Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-02-21

THESroRY OF A SCAMP There is curious
ort;cIe in the February number Of Old and New
wr;tten by Mr. John A. Bolles, describing the
l;fa Of an uncommonly villainous scamp named
P Do with fourteen aliases. WHO'S now serv-
;r W. ont term in the Charlestown State prison
IN NIaSsachusetts Porter Humphreys Hardin
Henry Fitzgerald Hoke -Wescott-N elson-Good-
loo- Hughes-o whatever his name ls-came 70
nref and is shut up until 1878: tor forgery. and
Eswindling. Mr. Bolles is moved bya desire TO
nrotect the public against him in this exposure
IF kris his manifold crimes. Here is the account OF
= few of the peccadilloes of the rascal:
The law school of Harvard college will remenl-
Der his double mposturc as !: j. Porter; IN
1855 and 1855. The Charles River bank n mas
not forgotten his swindle, i'll 1898, under that
name Union college in 1855, and the Schen-
pctady bank in 1853 were his Victims sub NOM
inc Porter. At Amherst he cheated as Porter,
in 1886. Williams college and the bank at
North Adams will recoect his one day harry
est of fraud nnder the name Of Biddle, Com
moIore Bidde's nephew, in 1859. President
Snmnson will know him as Joseph W. Henry,
ofTennessee: President Wang as Col. Fitz-
oaraid ofSt Louis ''intimate!friend Of Attor-
5ev General Bates his Shelbyville Victims as
IN Hoke: many Philadelphia clergymen and
physicians. as ':young Ives West Chester, Pa
has not forgotten the adroit rascal, W. II: Yves.
colt: Concord, n. H.. bears still in mind the
spurious COL Nelson Capt. Nicholson and his
friend Goodloe are classic names in Media, "a,
as is the name of Col Parker at Mount Joy, III
the same state Rev. Mr.. Saxton yet ''amentSS
the raid" of A. H. Hughes Bordentownnl land
Mr.. Brakely will never forget the visits OF Char
les Harris; nor Anda usian W ellis the wool OF
Robert Lawson the banker and the lady SUI
perior" of Cape Girardeau cherish many remln-
iscences of VIM A. Benjamin, and Lima n y,
desires no further visits Of love or lucre from
James II Shelby, trustee.
But weary of this catalogue. These four
teen aliases are but 4 1.-THE ofthe names under
which this man has tried to conceal his identity.
Ny personal knowledge ofthis remarkable
rogue began in the spring Of 1864, when he was
arrested in Salem. Mass. by the provost mar
shal. as a spy and sent To Fort Warren. AS
Judge advocate of the department. OF the East;
T conducted his trial upon the charges of beinga
spy. The preliminary examinations and the TIL
al brought to light his forgeries and frauds on
the banks of Salem and Newburyport, his at
tempt to seduce and carry off Il Salem girl; his
swindEng operations at the Mount Pleasant
military school, his conviction and imprisonment
in Sing Sing, and the extraordinary forgerles by
which he obtained pardon from Governor Sey-
mour Of New York The newspaper announce
mcnt of these facts induced a. multitude OF his
former victims TO write to me respecting HIM
and his history The facts thus accumulated
would I'll large volume, and furnish what may
be called romance Of rascality almost, If not
altogether. unparalleled.
ESCAPE FROM DEATH The skaters were
merry at the bridge on Monday night, as were
they in almost every other locality. and skllltul
skaters glded over its CLASSY surface, cutting
names, initials aud hieroglyphics with their
iplayed ball and cayorted around the clumsy and
amateurs; who, with half eracked skulls and
wet seats to their brecches. blew their fingers
and gaZed at the experts standing on one leg
and gazing at their lcft,coat-tails over their
right shoulders. in spite OF I'LL the laws of
gravitation
All at once IN exclamation of horror trans
fixed over gazer to his feet Amid the crack
ing and breaking of the ice one was observed
struggling for hold on the slippery edges Of
the ice which broke off in large pieces. His
benumbcd fingers loosened the grasp, and the
unfortunate skater Was carried by the murder
classy ice Being an expert swimmer, and
possessed Of great presence Of mind. he struck
out vigorously and swan after the manner Ola
diver The fishes gazed at him with green
eyes and nibbed his clothing as he swan
through the frigid current and he. toe, i'm
agined that grim death was gazing at him
but he struggled manfully on nor needed the
meddesone cat fish which swan along beside
him as though they would question him con
corning his severance with the affairs Of the
land He is almost exhausted. and he lets
down his feet and strikes bottom. He has
reached shoal Placing his head vigorously
| ~
below, cracking is heard; and he gazes along
the surface of the ice. To come through light
ly, without moment work, and bidding his
friends-the ishes-good bye, he is conveyed
to lire to dry and warm, having swan over
90 yards under the ice Waterloo, Illinois, Adj
T0cGte.
SUBJECT OF TAXATIoN.--A State commits
sion was recently appointed in New York for in
quiring into and suggesting improvements in,
the system Of taxation of that State At the
head of this commission stands Mr. d. A Wells,
once commissioner in the Revenue Depart
ment of the Federal Government. He is very
accomplished statician, and the report Of the
State commission of New York, Of which he is
the head, will probably attract much attention:
since it proposes radical changes in the system
| of taxation.
The purport of this report is the recommen-
dation to do away in great part with taxation
on personal property The subject Of taxation
is always the more vexeda the amount to be
raised is increased. Mr.. Wells arguments will
not please the rural districts, which will be sure
to favor the tax on personal property so largely
owned in the cities. under the belief that if that
is exempt the burden falling upon the country
will be increased; but Mr. Wells replies to
these by referring to the increased demand for
the products of tillage growing out of the pros
perity of cities, which is accelerated; he con-
tends by exempting capital as it will stay long
estwhere it is least burtheneaan most thrifty.
Rich. Dispatch.
A NEW FAsHION-A sharp correspondents |