The Savannah morning news., 1903-04-11

in the early part OF that evening,
spent the rest of it at home, as was
shown by the evidence of my wife and
the servant girl in our house. l think
l was soon acquitted both by the pub
lie and the authorities with any con-
nection with the crime.
TT now becomes incumbent upon me
to make some statement relative 10
my connection with the divorce pro-
ceedings. There was no truth in the
charges brought by the plaintiff in
that proceeding against the defendant
and myself. The charges were abso-
lutely denied under oath, and counter
charges had been made, and in
short time the case would have been
quietly tried before a referee and set
tied.
1.-The relations existing between the
plaintiff and the defendant had been
strained for some time. Twice he had
unjuStly attempted to make her leave
home. My wife and myself had taken
her side in the controversy that arose
between them, and she had consulted
me for legal advice and protection.
During this time the man himself was
in intimate relations with a woman
whom he desired to marry. For that
purpose it was necessary to be free
from his wife. He discovered the fact
lllelI illS Vile hI6W VI lU6S6 ISldLlOnS
by gaining access to the safe deposit
vault where she kept her papers,
through forgery and a written order
over her blank signature, and pur-
Joining the keys from her.
Forced by Yellow Journals.
Being thus appraised of the evidence
against him, he determined to antici-
pate her action by bringing an action
himself in order that he might have
the appearance of being the injured
party and out of vindictiveness and de-
sire to injure me as much as possible
he made me a defendant in the action.
His allegations were properly denied,
and the issues would have been square
ly met, when his death occurred at the
hands of some unknown woman, whom
he had invited to his house at mid
night. Nothing more unfortunate could
have occurred for everybody involved,
as the entire matter necessarily became
public, and if the truth could have ap-
peared, the harm would not have been
so great, but truth and yellow journal
ism are at opposite poles, and conse-
quently a mass of lies. fiction and inn
agination was published which had no
possible basis in fact, but for the sake
of those most concerned, some of these
Misrepresentation must be taken up
and met.
IISly III reference u lut OlllCe
which / was alleged to have maintain
ed in Chllcott Square: That office
was leased and furnished by me I'M
der an arrangement with another man,
whose name can be given, to enable
him to do collection business. Short
ly after that arrangement he received
an offer of a salaried position in an
other city, which he desired to accept.
l arranged, therefore, to release him,
oy, h,Y-i dor,.o IN h.
office, nor was it ever used as a meet
ing place in any manner so falsely and
unjustly indicated.
Secondly, in reference to the al
legged statements of a New York detec-
tive agency, whose main business
seems to have been to give their eli
ents' secrets to the public, / desire to
say that without knowing what ar
engagements were made with them by
any person, any statements on the part
of such agency tending to reflect in
any way upon either myself or any
other persons involved, are unqualified
ly false and have no basis in fact.
why He Met Mrs. Burdick.
Thirdly, during the pending of the
divorce action it became necessary for
me to consult with the defendant in
reference to the course to pursue. For
that purpose it was necessary that a
should take place here, in New
York or Atlantic City, but in such
cases, as can be absolutely proven,
these meetings were in such places and
under such circumstances as to abso-
lutely negative any other idea than
the purpose of transacting the affairs
relative to the divorce action.
Finally it may be said that the crime
is as great a mystery to the writer as
to any one. Terrible notoriety and
publicity has been brought upon peo-
pie, more especially women, who have
undeserved it, and great wrong
has been done all concerned, especially |
to the family which has suffered, and |
must suffer, most. For that we must |
thank the spirit of yellow journalism, |
which does not hesitate to violate every |
principle of truth, honor chivalry, JUS |
tice and sanctity in those efforts to |
make news and sell papers, which make |
that style of journalism one of the |
things of modern civiliza- |
tion."