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Subject: [JESSE-JAMES-L] Response to a recent posting
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 12:57:09 EDT


>From Colleen Taylor to David Hedgpeth:

David Hedgpeth presented in his 7-22 "Dave's Updates" the following
statement, "But when I see slanted, incorrect, and unfair statements
knowingly being stated as truth, I feel offended. To keep quiet about such
things is as if to accept them. That I cannot do. I have accurately stated
what I see and feel. Yes I could be wrong now and then. Hey, I am really a
nice guy."

I prepared a seven page answer to your July 22, 2000, invective posting to
the JAMES GenForum, the Jesse James Mailing List and your "Dave's Update"
list. But . . . . . I have chosen not to give you the pleasure of
manipulating my words yet again.

I will make three points and then close.

1. You have proven yourself to be a very loyal friend to Betty Dorsett Duke.
You have defended her honor, nature, intellect, honesty and courage.
Character traits you so admire in her are certainly disparaged in others
that do not agree with her and have their own evidence to back up their
opinions.

2. The debate over the photo identification opinions is really quite moot.
The photo in question was taken in 1915 and shows Diannah Andruss Courtney
seated, with a fan in her two hands and her four sons standing behind her.
Betty Duke declares this photo to be Zerelda Cole James Simms Samuel,
born 29 January 1825 and died 10 February 1911 and adds that Zerelda is
missing one arm.
A woman, dead for four years, miraculously shows up in a photo with the
Courtney-Haun "Big Four" brothers!
And Karen Taylor, the Forensic Artist Betty consulted with the Texas
Department of Public Safety, told me, "Betty told me she was convinced about
the identity of her great grandfather when she contacted me." And then
added, "She came to me with a disorganized mess and I told her she needed to
get her stuff organized. The photo's she initially showed me were of poor
quality and I asked for better ones and she came back with glossy
photographs."
Karen Taylor further stated, "Photo overlays are not a means of legal
identification in most states."
And then she said, "I did nothing of any particular significance and
drew no conclusions about Ms. Duke's photos. I did not verify anything."
Visionics gave me a written statement, "...Visionics is no longer
involved with Betty Dorsett Duke and her Jesse Woodson James claim..."
William McCann, of the Austin City Police Photo Lab, told me he
"visually" inspected the photos Betty Duke showed him and that she identified
the subjects for him.
I encouraged you to go to these people and verify for yourself their
statements. You chose not to do that but to continue with Betty Duke's
version.
You, yourself, wrote on 31 December 1999 to the Jesse James Mailing
List, "Professional comparisons are not just done visually but by a
sophisticated computer technique that compares bone structure and other
specific facial characteristics. What might look alike with the naked eye
might look quite different to the detailed computer analyzer."
Do you see the contradiction?

3. And finally David, this adventure is not about "winning." You have
publicly written that CeCe is obsessed with proving Betty wrong and that she
cannot admit when she is in fact wrong herself."
A slanderous statement to say the least, and only one of many you made
in your latest "Update." You have again attacked my character because I
don't believe as you and Betty do.
I expect an apology.


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