Edward Balcom
vs
Solon Rushmore
1843

From the personal collection of Sylvia Hasenkopf

Cover:
Charles Humphrey Evans
Albany 

Mailed from Catskill Sep 19 

Inside cover:
Supreme Court
Edward Balcom
vs
Solon Rushmore 

M Sanford
Plffs Atty 

Filed Sept 20, 1863 

Letter:

Supreme Court of the term of July in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty three 

Greene County vs. Edward Balcom plaintiff in this suit by Mitchell Sanford his attorney complains of Solon Rushmore defendant in this suit by declaration filed according to the statute in that case made & provided & not by writ of a plea of trespass in the case. 

For that reason whereas the said plaintiff now is a good true honest just & faithful citizen of this state & as such hath always behaved and conducted himself yet the said defendant well knowing the premises but contriving & wrongfully wickedly & unjustly intending to injure the said plaintiff and to bring him into public scandal inflame and disgrace the said defendant heretofore to wit on the first day of September eighteen hundred & forty three at the town of Catskill County of Greene & State of New York in a certain conversation then & there had by the said defendant to & with the said plaintiff of & concerning the said plaintiff in the presence & hearing of divers other worthy citizens of this state falsely wickedly & maliciously did utter & speak of & concerning the said defamatory words following that is to say “you (meaning the said plaintiff) stole my watch. He (the said plaintiff meaning) has stolen my watch. He (the said plaintiff meaning) stole my watch. He (the said plaintiff meaning) stole my watch & I  (the said defendant meaning) can prove it. He (the said plaintiff meaning) stole my  (the said plaintiff meaning) watch & run away with it & I (the said defendant meaning) can prove it. 

And afterwards to wit on the day & year aforesaid and at the place aforesaid in a certain other discourse which the said defendant then & there had in the presence & hearing of divers other good & worthy citizens of this state (he the said defendant) further contriving and intending as aforesaid then & there in the presence & hearing of said last mentioned citizens falsely & maliciously spoke & uttered of & concerning the said plaintiff these other false scandalous malicious & defamatory words following that is to say He (the said plaintiff meaning) has stolen my watch. He (the said plaintiff meaning) run away with my watch (meaning the said defendants watch) Ed Balcom (meaning Edward Balcom) stole my (the said defendant meaning) watch & I (the said defendant meaning) can prove it.

By means of which said several premises he the said plaintiff hath been & is greatly injured in his said credit and reputation & brought into public scandal infamy and disgrace with & amongst all his neighbors & other good & worthy citizens of this state & divers of those neighbors & citizens to whom his innocence in the premises was unknown have on occasion of the premises suspected & believed & still do suspect and believe that the said plaintiff hath been & is guilty of theft & also & by reason & means of the said premises he the said plaintiff hath been & is otherwise greatly injured in his credit & circumstances to wit at Catskill in the County of Greene & state aforesaid to the damage of the said plaintiff of five thousand dollars & therefore he brings suit 

M. Sanford
Plffs Atty

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