Letter to Captain Weller from Andrew Kunkel, September 1st, 1899.

Andrew Kunkel writes to Weller, stating that he is sorry, "we cant send Maggie to the home at present as we are in considerable trouble." He says that "Maggie wrote that letter," and goes on to plead with Weller to come to Guston, KY for the trial. The Kunkels are, "in a law suit conserning her [Maggie] we have the man arrested and the trial comes off Saturday September 2." He says that neither he nor his family are "in the fault of this trouble that is why we wanted you to come out and see yourself." Letter marked Big Spring, KY. In another letter from 1 Sept 1899, Kunkel writes again to Weller, stating that they "would have been pleased if you had to come out and would have made it pleasant for you." He says that "as the mgs are in such a shape now we will have to let it remain so for awhile," adding that he or his wife will be in the city soon and will write him. Letter marked Big Spring, KY.

In a letter from 16 Dec (marked Wednesday; likely December) 1899, Mary Kunkel (spelled Clunkel) writes to Hollingsworth. The letter is for the most part unintelligible, and has the same handwriting as previous letters written by Andrew Kunkel. The letter says that she thought she "would drop of on a few lines for [illegible] card about Maggie." She goes on to say that the family is very worried about Maggie, and that she guesses Hollingsworth "knew she was a perfect little devil." Kunkel says that she has "got her pretty well borken in the most of all she was the biggest lier for a child of her age," and that "every-body out here thinks its wrong that you dont learn them how to do any thing." She says that the reason they don't have Maggie's sister out is that they already have too much trouble with Maggie. She says that the country orphanage wouldn't want Maggie, but seems to imply that they will continue housing her. On a second page, the letter states "Maggie sends her love to her sister and to all the children and give my love Miss clain and to Mrs. Ada and to Miss Yager and to Ant Ellen and to Ant Coutome and to all of the colord people." Letter marked Louisville, KY.

Manuscript Collection, The Filson Historical Society

Mss_BJ_B222-08_086

Mss_BJ_B222-08_031