... George Radar Brugh was Proprietor of the Planter's Hotel in St. Louis, MO and it was with him that Thomas Beale left the letter to be delivered to Robert Morriss in Lynchburg, Va with a ten year waiting period. The envelope had on it "To Be Delivered June, 1832" signed in small handwriting along the bottom edge Thomas J. Beale. George Radar Brugh and his traveling companion were killed at the Blackhorse Tavern on Tinker Creek in Roanoke, Virginia by Ebenezer Nelms, proprietor and a member of the TJB original party in 1817. He was wounded by James Purcell while mining the gold in the New Mexico Territory and returned home to stay in 1819. He later died falling down the stairs of the Blackhorse Tavern. Many believed he was pushed by the ghost of George Radar Brugh.
There are many question marks that arise from this that make this account suspect.
In the Beale Papers, it is alluded that the "letters" sent from St Louis by Beale to Morriss were sent through the US Postal Service, but now for this letter he "hires a hotel proprietor as his personal courier", taking time from his legitimate business for this task.
There was NO PLANTER's HOTEL in St Louis, Mo, until it was built in 1894.
There was a PLANTER's HOUSE in St Louis, Mo that was built in 1817, and one investor was JBC Lucas, one of the merchants who formed the Bank of St Louis in 1816 that accepted furs as collateral.
The PLANTER's HOUSE was remodeled in 1837, during the period of 1817- 1837, Evarist Maury was owner and proprietor of the PLANTER's HOUSE- there is no mention of George Radar Brugh as having any involvement with this or any other hotel in St Louis during this time period. At what PLANTER's HOTEL did Brugh's portrait hang?
Is there a written documentation of Ebenezer Nelms killing Brugh and his companion at Roanoke's Blackhorse Tavern and a reason provided?
James Purcell's name often appears when one attempts to prove that Beale's perilous adventure actually happened outside of the pages of the job pamphlet because Zebulon Pike mentioned that Purcell live in Santa Fe in 1806 and had a pouch containing gold nuggets, and that was also mentioned in Kit Carson's memoirs- there is NO mention of Beale, a gold mine, or Nelms.
Now was is most curios about this purloined letter tale, is why this family did not just send the letter to Morriss in Lynchburg, but instead, placed in in the family Bible, bringing it out on occasion to show friends, neighbors, and anyone who inquired about this letter.
Then there is the ghost of Nelms killing Brugh by pushing him down the stairs of the Blackhorse Tavern.
What part of this doesn't sound like tall tale lore wrapped into a ghost story?
Rebel-KGC, "supporting evidence" would be documentation outside of Ellis's book and Franklin posting his sources, if they are in addition to Ellis's book.