Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-23
FEAR MADE ME
SIGN AFFIDAVIT"
Continued from First page,

Continued from First Page.)
which 1t has made for myself and my
family. Once for all. will make a
statement to you, which will cover
everything, 1 hope. After that 1 will
have nothing more to say.
First OF all. let 1t he understood that
I did not intend to whitewash Postmas-
ter Abram J. Drake of the charge of
handing me that improper note. l never
] AVE said he was innocent of it.
Drake DID write that note and hand
it to me himself. There is no mistake
about that. although 1 will admit that by
innuendo l made 1t appear that Drake
might be the victim of A. conspiracy.
That affidavit was bought from me. Not
for a cash consideration. The price was
silence. 1 wanted to silence the scan
dalous gossip at any cost that was hon
orable."
Mrs. Thayer was told that Drake made
a statement to the effect that the aft
davit clearing him of all blame came
voluntarily from her, and that she made
several previous statement which he
(Drake) refused to accept. On Tuesday
Postmaster Drake also declared that he
ndu nOt1lnS WhdtCNCl W wv Nit NhN
making of that affidavit by Mrs.
Thayer.
H said that, did hep asked Mrs.
Thayer. rising from her seat and grow
Ing angler by the minute. Let me tell
you something" she said. II hate to be
dragged into this thing again, but l
will talk to you this once, and / will
not MAKE any verbal shots above any
-.-, - 7 lii Ill -o1 ~ ..oIa
Netcong Butcher Involved.
Drake persuaded Miller Mowder, the
Netcong butcher, to come to my home
and meet him in his Mowder's) office
two or three. times a week during the
month preceding that AFFIDAVIT. That
was made on May 10. 1911.
"Mowder urged me to make an afr
davit which would call off the Federal
inspectors who were Investigating
brakes conduct of the postoffice. Drake
would see that my name was cleared of
all scandal, Mowder told me, provided
| would make this withdrawing state
ment.
"Mowder brought several statements
with him on these visits. Some of them
were written in brakes own handwrit-
inc. while Others were written by Now
der. refused to attach my name to
many of these statements because ] be-
Ieyed they were untrue. This delay
caused Mr.. Drake much anxiety, and Mr..
Mowder pIeadingly said to me, Now,
Drake expects the postofhce inspectors
any day. Can't you get that note ready
right dway and stop all thisT
"of course l was as anxious to stop
-. -. ,rb-I .antt1d he INT I
did not intend to ~perjure myself, and
did not Intentionally
How did you know that -Mowder was
acting for Drake?" Mrs. Thayer was
asked.
NJ Mowder himself told me so. He
said he came direct from Drake. Why,
Drake wrote most of the sample state
,nents on which | was to build up my
afidayit, and Mowder handed me these
samples. Mowder made 1T apparent that
he was speaking and acting for Drake.
He Seemed to Control Mowder.
"Drake seemed to control Mowder, as
he evidently does other people in Net
cong, Mowder seemed always ready to
do brakes bidding. Everyone in Netcong
understood tina Mowder was under great
| nnQncial ODllkhtiohs hon
Nov as to the substance OF the af-
ddavit which | finally did sign and turn
over to Drake in return for a verbal
and written promise from him to stop
all talk about me. My husband did not
know that Drake had been dickering with
me for this affidavit, and | made 1t with
out consulting him. DR.. Thoyer did not
know | had written 1t until months
later. When | did tell him of 1t and
showed him a copy of my affidavit
then realized / had made a mistake.
by reviewing my affidavit which
stopped the Federal investigation as to
the author of that improper note and
incidentally saved Drake his job, you
can see that my primary motive was to
save my family and myself from the pub
licity of the affair. The Infamous no
toriety we already had secured from
1t had made n physical wreck of me, and
| was almost ready to submit to any
terms which would stop the scandal.
Says Fact Is Significant.
THAT Drake appeared to be able to
stop the use of my name in connection
with the various scandals concerning ID.
NJ. Cook, then president of the Citizens
National Bank, of Netcong, is very sig
n%ifcant. 1t shows. to me at least, that
Drake was at the bottom of all this talk.
He started and circulated 1t, l believe,
as a weapon to compel me to call off
the Federal inspectors.
at will also he noticed that IN my
affidavit the reference to my retractlon
of the charge of Drake writing that in
famous note is made with the supple
ment. in view of Mr.. brakes affidavit
that he did not write the note I was
suffering great mental anguish at the
time I wrote It, and was almost insane.
81 now realize that the wording of that
affidavit which 1 signed tbut which was
written under brakes instructions) not
only left a 1oophole which Drake could
use to whitewash himself with, but also
promising position.
Let 1t here be understood that David
M. Cook did not write the note which
Drake handle me and which started the
whole trouble l never even intimated
or said that Cook might AVE written
1t. Such a statement in another New
ark paper than yours that 1 blamed
Cook for writing that note is. I believe,
an invention of brakes. 1t came in
directly from him at least.
Drake wrote and handed ne that note
And 1t was not among other papers, as
I intimated in that affidavit. He handed
me the insulting note long after 1 had
taken my mail from my postofice box
that evening.
The note was written on a piece oil
paper and was not enclosed in an en-.
velope. 1t vas not given to me with
any other letters or papers of any de.