The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-04
He Bitterly Denounces Dick
Williams.
REPLIES TO MISS ABBOTT
SAYS THERE'S NO TRUTH IN
HER STATEMENT.
THINKS SHE IS BEREFT OF HER SENSES
Acknowledges That He Did Offer to TAKE
Miss Annie Abbott Back Into His
Home After He Had Driven
Nc. A,..u
Her Away.

btVlIC FattOi VIC ttau OItfCH
Her Away.
Mr.. Robt. Hancock was seen yester-
day by the reporter of this paper and
authorized the following statement with
reference TO Mr.. Hardy's letter which
appeared in yesterdays News and OBJ
server.
Mr.. Hancock said, 81 was shocke
and dumb-founded when l read Miss
Gertrude Abbott's statement to Mr..
Hardy. There is not word of trut
in her statement and the publication of
it by Mr.. Hardy was the first intima ton
that / have ever had that Miss Ger
trude Abbott claimed that / had eve
made any improper advances to her.
The woman is certainly bereft of her
senses. No person of sound mind would
make such a remarkable statement.
utterly improbable upon its face, an
without any basis of fact to- support i
took Miss Gertrude Abbott to Wash
ington with me only once. This wa
sometime before her sister Annie Alb
bolt came to my house to live. If / ut
tackled her. as she says | did, and sh
defended herself as successfully as sh
says she did, is it not surprisingly
strange that she failed TO make know
and denounce my alleged conduct upo
her return home, and at the same tim
continued her former pleasant relation
with me and my family, and afterward
permitted her young sister to become
member of my household, during the i'll
ness of my wife? | repeat, her state
ment is a fabrication pure and simple
without the slightest foundation OF
fact, and | cannot account for it upo
any other hypothesis than her unreason
able malice toward me Arising cut
my discharge of her sister from my
home, and the loss of her position i
the public school. which she unjustly at
tributes to my unfriendliness, and he
desire to confirm her sisters maliciou
charge against me, hoping thereby t
make certain of my ruin. The whole
thing from beginning to end is diaboli
cal conspiracy, dictated by an insan
and dominating passion for revenge, en-
couraged and directed by the prejudice
and intrigue of my personal and politi
cal enemies.
II did write to Miss Abbott, and Mrs
Abbott shortly afterwards came to m
house and, in the presence of my wife
asked me what the exposures referred
to in my note meant. | told her it ha
reference to the nature of the zorro
sp0ndenee carried ON by Miss Ami
with certain young men while she wa
engaged to another man. / did sugges
that Miss Annie return to my house and
remain a short time. / did this because
Isfelt that possibly my discharge of he
had been little rude and that if sh
would return TO my house for few
days it might avoid criticism of her be
cause of her discharge.
Miss Abbott, in her interview with
MFR. Hardy, states that she had. Offered
to release" her fancee from his engage
ment to marry her, but she nowhere
says that the engagement has been bro
ken. / know that he has visited her
since her charges against me have been
made public, and / hear that he is still
IN constant correspondence with her.
In reference to Dick Williams: He is
known TO be a common and notorious
liar, infamous in character, and without
respect for man or woman. He knows
whom referred to as tone publicl
chastised by me-" have no hesitation IN
saying it was one Chas. B. Keeler
When William says II was drunk when
did it" he simply lies. Wherever Dick
Williams is known, as well as he is in
Newhern and Craven county, Ut is al
together unnecessary to take any motto
Of him or This sayings.
Here also," continued Mr.. Hancock
taking a typewriter paper from his
pocket, sis a statement from Mr.. L. A.
Green. bank president and chairman of
the school committee, setting forth the
reasons for Miss Gertrude Abbott's dis
missal as teacher.
SIN this statement Mr.. Green says
that ON january LIST, 1898, Miss Rachel
Brookfeld, principal of the school, was
instructed by the committee, through a
resolution, to dispense with the services
of Miss Abbott after January 18th, in
order to economic and run the school us
long as possible. Miss Abbott was Sc
lected as the teacher to be dropped, Mr..
Green says, and it was so stated in the
camTnittee's resolution. because she was
THE only second grade teacher in the
school" III