“E—— W——
“Please write by Return and let me know if any thing is beeing done”
To the above letter the following reply was at once sent:—
“Darnall, Feb. 13, 1879.
“Mr. W——
“Dear Sir,—I received your letter this morning, and on behalf of my mother and family I heartily thank you for your kind and sympathetic letter. In reference to the petition, your letter is the first intimation we have had, and we are not aware that anything is being done in that direction.
“I quite agree with your remarks about the public being prejudiced against my father through the action of the press; for many of the papers have published things that are utterly untrue; but not too untrue or too romantic for the public to believe. The blacker a paper has painted him, and the more romance has been mixed with it, the more it has suited the public appetite.
“With reference to the jury being prejudiced I can only say they took a very short space of time in which to make up their minds to return a verdict of guilty in such a serious case. I thank you for your kind wishes towards us, and am pleased to tell you that Mr. Peace is resigned to his fate, and his state of mind is all that could be desired.
“Hoping you will not think it any intrusion if you wish to write again, I remain,