Publisher's Synopsis
The short story "The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg" was written by Mark Twain. Hadleyburg is known as a "incorruptible" town due to its noble, responsible, and trained citizens to reject temptation. A stranger delivers a bag carrying 160 pounds of gold money and makes a threat to corrupt the community as payment for his wrongdoing. Anyone who claims to know what the man's life-changing counsel was should record it and give it to Reverend Burgess, according to the note in the sack.One of the 19 model couples, Edward and Mary, gets a message from an unknown person that reads, "You are far from being a bad man: go, and mend." Every one of the 19 couples has gotten the same letter, which they are all unaware of. Burgess, the town clerk, begins each claim by saying, "You are far from being a wicked man-go, and reform." Burgess finds that the sack contains gilded leads instead of gold. The person who made up the entire scenario was present the entire time in the town hall. Burgess' second communication indicates that he purposefully prevented the Richardses' claim from being examined to repay Edward for a previous favor.
