The Portland daily press., 1900-02-17

~ within the control CT the able counsel
who have protected his interests ana VITA
them have nothing 10 do. My remarks
are confined solely to personal aud family
nastsrx. l do NOT dssirs 10 intrude those
personal Affairs upon the public but. In
visw Of the great mum Der Of letters and
other Communications which I have re-
csivsd and In view Of the very great pub
iicity the district attorney has seen az to
give TO personal and Irrelevant details
by public interviews In the columns OF
the press while the charges were pending
/ against my son, ! feel justified. now that
the trial is ended, In making this state
ment.
"I may say In advance that have been
deferred from making such statsment
earlier solely BY the advice OF counsel,
and By my own consideration Of dignity
and Of propr!ety. Tho views which l
now express have always entertained
and have been always ready to declare 40
soon ~ could properly do so.
ait has been intimatsd In some Of the
ewspapers that fund should be raissd
for assisting the defense Of my son.
should not men'ion this matter ut all
exospt for the fact that such publication
will reach tue eyes Of those who do not
know me and who might derive an Inn
preston wholly erroneous and one which
I do not desire to be entertained BY any
human teing. I should not allow pride
70 prevent me from accepting suoh assis-
Suu AaH fnr ha
that should not mysslf hesitate to offsr
Il to any person who needed IL; and
should never be ash AIMED to receive what
1 should not be ashamed to offer. But /
owe no man . dollar and ] neither need
nor dr. sire any assistance Of such CHAR
acter. l feel, and am amply abls In
health, strength and In the courage nat
uraI to man, TO sustain all the burdens
that God has placed upon me until He
Wills otherwise.
81 am rich In the firm te'isf In shs
justice Of Almighty Gcd. In the devoted
love and comforts Of noble wife. my sons
and their wivss. all united, all certain
In the Innocence OF Roland Bur nhan
Molinsux and certain that II will be
found in time. need for myself no ether
assistance and no other comfort and
support. But, for my household do
need, and do appeal for the support of
the prayers Of all these of every deuomi-
nation and Of every faith, who, like my
self. feel that my SIN 10 innocent and the
victim Of an unjust persecution. do
not ask for any msudlin sympathy. My
SON IL strong man, able to bear his own
sorrows, and responsible for his own
acts. appeal moreover. to every man
who 10 9 man. 10 respect the sanctity OF
the grief Of my sffiioted wife and my
sorsly afflicted daughter. my daught r.
In affection and my daughter In law, BY
her marriage to my son, Blanche CHEESE
boro Molineux. In their behalf my
friends, gallant comrades OF the Grand
Army of the Republic. gallant soldiers
of the Confsderacy, late foes, but now
friends, a. well as all Others who resent
injustice and revere womHnhood, ask
you to assist them during my struggle in
the front lines Of defense Of these my
best Of earthly blessiogs.. Shisld and
protect them from unnecessary and in
truslve curiosity. Let their mod ,st " om-
anhood and their agonizing sorrows move
yeu to their support aud let them be your
charge.
"As for my sons, trust that they
are brave men, with the strength to live
and die braveiy. I have seen my son
Roland asleep rs q child by his mother 6
side have seen him asleep in his cell
after the verdict oondemning hi m to
death had bsen pronounced. Who is
bettsr able than l, his father to judge
whether that sleep was the natural sleep
of Innocence? And have heard his first
words o, awakening at the call of his
father. as by reveille, from that sleep
after the verdict. How Is Blanche. How
| IL mother?' and before that sad awaken
ing, during all the dreary days of his
con dnement, day by day. week by week,
IN ,nth by month. there has been Away q
that first loving cry from his lips for
Blanche and Mother
Can he be guilty OF cowardly poison
ings Is 1t possible? Can 1t bey No. l
know tn At he La innocent rs know hat
l am alive.
"If these feelings are thought to spring
from the prejudice of father ask TIE
prison attendants. Ask those ministers
Of religion and OF charity who serve the
wants Of those poor prisoners; ask the
sacred women, those visitants of thu
tombs who are well oallsd the Angels
of the Tombs' whether the behavior Of
Roland Burnham Molineux has beer
that of brave and an innocent man
rather than that of Q dastardly prisoner;
they will, know. speak for him.
| And q father may be permitted to say
of his son, under these circumstances
that Roland has never done deapicabie
or cowardly thing. 1t is not in him.
He has always been ready to take nil
punishment like man. Ii whipped hi
has Acknowledged the fact and has beir
ready to meet his foe face to face without
| malice. Like his father he has not bser
fAultless, bot he has also had much Of