you know.
"A message from Washington and reply
thereto could be sent and received in, say,
thirty-six hours. There is constant tele-
graphic communication between the New
York Offices of the Batopilas Mining Com
pany and Batopilas, the dispatches being
sent as frequently necessary. The dis
patches from Gov. Shepherd to Mr.. Stevens
and from DR.. Frank Nero liant Of The Star,
both published in yesterdays Evening
Star. were amply sufficient to refute the
sensational statements in the Times I
know it is very gratifying to Gov. Shep-
herds many friends to know that he is
well, but am equally sure that the
pleasure at the news has not allayed their
indignation over the anxiety they were
needlessly caused to suffer by reason Of the
hascless reports so persistently and cruelty
published in your contemporary"
Government Bonds.