The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-08-17


Yesterday afternoon Mr. Alonzo Wentwnrtb
the former Deputy Marshal of this CITY, re-
turned from Baltimore, where be had been
with requisition upon the authorities of that
city for the arrest of a man who had obtained
large amount of money, in different sums.
from our citizens, together with board from no.
tel proprietors, and then left town.
The career of the Individual in question is
one not devoid of romance But itwould take
several columns of our paper to give his life
history, and again our public has only to do
with his sojourn here. About four CT five years
ago gentleman with his wife and child arriy-
ed in this city from Canada, and took up their
quarters at one of the principal hotels in this
city. The lady was about to become mother,
so it was deemed expedent to stop here rather
than to proceed to Boston, as had been the orig
inal intention. The child was born and dur
ing the confinement and afterwards, the wife
of the proprietor and other ladies boarding in
the house were unremitting in their attentions.
The husband became acquainted with several
of the gentlemen boarders, and through them
with many of our most worthy citizens. He
was man evidently of great information, had
mingled in the best society of the commercial
metropolis of America, and it was evident had
been on most intimate footing with many of
its best known families in political as well as
social life. Little incidents of family history,
that are not picked up by mere chance acouain-
tanceship, were well known to him, and he
| would often surprise old friends of these par
| ties by his thorough knowledge of facts that
| they supposed few persons knew outside of the
| family. He was most fascinating in coyersa.
| ton, and, in addition to other attractions.
magnificent whist player. He remained with
his family for long time at the hotel, but paid
no board. His story was very good one, viz.
that at the beginning of the war be owned
considerable property; that his interests and
sympathies were with the rebel cause, and thai
at the time when the government ordered the
teleeraphic messages to be seized and opened,
a telegram directed to him shared the general
fate, and that to escape imprisonment he was
compelled to fly to England: that he had latel-
ly ascertained that he would not be proceeded
| against by the government; that if he would
institute claim for the property lost by him
it would be restored, and that he had returned
from England with the intention of prosecute
ing his claim The story was SO plausible, the
man was evidently such thorough gentle-
man, aud the family was SO much esteemed,
that certain gentlemen became responsible for
| his board for the time it had been going on,
awaiting the result of his claim for payment.
He then, with his family, took up his quarters
| at seaside hotel in the vicinity Of the city,
keeping up his acquaintance with the new
friends he had made, and there the same per-
Torrance was repeated, with the addition that
he not only didn't pay his board but interested
the landlord in his claim and got him to ad.
vance money on it. From there he removed
to hotel in town near Portland and here
closed his campaign in this neighborhood. :
Finding that all his promises of payment and
frequent visits to Washington had no effec
upon the proprietor of the house, he sent hi
clothes and his wifes to town in bundles, hal
them packed there, and then stole off with hi
family by an early train to Boston. For somt
time it was not known where he was gone. A
last he was heard of in Boston, by some parties
here. He was arrested there for debt but tool
the poor debtors oath, and then disappeared
again before other creditors knew what haG
transpired in Boston. He is now in the charge
of Sheriff Perry, and will await his trial at tn,
September term of the Superior Court. Whs1
found in Baltimore he was evidently in yer,
destitute circumstances, inhabitins, with hi
family, one room in the upper story of yer,
wretched dwelling in a by-stleet. Many O
our readers will recognize the person at ono,
by the description of his life while here. Hi
wife's brother, we understand, is on his wa,
here to take his sister home to England will
| him Tho of fIa .-T N
Robinson. The above details we believe to b,
correct. We give them as they were told L
us.