A Secret Life_ The Lies and Scandals of President Grover Cleveland - Charles Lachman [114]
State of New York, County of Westchester:
Maria Halpin, being duly sworn, says: I reside at New Rochelle, in the County of Westchester, State aforesaid. I am the person whose name has been published in connection with that of Grover Cleveland as the mother of his son. I have been induced to remain silent while the disgrace and sufferings brought upon me by Grover Cleveland have been discussed and criticized by the public and the press, and I would most gladly remain silent even now but for the duty which I owe to my aged and afflicted father, my children, and my sisters, to whom my troubles were unknown until made public by publication a few months ago. My duty to those relatives and to those friends who knew me before my acquaintance with Grover Cleveland, whose kind assurances of love, and sympathy, and confidence have reached me, compels me to make a public statement and denial of many of the statements which have been made public concerning me and my character and actions while in Buffalo.
I would gladly avoid further publicity of this terrible misfortune if I could do so without appearing to admit the foul and false statements concerning my character and habits, especially those made by Mr. Horatio C. King and published with the alleged approval of Grover Cleveland himself.
I deny that there was anything in my actions or against my character at any time or place up to the hour I formed the acquaintance of Grover Cleveland on account of which he or any other person can cast the slightest suspicion over me up to that hour. My life was as pure and spotless as that of any lady in the City of Buffalo—a fact which Grover Cleveland should be man enough and just enough to admit, and I defy him or any of his friends to state a single fact or give a single incident or action of mine to which any one could take exception. I always felt that I had the confidence and esteem of my employers . . . and this I could not maintain if I had been the vile wretch his friends would have the world believe. He sought my acquaintance and obtained an introduction to me from a person in whom I have every confidence, and he paid me very marked attention. His character, so far as I knew, was good, and his intentions I believed were pure and honorable.
The circumstances under which my ruin was accomplished are too revolting on the part of Grover Cleveland to be made public. I did not see Grover Cleveland for five or six weeks after my ruin, and I was obliged to send for him, he being the proper person to whom I could tell my trouble. I will not at this time detail my subsequent sufferings and the birth of our boy Sept. 14, 1874. But I will say that the statement published in the Buffalo Telegraph in the main is true. There is not and never was a doubt as to the paternity of our child, and the attempt of Grover Cleveland or his friends to couple the name of Oscar Folsom or any one else with that of the boy, for that purpose, is simply infamous and false.
The affidavit was sworn to and signed Maria B. Halpin on October 28, 1884. It was notarized by Charles Banks and witnessed by Maria’s son Frederick and two men who worked for Banks.
Frederick Halpin also submitted his own affidavit:
Frederick T. Halpin, being duly sworn, says that he is the son of Maria B. Halpin; that about a month or a little more ago he received a telegram from William C. Hudson from Albany, requesting deponent to meet him at the Hoffman House, in the City of New York; that in pursuance of said telegram he met the said William C. Hudson at Room 210 in said Hoffman House, and conversed with him in relation to the affair of Grover Cleveland and my mother; that said Hudson then and there and in my presence prepared a statement which, as the friend of Grover Cleveland and one interested in his election, he requested me to have my mother