end, a quantity of papers were forwarded to this city, among which were
some bearing my name, that were mere business letters. The ordering
these letters was not approved by me. It was a plan of my brother. When
it was discovered by several of my most intimate friends, they became
alarmed, thinking I was concerned in the affair. As the fraternity
required, by their constitution, that all letters should be returned at
the request of the author, permitting the holder to take a copy, it
became my duty to comply with this requisition whenever made. There was
a great alarm. Many visited the city with whom I had held
correspondence, whose letters had never been returned. They learned as
to the disposition that was to be made of the papers, and report said we
were about to give each individual's name concerned, as we were
intending to turn state's evidence. This accounts for the many
different visiters you have seen. You also saw several from
Lawrenceburgh, and the very man you said spoke so disrespectfully of me,
and gave you the long moral lecture, is here on the same purpose--the
same individual you met two days since, whom you designated as having
light hair."

I here found his strength would not permit him to pursue the narrative
further, and upon his promising to resume and finish the subject the
next day, I left the hospital.


[1] When he spoke of this fraternity, I then supposed he referred to
some of the benevolent societies of the day.