The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-11-10
- STATEN EMIT.


Chapman for perjury. The case has
caused a great deal of talk in this part
of Idaho of late. Every person is
supposed to be innocent until proven
guilty.
CHALLIs, IDA, Nov. 7th, 1908.
EDITOR MESSENGER -
DEAR SIR "A blackmailing scheme
having been launched in Blaine county
against me, and the facts having been
grossly nisrepresented To the papers
of the State. causing the Boise States
man, Pocatello Advance and others to
print articles which misrepresent the
facts in the case, take this means of
letting you know the facts and hope
that you will do all in your power to
right the injustice and wrong that has
been done me in this way.
At Albion, Idaho, on the 10th day of
June. 1900, l was married to Miss Helen
K. Ekholm, better known as Nellie
Ekholm, and within less than two
weeks we had trouble, and she left me
and did not return until some time in
the fall of 1900, when / went after her
and induced her to return TO me. She
came back and we resided at Oakley,
Idaho, where 1 taught school until
about the last of January, 1901, when
we had some trouble over certain par
ties and resigned my position against
the will of the Trustees, and moved to
Albion where was appointed Deputy
Sheriff of Cassia county. She remained
there with me for about three months,
when she again left our home, and we
never lived together after that, but
made several trips to HALEY and tried
to induce her to settle down and come
home, but to no avail. Sometimes she
would write as though she wished to
come, and then change her mind when
the time come.
She went to Attorney Angel of
HALEY time or two to get divorce,
and threatened many times to get one.
but said she dreaded TO appear in court
and disliked the publicity, and asked
me il l would get the divorce. At
length considered that there was no
use of our trying to live together and
make a happy home-thst she did not
care for memo matter how much 1
cared for her. and she had already
involved me deeply in debt, so con-
sented to get the divorce, and upon her
request filed the complaint in the
District Court at Blackfoot, Idaho, last
July, and upon her own solicitation,
about the 25th of July, went to
HALEY to sign an agreement with her
as to the disposition of our minor
child, and what | was to pay her as her
share of the effects we owned when
the divorce at Blackfoot was granted.
We had this agreement in writing and
each of us kept a copy. and st the same
time, at her request, the papers were
served on her by C. C. Chapman, she
said she wanted it kept quiet among
her friends at Haley until after the
divorce was granted. Her reasons for
this do not know, but l granted her
wishes 10 every instance, and when
left HALEY we agreed to 6e always
good friends.
was not back from HALEY long,
when | missed my copy of the agree
ment and wrote her to copy the one
she had, sign it, and send it to me and
would sign it and keep it as my copy.
She wrote me that she had changed
her mind about the divorce and would
not send me copy, and begged me to
resign my office as County Attorney,
and move to Wallace, Idaho, with her,
where l was talking of going prior TO
the divorce proceedings, where she
said we would know no one ane start
in new she would be different and we
could get along happily. But after
considering matters L thought itwould
soon be the same old story, and l had
better go ahead and get the divorce,
so did.
After securing the divorce she wrote
me to send her more money. could
not and she threatened to cause me
trouble if did not. After refusing
again was arrested on the false
charge of subordination of perjury.
think the whole game was to arrest
me. and then certain parties thought
tuSg SOuAu Ecb tuc W pay tucm several
hundred dollars to drop the matter. /
will not pay them a cent, and am will
ing to face any charge they may in
stitute. l am guilty of no crime, and
am willing that the matter be fully
gone into, and all / want is a fair
chance to show up my side of the case.
have not as yet given any bond, but
will when required. shall return to
HALEY tomorrow with Mr. Chapman
and not in the custody of any officer.
The statements that | am charged
with bigmy is absolutely false, and
likewise all the other statements
printed at the instance of certain
parties in HALEY, who have misled the
press in many parts of the State by
their malicious lies; and | sincerely
ask that the press who have given air
to these articles win right the wrongs
that they have done me, and present
the matter in the true light before the
public.
may not be able to get fair hear
ing at HALEY, as l do not know the
Magistrate there, but at the present
have no reason to believe that / will
not. IL not, the matter will go before
Judge Price where the blackmailing
scheme will be properly showed mp.