Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-09-05
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we copy the huplOlucu aiuclc, which
appeared in Pttsburg paper of tn,
2d ullimo. 1t tells a tale in abund.
antly plain terms, such as all will ap
preciate, viz:
As matters now look, we fear many
of our charitable Methodist friends
and good Knights of Templar, have
been yictimized to some exten. thro
the operations Of confidence man
Some few weeks ago there came into
the city gentleman of genteel ap
pearance, pleasing address and fault
less manners, who gave his name as
DR.. Ely, represented that he was in
circumstances bordering on destitu.
tion, and appealed to the charitable
for aid to enable him to maintain him
self until such time as he could estab
lish practice here. He says he is a
native of New York, graduated al
Geneva college, in that State, and
afterwards studied medicine under
DIR. Mott. He further stated that he
had removed to South Carolina, and
was ordained as minister in the NJ
g. Church. He was a resident OF
Charleston when the war first broke
out, and, according to his oft repeated
tale, had acquired a competence
When the "first gun was fired on
Sumter" he fed from the South, leav.
ing his family behind him, and on
reaching New York, joined the Union
army as private, although he had
previously been offered "colonelcy''
in the Rebel army. He served thro'-
ont the war, as he stated, was taken
prisoner, was confined in one of the
horrible prison pens, endured all the
su1erings inflicted on our brave men,
and when released was reduced al
most to a skeleton. He furthermore
represented himself as a Mason, and
sought assistance from the members
Of that fraternity. Being an excellent
"talker," and with such documentary
evidence as disarmed suspicion, he
secured the confidence of large num-
ber of persons, and was permittrd TO
make appeals TO several Of the Metho.
dist congregations in this city. In
some instances he met with great sue.
cess, after having rehearseG the trou.
bles and tribulations through which
he had passed-such as the death OF
bis two children from starvation in the
South, while he was "fghting for the
stars and stripes and the perpetuation
of our glorious Union" !" the confsca-
tion of his property by the rebels; his
efforts to earn a livelihood since his
discharge; his patriotism in refusing
a colonelcy in the rebel army, and
such other things as were calculated
10 awaken the sympathies and open
the pockets of the benevolent. He
was also successful in his appeals Ia
members of the Masonic fraternity,
receiving a considerable amount OF
money from them.
Yesterday the National Feemdson,
New York organ Of the Masonic
order, came to the city with full ex-
pose Of the fellow, who, it appears,
had been doing the Eastern folks in a
similar manner. The article sets forth
as follows.
"a person calling himself John Ely,
alias DR.. Hunter, alias DR.. George
Levi, but whose real name is George
Levison, has been imposing upon the
charities of the Masonic fraternity for
some months past. He represents
himself as being past master of a lodge
in Charleston, S. c., which city ho left
the day on which the bombardment OF
Sumter commenced, ,enlisting as pri-
vate in the Seventh U. S. infantry; as
having been taken prisoner, and after.
wards released by Gen. Lee. Some
times he claims to be a physician, at
others a Methodist minister. By his
ready answers to all questions he has
succeeded in victimizing the fraternity
in this city and vicinity TO consid.
cradle extent He has also succeeded
in exciting the sympathies of the
Methodist congregations, white and
black, and has swindled them to pro
badly as great an extent. All of his
statements are false, and we have evi.
dence that at the time he says he was
a soldier in the United States army,
he was serving out three years sen
tence in the Trenton, N. j., prison,
for bigamy. Hehas been followed up
80 closely that he has fed from this
city. / have been instructed by the
Masonic Board of Relief to communi-
cate this information to the several
Grand Secretaries, that they may take
the necessary steps to prevent the
subordinate lodges in their jurisdiction
from being victimized."
This Lovison is man of gentcel
appearance, about fifty-five years of
age, about FIVE feet nine or ten inches
in height, mixed grey hair, and capi-
tai talker, calculated TO excite the
sympathies of all with whom he may
come in contact. There can be no
doubt but DR.. Ely is a swindler, con-
fidence man of the first class; and as
he will probably be permitted TO uui.
city depart from tie cit, we advise
other neighborhoods to be on the
lookout for him. When shown the
article ia the Freemason yesterday, he
but eoolly suggested that some Other
person was travelling in his name"
When Andrew Jackson was Presi'
dent, member of Congress from