The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-01
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
Their Controversy Over the Matter
of the Grady Letter.

Their Controversy Over the Matter
of the Grady Letter.
Editor Morning News: In speech
made by me on the night of Sept. &c, I
said that Capt. Henry McAlpin should
be discredited in a primary of white
voters because in 1896 he had asked
Mr.. James H. Grady of Pooler to sup
port and use his influence in behalf of
one Fogarty. a negro, in an election
for justice of peace in the Eighth, or
Pooler, district, Mr. Murphy M. Baker.
a Confederate veteran, being also
candidate.
This speech was reported in the
Morning News of Sept. q. In the
Press of that date Capt. McAlpin Is
said to have stated that he would re-
ply to the criticisms of him at his meet
ing to be held on Friday, Oct. A.. The
Morning News of Sept. % reports that
the charge made against Capt. Meal
pin caused a great deal of talk on the
streets and that finally" Capt: Meal
pin entered a denial. From that time
until this afternoon he has maintained
an unbroken silence.
Now, four days after the. charge is
made he attempts to explain his let
ter. The time between the charge and
the attempted explanation is long
enough to Justify the suspicion that
Cant. McAlpin is restoring to a SUD
terfuge A man who has been slander-
ed. smarting with righteous lndlgna-
ton. would not wait four days 10 an
nounce to the public that manclous
attempt to injure him had been made:
A slandered man would have resented
without a moments nesltalloh
charge he considered baseless.
Capt. McAlpin's own ADMISSION
however. shows that he was interest
;ng himself in behalf of the negro
against the white men, for l have
learned that two white candidates
were in the race. His excuse
is that he desired Grady's assistance
as a manager if Fogarty was accept
able 10 the people of the Eighth DIS
trict. 1t is hardly creditable 10 capt;
McAlpin's intelligence that he snoulo
have supposed it possible tnat lnls ne
gro could be acceptable to the people
of district embracing the large VIII
settlement of Pooler. However, having
HE own testimony as to his fitness to
All as important an Office as that OF
ordinary. / must concede to Capt. NC
Amin a greater degree of intelligence
than the average man possesses. Inns
being true. / cannot accept his version
of the letter, but must account LOT his
tardv EXPLANATION upon the ground
that he has recently discovered the de-
struction of the original, which leaves
him free to explain its contents as ne
sees fit. He could not deny the letter
outright, because he knows the en-
vlope in which ii was mailed is In my
nossession and bears his handwriting.
I hand YOU now the affidavit upon
the subject of the letter. Capt NC
AInin,s explanation will not hold
against this positive, sworn testimony.
These witnesses are not so well known
as Capt. McAlpin, but they are quite
as favorablv thought of by their ac-
o,,aintances as he could possibly be
nv his. You see from their statements
they deny Capt. McAlpin's version.
Mr.. Pinkey telephoned me from FooieI
that he. too, is prepared 10 contrduicl
Capt. McAlpin. .L,4
the people who know all concerned VIII
prefer to believe Mr.. Grady ana ms
corroborating witnesses rather tnan
Cant. McAlpin's lame and tardy at
tempt at an explanation .,.,
The AFFIDAVIT of Mr. Grady, to which
Mr.. Hartridge referred. is as toliows'
Grady's AFFIDAVIT.
"state of Georgia. SChatham County:
Personally appeared before me, James
Nh. Grady, who being duly sworn de-
Noses and says that about the goth day
or November, 1896, he received from
Capt Henry McAlpin, through course
of mail, a letter requesting him, the
said\ Grady, to use his influence and
suppArt in behalf of one Fogarty in
his rs\ce for justice of the peace in the
PoolerA district. That said Fogarty Is
a negrA that his opponents IN sald
race we've S. L. Parker and Murphy
That Maid McAlpin in said letter
further STAYED that II Grady would act
for said FSkyarty. he, McAlpine would
use his influ\,nce with the CcSnty Com
misisoners tn secure Grady the ap-
pointment ofVmanager in said cleo
ton to act on\ behalf of said Fogarty,
and that any Navors shown said Foo
garty would bA duly appreciated by
MN nbe pe further says that upon
tho day of the elNctlon for justice Of
the peace. to-wit. Nm I'd, 1897, he was
Maid a visit by saiAA Fogarty, about
half-past four ip ukk morning, who
asked deponent IL IN had received a
letter from Capt HenN McAlpin re-
ouesting his. deponentG assistance on
hehalf OF him. FogartsN 10 which de-
nonent replied that ne Mad, nut that
he did not intend 10 ShH MS assist
ance. 49,. -.
sDeponent further sayrsRt THIS let
,or was Internationally ~ " I'd by his
nnether when deponent wa RaNinB DIS
personal effects moved duneW ,he la AZ
.er part OF September lsvte nal ny
rorher burned and destroys srest
aesi Of what she supposed z AZ .l i,s,
d. aid time. but she saYea "A ~ Dfs'-