Perth Courier, December 31, 1897
To the Editor of the Perth Courier—
Sir:
Will you allow me space enough in your valuable paper to correct a mistake or I suppose what you would say was more of a slur than a mistake of what the party or parties say in the Wemyss news that Mr. J. Bowes visited my place. I must say that gentleman is a man I have never seen for several months. I must say that I excuse the one who put it in for God gave some of them around Wemyss so little learning and less sense that ignorance has to be over looked. I take public steps to correct this but the next will be costly ones.
Thanking you for your space, Mrs. John O’Brien
Wemyss: J. Bowes assures us that the Wemyss correspondent was in error when he stated that he (Mr. Bowes) was a visitor in that neighborhood; and Mr. P. Brady informs us that the statement that he was visiting was equally untrue. It is to be regretted that correspondents in furnishing news items are not more careful to ascertain the truth of their statements and thus avoid annoyance which this inaccuracy often occasions.
Perth Courier, October 6, 1899
To The Editor of the Perth Courier:
It has lately come to my attention that a misleading and utterly false report has been circulating about me on the 12th July last in Perth. First of all, let me say that I was not in the company of any man that day and also that I did not taste a drop of drink of any kind except a cup of tea for my dinner; and that I left Perth before 5:00 that afternoon on the Lanark stage and was at my home at Watson’s Corners before dark. If it was necessary for me to do so I could get fifty people to prove that every word of the above was strictly true. Thank you so much for your space.
I remain,
Very Truly Yours,
Mary McCulloch, Watson’s Corners
Perth Courier, Feb. 27, 1891
On Wednesday two young ladies named Fleming from Bathurst got off the morning train and proceeded to the home of their sister Mrs. Beatty of this town. A man named Edward Lavery made up to them and offered to carry their valise as he was “going their way” and they allowed him to take charge of it. On the way Lavery tried to put his arm round the girls and to act very familiarly in other ways towards them which they resented. Finally they got rid of him and the next day lodged a complaint against him. Being tried by the mayor he was found guilty of assault and fined $2 and costs, a very light sentence under the circumstances. (transcriber’s note, see follow up story next issue.)
March 6 1891
Ten dollars and not two dollars was the fine imposed on Lavery for the assault on Miss Fleming of Bathurst and her sister Mrs. Taylor of Verona. Lavery had been drinking previous to the assault.
Wemyss is in Ontario and is situated between Brooke and Harper, and nearby to Bathurst and DeWitts Corners. (Perth Area)
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