ECS
Banned
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- #81
If one studies the family bloodlines of James Beverly Ward and his wife Harriet Emmaline Otey, the source material for the Beale Papers go beyond happenstance and coincidence becoming deliberately apparent inspirations for the Beale story.
Ward's grandfather J B Risqué had a duel with Thomas Beale (not Thomas J Beale) over Risque's niece Julia Hancock.
Julia Hancock married William Clark, who along with Merriweather Lewis had a perilous adventure in the West.
Ward's father was a thespian, familiar with Shakespeare's "TWO MEN OF VERONA", a play about a duel, a girl name Julia, a missing letter, and the phrase, "the game is worth the candle".
Ward's cousin who printed the pamphlet, was a fellow thespian with Giles Ward.
Ward's wife, Harriet was born and raised 4 miles from Buford's and her aunt was Sarah Mitchell, Robert Morris's wife.
Giles Ward was co-owner of a bookstore in Lynchburg which sold Poe's works, including THE GOLD BUG.
Ward, along with his Kennerly and Hutter cousins had lived in St Louis, Mo.
Ward and his Hutter cousins served in the Confederacy and were well versed with codes and ciphers from the War.
Ward was also friends with Max Guggenheimer, who also served in the Confederate army.
An article appearing 4 years before the Beale Papers in the LYNCHBURG VIRGINIAN relates a treasure of gold, silver, and jewels found in a Kentucky cave. Ward's cousin was sub-editor at that newspaper.
Ward's uncle, John Pickrell Risqué, lived in Santa Fe, and was killed while inspecting gold mine in Arizona by Apaches in 1882, three years before the pamphlet's publication.
A writer does write from what he knows and draws from those experiences, and in 1884, James Beverly Ward was in dire financial straights which would have been motivation to write and sell a localized dime novel to sell at the extravagant price for the time of 50 cents.
While there exists NO collaborating evidence outside of the Beale Papers that can confirm this perilous adventure treasure tale, there is a wealth of Ward family "source" material that can be confirmed that is well beyond being mere happenstance and coincidence.
This above list shows definite influences that appear throughout the 1885 Beale Papers published by Ward that served as source material for the Beale treasure story, and clearly points to James Beverly Ward as the "unknown author".