The daily progressive-miner., 1917-03-09
REX BEACH REPLIES
 TO HIS ACCUSERS
(Valdez AIiner.)

zen (which is strivin to have ter ritorial law enacted prohibiting slan- derous statements) published a sen sational story relative to one Annie Lyon. native woman of Panama, who was at that time in the Federal jail on the charge of vagrancy claiming that the woman had lived as the wife of Rex Beach, Americas famous nov elist. during the early days of Ram part. Of course many interested par ties who believe in the suppression of slanderous stories sent the article in question to MT. Beach in New York, City, who then wrote the editor of the Fairbanks Citizen (who does not be- lieye in slander) the following denial of the Haunted falsehood:
 Dear Sir: l am in receipt of copy of your newspaper dated Sept 25, 1916, containing story headed REX BEACH'S FORMER WIFE IN
 JAIL HERE.
 Alaskan Wife of Famous Writer Is
 Serving Term for Vagrancy.'
 There follows a unique and high ly imaginative account of drunken squaw. who poses for kodak bearing tourists at four bits pose, on the strength of the statement that she lived as my wife in the early days Of Rampant City.
 T am lost in admiration of the Alaska Citizens enterprise. it's accu- racy and it's nose for news; it repre- sents journalism in it's highest form. And 1 congratulate The Citizen on its staff Of fiction writers. Undoubtedly there is something in the Alaskan climate which stimulates it's imagina- ton.
 Your story gains in interest and impressiyeness, ifthat be possible. by reason Of it's grave almost melancholy assumption of truth and in it's amaz- ing positiveness when you assert: '' The former wife of Rex Beach is therefore practically certain that she will not want this winter 7" and there is but little doubt but that The woman's story that she lived with Rex Beach is true
 T note that you do not make use of the customary It is alleged, She states We are informed and the like Doubtless you consider such quail lying phrases to be mere rhetor- ical refinements of literary airs with out meaning or purpose and totally lacking in journalistic vigor.
 My dear Alaska Citizen, allow me to assure you in all gravity and in earnestness equalling yours. that the matrimonial claims of your injured squaw are purely imaginary and that her past so far as I am concerned is blameless.' As to your assertions that I taught her to drink, and that her association with me is responsible for 'all her troubles'-I must likewise deny the soft impeachment. Crimes of various sorts you may attribute to me, and perhaps with reason, but I have no squaws upon my conscience.
 Nor do I drink. In view of your rugged virility, I make the latter con. | fession with trepidation. if not with shame, for doubtless by so doing fall even lower in your estimation And yet in my endeaveor to be strictly ] truthful to you, at whatever cost tc my own feelings, shall confess more Now that am in the mood to confess I shall bare my darkest and most sec ret past 10 your accusing eye, even al the risk of reputation, honor, every thing Yea-even at the risk of be ing misquoted in your inaccurate bu entertaining columns.
 Here. then. is the horrible truth did know squaw named Annie perhaps she was Lyon then as now certainly somebody is. Please tak' TO offense, dear Citizen. Her nam was Annie. but she was better knowr in the colorful and expressive idion of Rampant as Short and Dirty I'm nickname, I assure you. was not un