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    "localId": "170103821",
    "label": "Report from Special Agent James H. Griffith",
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    "id": "170103821",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Report from Special Agent James H. Griffith",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/170103821",
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        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
        "White House Files"
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 22,
            "logicalDate": "1952-07-22",
            "month": 7,
            "year": 1952
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{
    "seq": 6,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602208/976342/976342-02-006.jpg",
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    "ocrText": "CO-1-3264\n-6-\nstated that he could find no record of purchases from the firm of Dulin and Martin\nof\nWashington, D. C., whose stamp appears on the reverse side of the exhibit plate in the\nphotograph accompanying this report. Mr. McClure said that at the time of the Cleve-\nland Administration, china was purchased from J. W. Boteler and Son, Washington, D. C.\nHe ventured the opinion that the Cleveland family may have made a private purchase of\nthe subject china from the Dulin and Martin Firm. This company has been out of business\nsince 1936 and Mr. MeClure stated that from previous inquiries, he is satisfied they\nhave no records available which would be of value to this investigation.\nOn July 15, 1952, the reporting Special Agent again visited Fredericksburg, Vir-\nginia, and re-interviewed Judge Embrey in the light of the new information concerning\nthe Taylor family which had been developed in Washington. Judge Embrey did not appear\nto be particularly enthusiastic about pursuing this investigation, and, as before, stuck\nto his story contained in the letter, with no further elucidation.\nSonny L. Powell was re-interviewed and was questioned concerning the forest fire\nmentioned by Judge Embrey. Mr. Powell said he remembered the fire quite well due to\nits wide destruction. The closest estimate Mr. Powell could give as to the time of\nthe fire was 1917, as he recalled that he had bought a Model wp\" Ford that year for\nuse on his mail route, and he believed it to be \"brand new\" at the time of the\nfire.\nMr. E. 0. Pates was again contacted and accompanied the reporting Special Agent\nto the spot where the Taylor home had stood. There is nothing extant except the weed-\ngrown clearing in the forest, as described by Judge Embrey. However, there was\na\nhouse\nnearby and the present occupant, Bernard L. Coe, was interviewed as to any possible\nknowledge he might have of the Taylor family. Mr. Coe stated that he is living in a\nhouse once owned by Solan Taylor, and he produced the deed to show that Solan Taylor\nhad sold the property to T. C. Harper in 1918 and Mr. Coe purchased the property from\nHarper in June, 1921. When questioned about the Taylor family, Mr. Coe stated that he\nremembered the fire but the Taylor family was not living in the home at the time. He\nHe said the house was rented by Solan Taylor to a man named Mass Gardner. Mr. Coe\nstated that Mass Gardner has long since died but he believes there were two daughters\nwho are still living in Fredericksburg, Virginia.\nWith the assistance of c. M. Hunter, Postmaster of Fredericksburg, Virginia, the\npresent names and addresses of the Gardner daughters were obtained: They were: Flossie\nKendall, 105 Lafayette Boulevard; and, Nellie Lee, 213 Prince Frederick Street, both in\nFredericksburg, Virginia.\nMrs. Flossie Kendall was located and questioned in regard to the fire and stated\nthat while she was only 11 years old at the time, she vividly recalled the destruction\nof the Gardner home in the forest fire. She said that they were renting a house at the\ntime\nfrom\nSolan Taylor and that he had a few things locked in two rooms of the house.\nShe stated that none of the Taylor family were present at the time of the fire and no\nfurnishings, other than items belonging to the Gardner family, were carried out of the\nhouse. She said that the house was a total loss, and whatever goods belonging to the\nTaylor family were stored in the house were completely burned.\nMrs. Nellie Lee was interviewed and reiterated the story told by her sister, say-\ning that no member of the Taylor family was present and no household goods belonging"
}