Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-10-01
FAMOUS MURCHISON LET.
TER.
Owner Of Los Angeles "Cimes" Tells
How II First Appeared.

Owner of Los Angeles "Vimes" Tells
How II First Appeared.
with the deaths of former President
Grover Cleveland and Sir Lionel Sack
ville-West, to whom MIR Cleveland gave
his passports as minister from Great
Britain to the United States, occurring
so close together. the incident of The
famous Murchson letter has been more
discussed recently than otherwise it
would have been. says the Washington
correspondent of the Albany journal.
The inside story of the publication of
tho letter, which has just been told by
Gen. Harrison Gray Otis owner of the
Los Angeles Times" in which paper IS
was FIRST given to the public. IS of much
interest. General Otis is now at the
Johns Hopkins hospital. Baltimore, re-
covering from an operation, and It was
there that he recalled the incident to
some Washington friends who were
visiting him.
MINISTER FALLS INTO TRAP.
Murchison's true name was George S.
OsgoodNy. and he was resident OF
Pomona. near Los Angeles. Believing
that the chances of Mr. Cleveland might
British minister approving MS 'ahd'nacy'
he led LORD SackNIie TO write 'he Ie''er
by asking how citizens Of the United
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$500, e ,,.,,,, II;
NAh' Ahhf bl-C y bfh'
Osgoodhy took the letter to General
Otis, refusing to entrust II to anyone
else General Otis at once saw that the
letter was genuine 1t bore the Brit
ish Coat-of-arms, and other internal evil
dence that it came direct from the min
lister. He consulted with political friends,
and all agreed that the blunder possessed
political value to the republicans which
was simply inestimabl The question of
giving the mtssive to one of the republic
can comn'ttees-cou'iY STATE Oh 'a.'o"-
was O''''' D.i C.I. ,,,.a {, 80
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49,, ~ ,,,,o =, NOS doo,aoA
o.aror,,,o o,,, -, +, ia tho
,,1a, .,,,u,,t,oo
hoNi u" r-l'i- 500
--'
The bombShcll caused by the puhlca-
ton shook two continents. whlI" AT
I home the defeat OF Mr.. cleveland was
attributed largely to the change in pun
lie sentiment brought about by the letter
Murcmson came in for great deal "'
criticism because OF his ''pertidy' and
ugly threats We're made against h!hl' ana
1t Is sad 'Nat d''noc'"''e "''cc'NeS N'S''
,r,, ,ho tdor,,,v Of tho mon who had led
! ord Sockvillo into the tran For this
reason "Murchison' begged Ms republi.
can rriends NOT ,o reveal his true name
Tho man kant in hiding until election
rigbt I'm Novcmhcr. ISIS when h. wenr
tn Los Angeles and stood with the GROVE
In front Of the "Times" building. roadinl
tho h,,u,,frs vbich flashed the news O.
11arri,,r,. ,.ict,rv
,., 80, rr.D,,cr D>v
A'",E ''. n.r,.,
hu, orc ~ his little efforts in this dire
lion IN. other dov nearly resulted in {
TRAGEDY. Tor tho WASHINGTON correspond
ants &c two ar three philadelphia news
,o.,ors and shattered the reputation o
a,,,r,o, 90 Quaker CITY conrressncn.
rbosa members of Congrcss-Moole
>,oo,, u,ourkrod and bingham came t
wosbiroton to arrange for tho govern
or,s ronresonta,,ou AT the 18TH ami
vorsorv NJ rho founding of Philadelphia
o1 ,notdontollv dropned In to see Mr.
,.oo ,hou, ycttinr some foreisn war
.si., 10. ,,at e,..r,
nut.
| "By the way" said Mr. Andee, with