Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-12-16
MORNINGLEADER.
TgEsDAY NORNNG, DC. Is, Ise2.
The Latest Embassy from JeG. 2nvis---J.
wesley Greene.


rhe Latest Embassy from JeG. lnvis---J,
.-.-- Wesley Greene.
a The Chicago Times, Of late date, pub
fishes a long statement signed by ]. Wss-
ley Greene, who processes that he was
entrusted BY JEFF Davis with propositions
Of peace to transmit to President Lincoln.
Greene represented himself as having been
engaged in his business as japanner at
Pittsburgh, when he was sent for by Da-
Wis to proceed to Richmond and consult
with the rebel cabinet He says that he
then informed the President that he had
important news to communicate and was
tbereupon summoned to Washington by
dispatch from Secretary Stanton. After
several interviews with the President and
the Secretary, he was dismissed with 500
to pay his expenses. The Chicago Times
chooses to endorse the statement Of
Greene as follows;
M ave have not shadow Of doubt Of its
entire truthfulness. This confidence is in
spired by numerous interviews with Mr..
Greene, and BY numerous testimonials as
to his character"
This statement has brought Greene prom
p insntly before the public, and his charac-
ter and anteeedents are being extensively
- canyassed. By the information which is
- being made public, it seems that he is a
sWindler Of the most inveterate stripe, and
IS. that numerous cities Of the country have
been the scenes Of his exploits. The Ma
tionaI Police Gazette says that he served
- several terms in the State Prison for prac-
tising the confidence game. The Cincin-
natl Commercial gives an extensive sketch
- Of the ambassador J. Wesley, from which
we quote to show the previous character
- Of the man who now seeks to impose on
the country for partisan purposes. There
can be no doubt that this statement is an
{ imposition, written to aid the opposition
agsinst the Administration, by giving op-
pOrtunity to say that Overtures of peace
have been made which the Government
y. would not accept. But they should have
chosen some nan whose life would better
bear the Investigation which would be sure
to follow his notoriety.
From this sketch it seems that John
. Wesley Greene made his ap2earancein Gin
- einhati in 1871, as a japauner by trade, and
q parson by profession He was Of smooth
address, and favOrably impressed those
with when he had dealing. BE repre-
sented himself as an old mariner, and
claimed to be the original Toby" Of Mel
viIle's Typee." In lS4s he married
~ young lady of Cincinnati. aus far all
went smoothly. His next operation was
to persuade his mother-in-laW 10 sell some
property, and put the funds into his hands,
with which he set up an opposition shop to
his employer, in which effort he ran
through all his money in few months,
and left between two days. 1t was then
discovered that he had a wife and five
children living elsewhere. In 1852 he was
p heard Of through the Philadelphia papers,
which announced that he had been sent to
the penitentiary for twenty-One months,
for obtaining money under false platenees
At the expiration of his sentence he re-
slr1 turned to Cincinnati, and went to work
- vain Als OAu cAl Ptoye Ell anu euOEtly 9DLlAAA
lOans0f SlOO, with which he left town.
He next married another woman, and went
to New York, where he represented him
self as returned Californian with untold
wealth. For some of his operations in this
character he was sentenced to Sing Sing
for three years. He was, however, par
doned, and returned to Cincinnati. In
1859 or 1860 he again married in Balti-
more, then went to Louisville where he
borrowed $780, He was next heard
from as an embezzling chaplain and post
sz5 master Of a Pennsylvania regiment Af-
ter this discovery he went to Pittsburgh,
and WenttO work, until he was discovered
and sent for by Davis, as he claims.
Such is the character of this base impos-
tor, and the value Of his statements can be
easily calculated by these antecedents,
which viii be further influenced by the
fact that he has just been arrested at Chi
eago for falsely obtaining set Of furs at
Washington. ~