The sun., 1903-05-15
BELLAIRs MAKES A STATEMENT.

To THE EDITOR or THESHERALD: IL was
not my intention to pay any attention TO the
attacks that have recently been made upon
me in the columns Of the daily press from
one end Of the country to the other until
such time as brought the matter before
the courts in actions against the two In
stigating papers. but lack OF funds render
ing II impossible for me to come to New fork
ut present makes 1t imperative that make
some statement in n paper OF reputc ior the
sake. .of others, and as the Herdid has treated
me perhaps fairer than the majority, ask
you to publish this.
In December last ! published my book.
As 1t Is in the Philippines, and for two
weeks thereafter remained in New YORK,
and II wns not until April that THE NEW
YORK Sun in It's great Taft boom editorial.
commen ced its attack upon me. an attack
that from a financial standpoint has caused
my ruin, to say nothing regarding the
nervous strain and worry l have been sub
jected to.
I have received more than two hundred
letters and kilograms Of coincidence and sym
pathy from people. many Of whom are old
friends and others comparative strangers.
but the astonishing part 10 me is that they
all seem to take II for granted because II was
published In THE SUN that ! must be the
former criminal they say | am.
This have denied from the start and shall
commune 10 no. Dut III NIItiHk tHlH ~ 10 NV
my intention to dwell on that; as one OF my
recent correspondents. n Catholic Bishop.
put II. "If il be true what the papers are
saying of you, feel inclined to say. wen
done! All honor to YOU from such past
to emerge and for nearly seven years lead
an honorable and upright life. meeting. asso-
ciating and gaining the complete confidence
and esteem Of many Of those who have been
foremost In public life during the past few
huy haop MI
the press in worse manner than was ever
described by Victor Hugo In his description OF
Jean ValJean, in Les Miserables You have
my heortiest sympathy and also. believe, OF
the majority OF Christian people who have
read the story"
This is q sample of the letters have been
receiving, and while appreciatinR them and
feeling gratitude to the writer's. would ask
them to suspend their opinion on the matter
for a time.
The criticisms in AS 1t Is in the Philip
pines" were fair and Just. In nearly every
chapter statements were backed by proofs,
and as for the personal criticism OF Gov.
Taft. it consisted mainly in the telling OF
two incidents of his work. neither OF which
The SUN attempted to disprove.
Next comes out the ErCnin0 Post with the
ridiculous statement that l made Gen.
Wood. To believe such thing possible must
stamp the President. the Secretary OF War
and the Government. generally. as an incom-
petent lot Of fools. hypnotized in some extra
ordinary manner by an obscure correspondent
OF the Associated Press.
1t would probably be better here to explain
my exact relations with tina: gentleman. |
got to know him in the lafter part Of Sep
tember. 1898. but shortly after my arrival In
Santiago de Cuba ] went to Man2anillo. and
on my return found Gen Lawson about
to leave and Gen. Wood succeeding him
From that time on | saw Gen. Wood daily
until April. ,sH. when I was ordered to HG-
vana, and while there until Gen. Wood ar
rived as Governor General. do not think hat
in single cable sent Gen. Woods name
was ever mentioned. unless it was some item
given out by the Adiutant General with refer.
ence to affairs in Santiago.
Gen. Wood was appointed in December.
1890 to succeed Gen. Brooke. and for seven
months thereafter | saw him in his new ca
pacity. when at my request the Associated
Press sent me to the scene Of trouble In North
China Criticism has fallen on Gen. Wood
because II was stated I lived in the palace
formerly occupied by Gen. Ludlow. Quite
true, l did but Gen. Wood had no more to
do with II than he has in the choosing of your
own house. When Gen. Ludlow left his
house being Government quarters, fell to
the lot of the next senior officer. and that
officer whose family had gone home for the
summer, asked me II L WOuiu JOIN MS HlesS.
and as there was abundance OF room could
move down. which did
My entire associations with Gen. Wood
were six months in Santiago and seven months
in Havana. and had as much to do with the
making of Gen. Wood as a brush boy has
who CLUES the back OF book on in the making
of IT, Gen. Wood made himself, history has
already affirmed it. and the gratitude Of the
Cuban people attests it.
Gen. Wood needs no vindication from
the malicious attacks that have been made
upon him. hut I thought it right in this to
explain exactly my connection with him. To
say that ! made Gen. Wood is also an insult
to the intelligence OF the gentlemen at the
head of the greatest news gathering asso-
citation on. earth. the Associated Press. an
organization am proud TO have been so
long connected with. and I preserve with
cure the letters and cables of kindly comment
and congra tuation have received from the
general manager or the assistant general
manager from time to time.
In conclusion. sir I desire TO say that had
the state of my finances permitted it would
have been in New York before this. but in
the necessary closing up Of my various ven-
lures it cost me some thousands OF dollars.
and am at present not in a position to get
further than here. +. &. BELLAIEs.
Ell PAso. Tex, May 0, 1893.
American Girl In Chinese Drama