Addie’s story sure has people stirred up. I’ve been a writer for 20 years, and I’ve never been the recipient of so many negative and ugly emails in my entire life.

On September 14th, I wrote a long and detailed blog explaining why I care  about Addie and her mysterious death.

One of first comments on that blog came from Bobbi, who said, “I think that the criticism comes from people who do not take the time to find out the whole story…”

I was gratified to see Bobbi’s comment, and she is right. The people with the least information are the very ones who like to criticize the most.

This morning, I logged onto my website and found this new comment from “S”:

Actually, Bobbi, the criticism comes from those who DO know the whole story, and find a total lack of evidence to support the legend.

So below is my reply for “S” and all his ilk.

_______________

WOW, “S,” if you knew “the whole story,” why haven’t you spoken up before now? Why have you remained silent when you have the power to shed some truth on this 110-year-old murder mystery?

It’s taken me and a handful of amazing and interested friends untold hours of research to dig up old death certificates, marriage certificates, city records, census records, newspaper articles, obituary notices and more. It has been an exhaustive, time-consuming and untiring effort! So here – all along – you knew “the whole story”?

Wow, oh wow.

SO, where is your evidence?

Have you not noticed that when I post information, I include the supporting documentation? That’s what research look like. I am sharing what I’ve learned and providing the references and  accompanying documents, so that others can follow-up on my findings.

By the way, I’ve been a researcher and professional writer for 20 years. I’ve written for newspapers, magazines and trade publications. I’ve written eight books and have been interviewed by 500 publications (or more).  And, my name is Rosemary Thornton and I stand behind every word I’ve written and every claim I’ve made on this website.

What’s your name? Who are you? Where do you live?

Please – share your credentials. Please, tell us what you know. What is your evidence? Do you have letters written by Enoch Fargo or  William Oatway squirreled away in your attic? I’d love to see them. How did you learn what you know? What are your sources?  Why have you remained silent for the last 11 decades?  Do you also have photos of Addie? Have you spent a couple grand of your own hard-earned dollars striving to learn what happened at the Fargo Mansion Wednesday morning at 2:00 am on June 19th 1901?

I’m guessing you have not.

I’m so weary of people jumping in the fray, who know nothing or next to nothing and could not care less about a 29-year-old woman who died  110 years ago in a tiny town in Wisconsin.

And yet – these people who don’t care and don’t care to learn – are the very ones adamantly declaring that I am wrong, wrong, wrong.

Despite their declarations, they offer no proof, no paperwork, no documents and not even any intelligent counter-argument to my research.

They just know that I am wrong.

Or as my mother used to say, “If you don’t have something useful to add to the discussion, it’s better to remain quiet.”

To see a video of a talk I gave last weekend in Lake Mills, click here.

To read about the falsified death certificate, click here.

To read Part IX, click here.

To read Part VIII, click here.

To read Part VII, click here.

To read Part VI, click here.

To read Part V, click here.

To read Part IV, click here.

To read Part III, click here.

To read Part II, click here.

*   *   *

*

*

To learn more about Addie, click here.

*   *   *