“In March, 1884, I received a note from my friend Judge Heydenfeldt, saying that he wished to see me on important business, and asking me to call at his office.  I did so, and he informed me that he had received a letter from Judge Field, who was confident that if he could get the vote of California in the Democratic National Convention, which would assemble that year, he would be nominated for President and would be elected as, with the influence of his family and their connection, that he would certainly carry New York; that Judge Field further said that a Congressman from California and other of his friends had said that if I would aid him, I could give him the California delegation; that he understood I wanted official recognition as, because of my duel years ago, I was under a cloud; that if I would aid him, I should have anything I desired.”

It will be observed that he here positively states that Judge Heydenfeldt told him he had received a letter from Judge Field, asking Terry’s aid and promising, for it, a reward.  Judge Heydenfeldt, in a letter dated August 21, 1889, to the San Francisco Examiner, branded Terry’s assertion as false.  The letter to the Examiner is as follows: 

“The statement made in to-day’s Examiner in reference to the alleged letter from Justice Field to me, derived, as is stated by Mr. Ashe, from a conversation with Judge Terry, is utterly devoid of truth.

“I had at one time, many years ago, a letter from Justice Field, in which he stated that he was going to devote his leisure to preparing for circulation among his friends his reminiscences, and, referring to those of early California times, he requested me to obtain from Judge Terry his, Terry’s, version of the Terry-Broderick duel, in order that his account of it might be accurate.  As soon as I received this letter, I wrote to Judge Terry, informing him of Judge Field’s wishes, and recommending him to comply, as coming, as the account would, from friendly hands, it would put him correct upon the record, and would be in a form which would endure as long as necessary for his reputation on that subject.

“I received no answer from Judge Terry, but meeting him, some weeks after, on the street in this city, he excused himself, saying that he had been very busy, and adding that it was unnecessary for him to furnish a version of the duel, as the published and accepted version was correct.

“The letter to me from Justice Field above referred to is the only letter from Justice Field to me in which Judge Terry’s name was ever mentioned, and, with the exception of the above-mentioned street conversation, Judge Field was never the subject of conversation between Judge Terry and myself, from the time I left the bench, on the 1st of January, 1857, up to the time of Terry’s death.

“As to the statement that during