Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-08-17

4
Our readers will all remember the item
which went the rounds of the press, includ
ing the Cleveland papers, some months ago,
that Major F. A. Merritt, OF the
engineers, had inherited an immense for
tune of some two millions Of dollars, and
another, which followed close on the heels |
of the FIRST, detailing the circumstances
under which the estate had fallen to the |
aforesaid gentleman,--how the MAJOR
had two uneles, one of whom
lived in Canada and tried in vain TO get
the Major to abandon the United States
service and enter the British navy, and
another, who lived in Portland, and was. so
overjoyed at his nephews patriotic refusal
that he Immediately died, leaving him
heir TO immense estates. These were soon
followed by third paragraph, stating that
Major Merritt had purchased we forget
how many thousand acres of mineral land
in Tennessee. And so taking all
in all, the dashing "MajOr figured
quite extensively in newspaper columns as
a man Of immense wealth and great ability.
lie knew how to use this influence. Coming
10 this city with his wife and mother, he
formed the acquaintance Of many of our
leading citizens, announced publicly his
- -,--r -I.i., a, this eitu his home.and
proposed taking stock in the new Iron Mill,
and many other important manufacturing
and commercial institutions. The Major did
the nabob ca graade. None so magnif-
cent, none so lavish as he. He recounted
his military exploits with zest, and related
personal anecdotes of our Western generals
by the dozen. A brilliant future awaited
him Society, with open doors, beckoned
him 10 enter. Wealth strewed his path
way, and sirens of ease and pleasure were
attendant on his footsteps. But, in the
language OF the noyelists and the reporters
of the Chicago Times, alasl there came
ehangel The Major determined to let his
light shine in Cincinnati, and not confDe
himself to such a "pent-up Utica" as
Cleveland. Thither he goes, and, growing
in importance as he changes his location to
bigger city, he becomes " General A. 7.
Merritt" His career in the Queen City is
thus sketchcd by the Cincinnati Gazette:
few days since one of our cotempora-
ries stated that an individual, styling him
self Gen. A. 7. Merritt, ofthe United States
Army, had recently fallen heir to an i'm
mense estate in Maine, and that he had ad-
ded to it, by purchase, twenty-five thou.
sand acres of mineral lands in Tennessee
The windfall and the purchase made the
General man of note, and he became i'm
mediately popular with many persons,
from whom he succeeded in borrowing sun
dry sums OF money, much 10 his great joy,
but also, as it happened, TO the great grief
of the lenders.
The General boarded at hotel in the
Eastern part Of the city, the proprietor of
which, by endorsing his notes, enabled
him to raise the sum of three thousand dol
lars, for the payment of which the estate |
and the Tennessee mineral lands were re-
garded as ample security, and with this |
the General got along for some days swim |
mingly.
About a week ago General Merritt at
tempted 8 negotiation with Homans Co.,
Bankers in Third street, for 500, 600, which |
was partially successful. The Bankers,
couldn't see it," but they drew on the /
Generals friends in the east and gave him /
a certificate for the amount, with the prom
would pay the money. This certificate the
NapoleOnie millionaire, the man who had |
ia land but none in his pocket,
the individual OF fabulous wealth, but Nc
certificate the borrower
Of postal currency deposited in the safe of
his landlord, and on the strength Of that
ran up a large bill and was made the reeip-
lent Ofa renewed credit.
The game, however, few days ago, was
II ont ba of 4 t1,o tot 4
Maine," was represented as about to pass
through Cleveland, and the General must
zee him on business. He had a large bnlaJ
he hotel, but he had larger tract of land
n Tennessee; he owed the hotel keeper
$1,000, but then in the safe was securely
deposited a certificate for $4,000. lie did
rot pay his bill but he went 10 Cleveland.
The draft was not honored; the note for
'30O0Unpaid; the hotel keeper was cap
ured but the General who had won the /
'attle had abandoned the field. The ex-
outor Of the ESTATE in Maine" is a myth,
nd we doubt not the Generals land i'll |
is on a par with the executor.
While this cclaircissemcat was taking place q
n Cincinnati, other enquiries of the same c
ort were going forward here, and it was q
iseovered that Major Merritt was a hum a
his commission, his uneles, his q
states, his mineral lands, were the "base- r
ass fabric of a vision and that he, like j
hem, had dissolved and disappeared" '
Inquiries in Pittsburg elected the fact q
hat the Major was, some two or three
ears ago, engaged in confidence games of g
more limited extent, in that city, and that
a the course Of his checkered experience,
e had been in States Prison for forging
overnment papers, and had escaped by
ounterieiting paralysis.
Further research uncovered still further I
of viIlainy. This heir of un-
ounted wealth had also lately stopped to 4
,rge a letter Of introduction from T. A.
colt, Vice-President of the Pennsylvania
entral Railroad, to Capt. L. NJ. Pierce, Of K
lie Detroit line of boats, on the strength of q
hich he Obtaineda a free pass to Detroit and Il
turn. This happened ON the 23d of June
-st. Captain Pierce, suspecting that some
ling was wrong, wrote to Mr.. Scott, and
.eeived a reply disowning any connection
it'll "the Major" Captain Pierce imme-
ately had Merritt arrested and only re-
ased him at the request of his wife and
other-
Since his return from Cincinnati, the
ajor has, for a few days past, been en-
lged in the substitute business. He has
'hibited to oseveral gentlemen in this city
purporting to be from Governor
'hnson, of Tennessee, granting him spe-
al permission TO recruit substitutes in i
at State, and has coaxed from the pockets
several gentlemen, among whom are the
essrs. BrOckway, of the City Hotel, and
P. Sherwood, Esq, the necessary three
lndred dollars forpurchasing men. With
is reinforcement to his funds, he has left