Barbara Schmidt kindly provided me with a copy from the Boston Herald Supplement, November 13, 1884. This is my transcription of the PDF: Boston Herald Supplement Boston, Thursday, November 13, 1884 STRANGE REVELATIONS. Suspicious Conduct of Some Noted People. Statements Which May or May Not Hint at Crime. Messrs. Twain and Cable Have an Experience. The journalist's experiences are always interesting, frequently exciting, and sometimes sad. There are times when he is called upon to tell more than he knows, and there are others when he knows more than he tells. This is one of those times. Duty cannot always be avoided successfully, and so no attempt will be made in the present case, the chances being that any such attempt would be found out. Let it be understood distinctly that it is a sense of duty to the public and not any desire to injure the fair fame of any individual that leads to these revelations. The writer called upon Mr. Samuel L. Clemens yesterday to learn what probabilities were in regard to Mark Twain's appearance at Music Hall this evening. To be entirely frank, he was led to do so from a desire to benefit Mark Twain and Mr. Cable by giving them some publicity in the HERALD columns, so that they would surely receive sufficient patronage this evening at Music Hall to put them in funds to pursue their tour. The desirability of a speedy departure was felt more than ever after interviewing the bell boy during the passage from the office of the Parker House to the rooms occupied by the distinguished guests. The boy was not encouraged to open a conversation, but his love for this species prompted him to say, in a sort of friendly way, just before arriving at the room door, “Yer'd better look out for them fellers; they tried to drown a poor crazy woman yesterday.” Saying this, he vanished as the door opened and disclosed Mr. Clemens in matinee attire, seated in the centre of a room which was evidently arranged more for convenience and economy of time than for any high art effects. It May Have Been the Boy's words that prejudiced the writer, but there was certainly an appearance of surprise and an effort to assume a calm appearance as the profession of the writer was made known to Mr. Clemens. There was also a studied deliberation in the replies made, which further aroused the writer's suspicions, and the attempt made by the noted author to throw the conversation upon the subject of programmes gave apparently further evidence of his desire to dissemble. The form of a woman struggling in the arms of his vis-a-vis arose continually before the journalist's vision, and at last, almost involuntarily, the question forced an utterance, and the writer bluntly queried: “Who was it you tried to drown yesterday?” A smile gradually appeared on Mr. Clemens' face, this slowly developed into a still more beaming expression, and, finally, so far as laughter would permit, Mr. Clemens called out, “I say, Mr. Cable, here is a gentleman who wants to know whom we tried to drown yesterday.” At these words Mr. Cable appeared in the doorway of an adjoining room, evidently not at all at ease, and his agitation was still more apparent as he replied with the query: “We?” “Yes, you and I: we are accused of drowning, or trying to drown a woman yesterday. Now, Cable, you [are I] was right, you really ought to conduct yourself with more propriety right here in Boston, for the people here are [curious].” “My dear Clemens, you know I told you, when we started on this tour, that I would do all I could to help you along, and I am still willing to do so, but when it comes to assuming the responsibility for all your attempts at drowning women, I draw the line.” “All?” queried Mr. Clemens. “I only thought one was spoken of.” “I simply used the word all,” replied Mr. Cable, “to include the future. You have begun. What's to hinder your continuing, and we have only been away from home a week.” Seeing that there was an apparent Difference of Opinion between the two gentlemen, and a disinclination to assume any responsibility for the alleged crime, a request was made that each make an uninterrupted statement regarding the events of the preceding day. Mr. Clemens complied as follows: “I [???} with some surprise that my friend Cable is unwilling to admit the facts in the case, and I wish it understood that what I state here is to be confined exclusively to the readers of the HERALD and those they may tell about it. This is a matter with which the general public has nothing to do. I was in hopes that the narration of the story would never be demanded of me, but, since it is asked, I cannot refuse. My duty is, first—well, that is not to the point, and, if there is one thing I cannot tolerate, it is the habit of wandering from the subject matter. I study to avoid this fault because it consumes time so uselessly, and then it is annoying, very annoying, at times, and”-- “See here, Clemens,” called out Mr. Cable, “that invitation to lunch was at 1 o'clock, and you will not get your woman to the water by that time if you meander about in that sort of way.” “You see,” said Mr. Clemens, turning to the writer, “he cannot let me tell this story in my own way; if he would, I could clear him from every sign of suspicion, but he will not allow me to do it.”. Finding it somewhat unsatisfactory work trying to get at the facts from Mr. Clemens, a request was made for a statement by Mr. Cable, which was replied to by a suggestion that the bell boy be asked to give his Authority for the Information which had caused all this inquiry, the origin of the suspicions of the writer having been inadvertently made known in the course of the conversation. The bell boy could not be found. The above concise statement of facts gives all the details necessary to form a conclusion regarding the suspicions aroused by the utterances of the ubiquitous bell boy, but fortunately another member of the city staff of the HERALD was an eye-witness of the scene which unquestionably gave rise to the bell boy's charges. His testimony is, therefore, appended. “I was just driving in from the track; been exercising Dolly, you know (all the city staff of the HERALD keep a trotter to wile away their leisure), when down at the end of the water front side of Beacon street I saw two men following a poor, bedraggled woman in a very suspicious way. The poor creature could hardly stand, and yet the men simply watched her, neither offering her an arm. I pulled up and gave Dolly a walk in order to see what was up. One of the men had on a loose flannel coat and looked very suspicious, the other I immediately recognized as Mark Twain. The fellow in the flannel coat, seeing he was watched, skulked off on a side street in a hurry, but Mark Twain stuck to the woman with such an air of determination that I began too [sic] feel alarmed. Presently back drove the man in a flannel coat in a close carriage with all the curtains drawn down, and when opposite the twain—I mean Mark and the woman—he stopped, and then a struggle ensued with the woman to force her into the carriage.” “Police?” did you say? No, not a policeman within gunshot, and though everybody appeared shocked at the outrage, nobody interfered. Finding it impossible to carry out their designs, the flannel coat young man again drove away, deserting Mark Twain and leaving him to bear the burden of all the suspicions of the passers-by. You would have laughed, though, to see what a dance that woman led Mark Twain through, stopping and turning and compelling him to do the same, while passers-by looked on amazed at the scene. Just as the story was being told, one of the other local men strolled into the room and, after listening a while to the narrative, interrupted by saying: “See here, What Kid of a Yarn are you spinning? Know anything about it? Why, of course I do, just saw the woman down at the Toombs. Poor, crazy girl; tried to commit suicide; done it, too, if it hadn't been for Mark Twain and another fellar; forget his name. They saw her near the river just after she had been pulled out from one attempt to drown herself. They were afraid she would try it again and so followed her and stuck to her like grim death, till they found a policeman. T'other fellow hunted half over the Back bay district for a police officer, taking a carriage at that. They couldn't get her into the carriage until they finally found an officer who took her in charge, after Twain and t'other fellow had agreed to go to the police station and vouch for the facts. Don't believe Twain or t'other fellow will roam round hunting up crazy women to save after this. 'Other fellow look like Cable?” did you say. 'Well, I never saw him, but he was rather short.” It seems, therefore, that Mr. Clemens and his companion are to be complimented for an act of humanity rather than any intent upon human life, and it is evident that the statements made by bell boys must be taken with a due allowance for the influence of the sensational journalism of the day.