[A note on Clarion editorial notepaper, half-sheet, in Harriss's compressed hand. Left on McCausland's desk, undated. Preserved in his working file.]
Thomas —
I have been editor of this newspaper for twenty-six years. In that time I have killed four stories that I should have printed and printed two that I should have killed. The four I killed were: the Iphigenia piece (Dannemeyer, 1913 — not my decision, Vantine's, but I did not fight it and that is the same thing); the Thorpe follow-up (Pellman, 1919 — Dreyfoos killed it, I agreed, I was wrong); and two others that are not your business.
I am telling you this because I want you to know that when I tell you now that I think you should print what you have, I am not telling you lightly. I have thought about the cost of printing things and I have thought about the cost of not printing things and I know which one I am still thinking about at four in the morning.
Print the Iphigenia story. You have the log. You have Ostermann. You have Timmons's deposition in my cabinet. If you want Timmons himself I know a man in San Francisco who may be able to find him — Dannemeyer has been out there since 1921 and he has been waiting for exactly this letter from exactly this newspaper.
Print the Thorpe story. Cornelius is dead. Ottilie will not sue. Julian is in enough legal difficulty over the Blackwell accounts that he is in no position to be in more. Linden signed two death certificates that do not hold up. He knows it and I know it and so do you.
Do not print the Prohibition story. Not yet. When Keane is gone, print it. He is not gone.
I am sixty-three years old. I have run this newspaper since before you were born. I want to print this story before I stop running it.
Come and see me.
C.H.
[Pencilled beneath in McCausland's hand: She has had Timmons's address for six years. She has been waiting for me to be ready. She was right to wait.]