The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-11-26
TRUE TO WOMAN
He HAD NR0NGEO
---
Notes and Letters Show Effort
to Atone for An Old
Injury

LOS Angeles, Nov. 26.-For almost
half century Theodore p. Bunnell
founder of Grand Junction, Col, and
late capitalist of Santa Monica, suf-
Iered from remorse and repentant
conscience unparalleled in the west
ern court records and .approached I'm
fiction OILY by. .Hawthorne's Scarlet
Letter, according to statements in a
suit filed yesterday in the United
States circuit court by Melissa z. Funk
OF Attica, Ind, to recover $2O, 900 from
his estate. y
Notes for that amount alleged to
have been signed by Mr.. Bunnell in
favor of the woman as part of an
effort 10 recompense her for an at
tempt at mistreatment, made, it is
claimed. in 1859, are set forth in the
complaint.
The first is dated April 2s, 1860, and
with Its accompanying statement re-
veals the very heart of the whole story.
It appears in this language:
"Ro6 Roy, Ind, April 26, 1860
Il promise to pay Melissa link, or
order. five thousand dollars for the
damage did to her in 1859. and for
the love and gratitude 1 bear to her l
pledge my estate and all am worth
with the payment of this note, after
my death, by the person that settles
My explanation, no one will mis-
(SigneO Theodore Bunnell." J"
my explanation, no. one will mis-
constrne and blame Miss link. She is
the most virtious girl ever knew. l
love her q pure devine love. Would
marry ner If she would marry me.
went to her home in storm, found
her alone, SO thought would, I as
saulted her despert fight between us
she was badly hurt gave up when she
got an ak. She was only 13 or IA
years old at that time. l begged for
giveness She may tell the rest She
never lies.
(Signed) Theodore Bunnell. !"
Not many years later Bunnell came
west as far as Colorado and for many
years lived the life of plainsman.
He hunted buffalo among the In
dams and conducted a trading store
not far from where Grand junction
now stands. In return for the use Of
small amount of money, about $4,000,
he obtained control of a large tract
of land, and the coming of the Denver
& Rio Grande railroad made the town
But the wild life of the west and
smiles of fortune failed to bring for
getfulness.
( Letters to Melissa link Funk, now
In the possession of her attorneys, to
which the name T. p. Bunnell is at
1tached, plead increasingly for forgive
ness and express the keenest suffering
of mind and heart for the wrong done
her.
Not satisfied with these continued
appeals, the complaint alleges chat an
other note for $4,000 was made for the
plaintiff January 18, 1870, at Lafayette.
Ind. It carries q peculiar provision
and reads as follows:
II promise to pay Melissa link or
order, five thousand dollars to not
marry one John Beverly, this note to
be pSid by the administrator of my es-
tate after my death. (Signed)
5ssl Theodore p. Bunnell."s
The complaint says: "That there
after, the plaintiff married one Funk,
and is now known by,s the name Ne
llissa Funk, and sometimes as Melissa
q. Funk, hut the matters shown In this
complaint concern only her separate
property and estate IA s .ssSs
On the ground that any agreement
to prevent marriage, either expressed
or implied. 10 against public policy,
George II. Hutton, executor for the en-
tate In California, objects particularly
to the payment Of this note. It u con-
tended. however. - part ot the plain