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Show RILEY IS A LIAR ANYWAY YOU PUT IT Hoosier Poot Wrote a Poem and c Then Denied Its Authorship. Author-ship. Special to Tlio Tribune. INDIANAPOLIS, ' Ind., April 1C "God knows I havo suffered for writing that poem," was tho earnest remark of James Whltcomb Riley when ho made public a statement of his nu-thorship nu-thorship of "Lconainc." Tho poem was published In tho Fortnightly Fort-nightly Review, at tlio Instance of Alfred Russell Wallace, and lt was credited to Edgar Allen Poo, togethor with circumstances circum-stances telling how "Lconalno" came to be found. "Jt was a mistake duo to my youth that I ever wrote that poem," aald tho world-renowned world-renowned author. About eighteen years ago I was working on tho Anderson Democrat A lot of us got to talking ono day about critics, and I said that Bomo of my pooms woro Just as gOod as other poets, but I could not soil them because no ono know who I was." Ho then told tho story of writing tho poem mid of tiavlng lt published, with a atory to tho effect that lt had been found in an old book. Tho poem was copied and wldoly discussed. When proof wns domanded, a young man named Richards was employed to wrlto lt in tho fly leaf of an old dictionary. He wroto with a quill pen and with diluted Ink to mako It look old, and It was almost a perfect Imitation of Poo's handwriting. The old dictionary ls now owned by Paul Lem-porly Lem-porly of Cloveland, O. "When tho truth camo out," continued Mr. Riley, "I lost my position on tho Anderson An-derson Democrat. No paper would even print my explanation of tho affair. Tho memory of that time still stands out ns oilo of the saddest experiences In my Hfo and one that I can never outlive. Tinero Is nothing for mo to do but to acknowledge acknowl-edge that I wroto it, as I do, but that does not stand, as I onco denied being tho author. I wroto it, but I did not I did not writo lt, but I did, and am a liar anyway you put 1L" |