June 20 Friday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to an unidentified person.

Lately, by order of a German court, I appeared before the Prussian Commissioner in the City of New York & gave testimony in the case of Lutz vs. Jacobsthal. I now appear of my own free will & desire before His Imperial Majesty’s Consul in the same city to correct an error made by me in that testimony. What I meant to testify at that time, was, that I made first & original publication of a story called “Tom Sawyer Abroad” in the St. Nicholas Magazine in 1893–4, & that I made first & original publication of a story called “Tom Sawyer Detective” in Harper’s Monthly Magazine in 1896; but by mistake & unconsciously & unintentionally I reversed this order of publication, & thus stated what was not true. In correction of this error I hereby make oath that “Tom Sawyer Detective” was never published in the St. Nicholas Magazine at all, but had first & original publication in Harper’s Monthly Magazine in the year 1896 [MTP]. Note: see MTHHR 481n1; no other records could be found.

The Columbia Missouri Herald, p.3, “Gift of Mark Twain to the State Historical Society,” reported that Sam donated an autographed edition of his complete works to the Society [Sorrentino 41].