It commenced by a rambling preface, stating that
"a _certain person_ whom _certain_ persons thought to be dead, was not
so, but living, and in full possession of his memory, and moreover,
ready and able to make _great_ delinquents tremble": it then went on
to describe the murder, without, however, mentioning names; and in
doing so, it entered into minute and circumstantial particulars of
which none but an _eye-witness_ could have been possessed, and by
implications almost too unequivocal to be regarded in the light of
insinuation, to involve the "_titled gambler_" in the guilt of the
transaction.
My father at once urged Sir Arthur to proceed against the paper in
an action of libel, but he would not hear of it, nor consent to my
father's taking any legal steps whatever in the matter. My father,
however, wrote in a threatening tone to Faulkner, demanding a
surrender of the author of the obnoxious article; the answer to this
application is still in my possession, and is penned in an apologetic
tone: it states that the manuscript had been handed in, paid for,
and inserted as an advertisement, without sufficient inquiry, or any
knowledge as to whom it referred. No step, however, was taken to
clear my uncle's character in the judgment of the public; and, as he
immediately sold a small property, the application of the proceeds of
which were known to none, he was said to have disposed of it to enable
himself to buy off the threatened information; however the truth might
have been, it is certain that no charges respecting the mysterious
murder were afterwards publicly made against my uncle, and, as far as
external disturbances were concerned, he enjoyed henceforward perfect
security and quiet.
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