The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-01-24
Some Account of u First Glass
william.


and in the course Of "a few hours had so
won upon two or three members Of the
Library Commettec that he was engaged
for u lecture and advertised in the city
papers. The fellow who talked such
broken English rs to be scarcely under
stood, represented himself us having been
Surgeon General to the Emperor MANI
MILAN, and protested to be able to give
very interesting history OF the mislor'
tunes of that unfortunate Prince in Mex
leo, There was nothing about the fellow,
except tho foreign air and broguc, both
assumed no doubt, calculated to inspire
any confidence in his story or in his abill'
ty to entertain an audience. lie was
evidently u sot and carried the marks OF
dissipation in his face. Fortunately for
both Library and public tho fellow dis
appeared the next day, without waitingto
fill his engagement, and has not been
heard Of since. No doubt our friends Of
the Library Committee will be rejolced to
hear of him, We copy the following &C.
count Of tho fellow and his villanies from
the Alton, Illinois, telegraph:
MANY Of our citizens remember, TO
their sorrow, an individual who sported
the name Of DR.. Da Silva, in this city,
some three years ago. He proved to be
an accomplished swindler. He flourished
here for q few weeks, during which time
he taught, or pretended to teach, u class
in German or French. But he brought
his lessons to q sudden close by marrying
and running off with o French girl, leav-
ing many debts behind him. The girl he
took to Chicago, where he abandoned
her, leaving her destitute. From the fol-
lowing extract 1t will DO seen that he has
reached the end of his rope. ThcSt. 10.
seph (AIo.) Union says:
son Saturday night DR.. Louis Da Silva
lectured in this city; on Sunday he was en-
gagged to be married; on Monday he was
drunk; on Monday night his bride-elect
fished him out OF u drunken sleep and led
him to the altar; on Tuesday afternoon o
policeman escorted him TO the calaboose,
dead drunk, and Mt night he was arrested
on a United States warrant Us q deserter
from the Fourteenth Infantry, ant-lodged
in iail, where he Is now medidating over
the chances Of six years at the Dry Tor.
tugas. In May last; DR.. Louis Da Silva,
of tho Cuban army, splurged in Provi-
dence, II. |. Soon alter he went to New
York, and enlisted in the Fourteenth In
lantry. In June he came to Omaha with
a detachment Of 200 men. On the27th Of
August lie deserted. Helectured in Coun.
ell Bluffs and Red Oak, Iowa, and thence
went to Highland, Kansas, where he
splurged hugely. Meanwhile his name
was DR.. Cordoba"
"Du Silva appears to be an educated
man, of singular refinement and polish; OF
very prepOssessing address, and Endorsed
by commissions (Of doubtful authenticity
Of service in various armies, notably that
Of the late Emperor Macmillan; q good
conversational in several modern Ian.
guagcs, apparently II skilltul physician,
and certainly m entertaining lecturer.
Such are said to he his characteristics,
and were he an honest man, instead OF IN
unmitigated scoundrel, they would proba.
bly, secure him brilliant and substantial
success in whatever he might undertake,
and wherever he would locate himself.
But he is villain, and although the news
papers have repeatedly and widely pnb-
lished his true character, 1t has not check
cd his wicked career In very few In
stances has he ever ti,ken the slight trou.
bic of assuming another name, but us DR..
Silva has roved and revealed to his hearts
content, longer than any man except HIM
self can tell"
Commenting on the foregoing the Pitts
burgh Commercial says: l'
"This is probably the same Da Silva,
Surgeon General 10 the Emperor Maxi.
milan, who lecturcd in Pittsburgh about
two years ago for tho Grand Army Of tho
Republic, and would have lectured for
the Mercantile Library Association, had
he not been drunk on the appointed night
and in the lookup. 1t Is the man that
afterwards was made much of in Spring
field, Ohio, until he came to gentle
mans table where he was invited To dine,
drunk and carrying a notorious woman Of
the town on each arm. He afterwards
ilourishcd ina southeastern Ohio town for
n time marrying respectable girl, whom
hc deserted. Sill later, he was tho pub
lie pet at Oswego, New York, lccturing
and taking prominent part in public
affairs, finally marrying an cstimablc lady,
whom he deserted. Tho last VIC heard Of
him, he went through his usual rOIc at
Portland, Me-, where he was again mar
ried, and where he was confronted by n
few Of his wives, including the first and
only true one, with whom tho natrimon.
ial contract was madc many years ago.
II was at Portland, II our memory Is not
at fault, that he got into this difficulty,
out of which he must have escaped in
some way, that augcrs poorly for his 70.
mining in the regular army or going to
the Dry Tortugas. .1'la} .l "
A,oDypupnSntN,sr E,,r tIo LoUrbaI nj