Show I Lincoln Letters In Atlantic Are Declared Faked SPRINGFIELD Ill m. Dec 22 United Press Press Officials Officials of the Lincoln centennial today issued a a. statement declaring the entire collection collection collection col col- lection of ot Abraham Lincoln letters ett rs and memoranda appearing In the the Atlantic Monthly for December and January are spurious and fabrIcated fabricated fabri fabrI- fabricated by one who had Imperfect knowledge of ot the personage and events described The statement was signed by Paul H. H Angle secretary ec tary of or the centennial centennial centennial cen cen- tennial association Worthington C. C Ford editor of the Massachusetts Massachusetts Massachusetts Historical society and Oliver R. R Barrett Chicago owner of the largest private collection of Lincoln manuscripts in existence First publication of the collection was made in the December Atlantic Monthly Ellroy Sedwick editor vouching for its authenticity The correctness of Sedwicks Sedwick's conclusion was challenged by the committee who said judging by known and accepted letters of Lincoln he never could have written those printed in fac simile in the Atlantic and that the contents of the letters were so far at fault as to make them as Impossible as the writing CITES PROOF Today's statement by the centennial centennial centennial centen centen- nial association In part Instead of meeting the points we made in the writing and contents contents contents con con- tents of the documents Mr Sedgwick SedgwIck wIck has evaded them by Irrelevant ant suggestions and has issued the second Instalment of ot the collection In the January number of the Atlantic Atlantic Atlantic At At- lantic Monthly Whatever hope he may have held for the ultimate acceptance acceptance acceptance ac ac- of these documents now appears futile for tor the second series can be demonstrated t to be spurious beyond the possibility of doubt General criticism of of the letters I Is based upon apparently authentic proof that the reputed first and second owners of the minor collection collection collection col col- lection are legendary Individuals A family Bible In the possession o of Mrs Dins Adele P. P Discord McCord of St. St Joseph Joseph Jo Jo- Jo seph Mo only living grandchild of et John Calhoun who Calhoun who according to was the father of Sally Calhoun second owner of the col- col IndIcated indicated Calhoun had no daughter named SaIl Sally Reliable evidence the statement said also reveals that Matilda 1 Cameron said sald by Sedgwick to have been een the original possessor of ot the collection is s also a a. legendary in in- in Mrs Emma MacPherson of the Illinois state historical library library library-a a niece great-niece of the he the wife wile of John Cameron Matilda's has father ather has In her lien possession a copy of the tho page in the Cameron family Bible on which the names and birth dates of the children were vere inscribed The daughters were eleven in number number but but the name Matilda is n not t among those listed LISTS ERRORS Five lIve specific statements which occur In ht the material printed in the January magazine are historically impossible the lire centennial assocIation association tion lon statement said sald 1 In the first Ann Rutledge leter lett letter let- let t ter er r to Lincoln she site thanks him for a Spencers Spencer's copy book Records show that bat Ann Rutledge died In 1835 and that hat tho the first Spencer publication on n Penmanship was made In 1848 2 2 In the tho undated diary pre pre- presumably written by Matilda Cameron Camron Cam- Cam ron eron eron In 1833 she tells of OC Martha Calhoun teaching her to crochet Martha lartha Calhoun was waa born in 1843 nine ine years after the diary entry 3 Twice Matilda Cameron writes of f boats from Springfield Springfield SprIngfield Spring- Spring field eld Is six miles distant from the J Sangamon river which rIver which has never been Leen een navigable by boats of any size Ize 4 One of the letters from Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lin Lin- coln to another official surveyor mentions section 40 In a township In h surveying the tho old northwest the government to system allowed thirty thirty- six Is sections to the township township never never more 6 In the same letter dated May otay 9 3 1834 Lincoln Is made to say that tho 10 are leaving this week tor or some place in Kansas At this tine time mo K Kansas was not open to white settlement and the name was applied applied ap- ap plied only to the river The territory territory terri- terri tory ory west of ot Missouri and north Arkansas territory In which the tho thoresent present resent Kansas ansas is located was then known cnown only as Missouri territory or r Indian territory I |