WCP623

[1]

Balham

22

Mr. Hampden¹ having given Mr. Wallace clearly to understand that he utterly repudiates and ignores made by Mr [illeg.] without his, Mr Hampden’s, knowledge or authority, leaves the said Mr Wallace to suffer the consequences [2] of his villainy and obstinacy. Had he been able to show Mr Hampden’s claim to be illegal, unjust, or inequitable, he has had months and years to do so. If such scoundrels could escape with impunity, honor [3] would soon be a virtue utterly unknown.

When thieves put honest men in prison, they must be mad to dream of escaping the consequences, and this degraded cur shall [illeg.] smart for it, up to the [4] last hour of his life and if he leaves Godalming² as he shall soon be forced to do his character shall follow him wherever he goes.

John Hampden [signature]

July 22. 1885.

To Mr Wallace’s cook.

[5] Either the Charter House will have to change its locality or otherwise to dismiss from its precincts a degraded outlaw whose very presence is enough to ruin any neighborhood [sic] contaminated by his vile presence. /over [6] I am now circulating all over the county of Surrey, the second edition of 500 of these exposures of his villainy. The sneaking thief has not been able to find one friend to say a single word on his behalf! [7] He is too conscious of the undeniable truth of my aspertions [sic] to expect any abatement of my determination to inform every family within realm of the villainy he has been guilty of. The tutors at the Charter house must take some steps to relieve themselves from the [8] slur of harbouring such a degraded character. And I will never rest, morning, noon, or night, till I have seen him reduced to the very lowest position a man can occupy. He shall pay me to the last farthing, if he and his family have to go into the work house the next day.

John Hampden [signature]

Sep 18 /85