Dec 17, 2009

The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg | Characters

John Wharton Billson
Billson is a Deacon with the nickname "Shadbelly." He is the first of the nineteen claiming ownership of the sack. When Burgess reads his name, the crowd doubts that Billson could have been so generous, shouting: ‘‘Billson! Oh, come, this is too thin! Twenty dollars to a stranger-or anybody-Billson’’; Wilson falsely accuses him of plagiarism.

Reverend Burgess
The letter attached to the sack authorizes Burgess to break the seals of the sack and the enclosed envelope. Unaware...