Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-08-22
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a Methodist, and then a Congreca
tionalist minister, had been forlsomc
time operating successfully upon Their
unsuspicious confidence We recog
nize in this impudent impostcita no
torious old offender, whose exploits,
under the cognomen of J. w Green,
alias Rev Benjamin Greer, alias Thos
Bancroft, we thoroughly ventilated
in 1862 At that time he attempted
to impose upon President Lincoln BY
relating a make-believe conversation
which he asserted he had had with
Jefferson Davis concerning a treaty Of
peace.
Some eight years prior to that pc
riod he came to New York from the
Western part Of the State, introduced
himsefamong the Methodist brethren,
and with such acceptance thatfon in
vitation, no very successfully minis
tered in some of the pulpits d their
churches In fact, being an ladyen-
turer, possessing good addrcssi talent,
/ plausibility, and being higblyedhcat-
ed, he had no difficulty in ineratiat-
ing himself into the good graces of
many members of tho Methodist de-
nomination, who had little ideaof the
depraved scoundrel they so credulous-
" cherished But unable 10 suppress
the vicious promptings of an iDgeni-
Gus but wicked mind, he became q
confidence operator, obtaining goods
by the bogus chock dodge. He play
ed that game once too often, was ar
rested, tried, convicted on hi8 own
confession before Recorders Jaipes NJ.
Smith, March 18th, 1856, and benton.
ced to the State Prison for three years
BY his protestations Of panitenes and
hypoeritical behavior at Sing Sing, he
successfully imposed upon the good
nature Of our old friend--Rew John
Lucley-the worthy chaplain. who
was thus led TO look upon him as a
really reformed man. Herein our
friend was egregiously deceived for
as well could "the leopard change his
spots"
On completing his term Of impris-
onment be called upon us TO sol ii we
would not help him. After some plain
talk, we also supposing him 10 be re-
formed, and seeing that, as a dissharg-
cd convict, he was under tho taboo of
the community, VIC conoludedta give
him M opportunity TO earn in cur en-
ployment an honest livelihood, and so
avoid resorting toascality once more
We knew him to be talented and well
educated, and that If he kept honest
he would prove useful Bat We were
grossly deceived in him. ao could
not snbdue tLo ingrained depraviky Of
bis nature, and so he commenced TO
play tho confidence game upon us
also. This we soon found out and at
once discharged him. After that he
wandered around the country practic-
ing his swindling arts with varyingsuc.
cess and in 1862 he promised 10 write
for us Hthe life of confidence man."
taking himself for the hero. He had
talent enough, and ample experience,
to write well upon such a subject, but
we could not trust him, knowing him,
as we did, 20 be such an unmitigated
scamp and liar. We must not omit
to mention that in Philadelphia, in
1852, he went into a confidence oper-
alton, was arrested, tried convicted
and sent to the penitentiary for two
years. lie was also imprisoned in
Washington, ID. c., in 1862, for steal
ing money from soldiers letters while
he held the position of chaplain and
rcgimental postmaster. He got out
soon, obtained some costly furs under
false prctences, and Sl00 from Presi.
dent Lincoln, on the jeff Davis inn
posture, absconded, was arrested in
Chicago, made his escape, and was not
again heard of until he comes 10 the
surface in the peaceable villages Of
Connecticut as the Rev. CD Cullison.
His first appearance there was during
the late political campaign, when he
took the stump under the garb of n
Methodist minister and Union refugee
from Toxas, aud was most especially
btterin his denunoiations Of the Dem
ocratic party But this unqualified
thief and swindler has recently turned
up in series of new roles, Of quito q
distinctively marked character In
addition to his having been an cxtcn-
sive confidence operator, Jeremy
Diddler Of the sharpest perception,
and a wilcly pluralst-he having had
only four wives-ho now supplements
his infamous career by appearing be
fore the public in the character of an
alleged incondiary-a supposed wife
poisoncr, and n would be snicidr ,
NVh,,o i;r. ~ persistent crmlnallty ]
What sad, miserable, disgraceful and
wicked prostitution Of requirements
and talents which conld have secured
their possessor respect and competen-
CIV had they been but rightly used
His wife dying on the Sth Of last May,
in West Cornwall, Conn, where they
had a store, and he being suspected OF
carrying on criminal intercourse with
certain women there, suspicious were
aroused that he had poisoned her
Her body was disinterred by the an
thorities and the stomach sent to New
Haven for analysis, and Green IN the
meantime had disappeared. The ex-
animation of the stomach strengthen
ed the suspicious against him, and a
reQuisition for his arrest was obtained
from Governor English. He was ar
rested in Utica, N. Y, June 22d, and
brought back 10 the scene of his alleg-
cd crimes.
On the 18th ult., he escaped from
the custody of the jailor, and was pur-
sued for four days by the authorities,