There is also a letter from Orion Clemens to SLC circa 9 Dec 1877 that
included another news clip that I have not been able to locate detailing
Orion’s efforts to get to the bottom of the fraud. Fears mentions this in
his Vol. 1 online at
https://daybyday.marktwainstudies.com/vol-1-section-0035/
One probably needs to see Orion’s letter and the news clip he sent to
understand SLC’s reference to “Sir John Franklin.” Neither appear to be
available online.
Barb