Degen sends McMaster a story which he hopes will wake up the bigots of May's Landing New Jersey . He recommends Sheriff Adams of May's Landing to anyone who wants a hangman. The story is as follows: John Hill and John Fuller, condemned to death by Judge Reed of May's Landing, wrote to the Bishop for a priest to attend them before their death. Degen was appointed and visited the men faithfully several periods each day for three weeks. He had letters from the District Attorney of Cape May and Cumberland County introducing him to the Sheriff and authorizing his work. On Thursday, Oct. 26 after visiting the prisoners, he retired to his hotel room where he was interruped by reporters of the Associated Press with the story that the men had tried to escape jail and that he was accused of giving them knives to break their locks. Degen denied doing this. The next day he was refused permission to say Mass in the jail and to give Communion to the condemned men Soldiers stopped him and the bigoted Sheriff Adams told him to go home and that he would not admit him for $100,000. Degen asked if the priest from Eggharbor could attend the men but the Sheriff said, "We want none of you" and refused permission. Degen reported everything to his Bishop at Cape May an also mentioned his disgust in the narrow mindedness of the Sheriff. Regen was not sure if the men died with the sacraments or not but later heard that Father F. Fleckinger had been admitted to the scaffold. The purpose Degen had in writing was to clear himself of blame and prove his innocence of giving the men any tools for escape. :: I-2-b A.L.S. 3pp. 12mo.