Something to thhink about.

[L Verge]

When I was threatened by Mr. Stelnick, I shipped everything he had sent me - including his unfinished mss - back to him. However, I firmly believe that he believed his information to be true and accurate, based on items held privately by other people who supposedly entrusted him to read them. The person who had directed Rick to these items was a man named Bernard Stein, who was then deceased. The items were supposedly held in the hands of a descendant of one of the men supposedly involved in the scheming in 1864-65, Philip Hanson, who has been mentioned on this forum before.

Pardon my continuing use of the word "supposedly," but it is necessary for me to use it in dealing with this subject. Stelnick and his work were mysteries to me. I kept wanting to shout, "Show me the proof!"

I asked Jane Singer, an expert in the spy game, to contact that descendant. During the first phone call, this person agreed to share information with Jane. When Jane contacted her again, she clammed up and claimed to know nothing. Someone had gotten to her -- probably Mr. Stelnick. I believe it was shortly after that that Stelnick disappeared. I contacted the firm that had agreed to publish his work, and they were as baffled as we were as to what was going on. We later learned that Rick had passed away. Bill probably knows much more than I do. Let's just say that I would not discredit the whole thing.

Someday, when I have retired and have absolutely nothing to do except confuse myself, I will download Dixie Reckoning and read it page by page, cover to cover, and try to understand everything. From what I did read, I found his theme very plausible. However, it was so crammed with unnecessary details, references, etc. that I would rather have had a root canal than try to decipher all the hidden meanings and innuendos. When I became afraid of the man, I called it quits.