The Christine Collins letters

The woman whose tragedy inspired the Clint Eastwood movie "Changeling" tells her story in her own words.

Mr. A Eichoff
San Francisco, Calif.

Dear Sir:

I am writing to you in regard to my husband, Walter J. Collins # 12824 imprisoned at Reprisa,
Calif. I would like to make you a personal call and explain matters
definitely but I am unable to on account of financial circumstances as
well as ill health.

Mr. Collins was convicted of robbery on
circumstantial evidence in 1923. I was forced to work to support our
boy and myself in spite of my very nervous condition. On March 10,
1928, our poor boy disappeared and has not [illegible] Stewart Northcott on his Wineville ranch.

I
am sick and grief-stricken over our son’s disappearance. In August 1928
a boy was found in the east who posed as our boy and because I would
not accept him as our son I was treated most inhumanly, called a lair,
damn fool, crook and almost everything by the police here and finally
throw into the psychopathic ward of the General Hospital among the
maniacs for five days and nights.

The stigma of being in the
insane ward caused me to lose my position that I had held for over five
years, consequently I am without means of support.

Mr. Collins (#12824) is to appear for hearing before the board of directors soon and I wish Mr. Eichoff
that you will give this your kind consideration. The poor man is not
deserving of the terrible sentence meted out to him when he was
sentenced. The judge was told to give Mr. Collins the limit because he
would not plead guilty to one count of robbery and so Mr. Collins was
charged with several which was not fair. And to make matters worse the
counts were made to run consecutively instead of concurrently.

Mr.
Collins has taken up a course in civil engineering during his
incarceration and I am sure he will be qualified to fill a very good
position if released, which I hope that he will be thru your kind consideration.

I am under a doctor’s care and have been for some time due to a terrible nervous strain.

Hoping
you will decide favorably for a release for Mr. Collins so as he may
come home to take care of me. I ask this in the name of humanity and
sincerely hope you will grant me this request.

Thanking you for your time, which I know is valuable and hoping for a favorable reply, I am