The New York herald., 1872-09-23
Where and When He Was Born-Incidents
Of His Early Life-What He Has
Been as Boy and Man-His
Baptismal Name.
The ESCAPES FROM PRISONS AND CARS.
Denial of Any Participation in the
Nathan Murder.


taken into Court on the order issued by Judge
Leonard to his counsellor, Mr. William F. Howe,
representative Of the HERALD sat beside him dur
ing the proceedings In the Court and the following
conversation occurred:-
"The people manifest great desire to look at
you," said the reporter.
eyes," answered Forester "and 1t is not pleas.
ant kind Of curiosity either, but have to thank
the newspapers for that"
"Yes, suppose so."
''If that was all they did wouldn't so much mind
but they lied about me most outrageously"
~ saw the other day statement to tho effect
that you were born in the parish Of Lafourche,
La, on the 10th OF August, 1887
"That was not the truth. I was born In Glasgow,
Scotland, on the s1st of December New Years Eve,
In 1888, and brought up at place called Dunbar
ton, about fifteen miles below Glasgow, on the
Clyde"
"Then you did not begin life as o newsboy on
Mississippi steamera"
mo, don't think coud.n
'Did you ever steal from passengers valise on
board the steamer Pride of the West on o trip be-
tween New Orleans and Natchez, as you are
chargedP"
mo, sr was never arrested in the South for
any crime committed In that country. The charge
Is false and malicious one."
mo. My real name is Alexander McClymont."
''rhere is a story about your being arrested eigh
teen times in three years charges of petty theft.
Have you heard OF that ~
81 have, and can prove 1t is not the truth. They
say robbed a drunken man of 81, 200 and was sent
to the Penitentiary at Baton Rouge for 1t. never
was In the Pcnitentary at Baton Rouge. Then
there's another story about the PenItentiary in
Jackson, Miss. They say was sent there in 1853
for robbing member Of the Legislature. Now,
to show you how far they are from facts, was In
Tsaa Or aSns forget wncnn 1S
United States steam frigate Susquehanna as mes
senger boy at that time. Commander Buchanan,
war, was with US, and Commodore Perry, now
dead, had charge. His son was secretary to Com
ton at the present time. In 1854 our vessel-t6e
susquehanna-got to Benica from San Francisco TO
''They say that from 1854 to 1863 you were lOunQ
ing about Natchez, and were the associate Of
thieves, murderers. burglars and bad characters
"Yes, and that the principal haunt Of the gang
was place known as Mag Reynolds, who was
when when that that wo%ans house ~ was pulled down own
six skeletons were found, one Of which was
official Of Mississippi who had been missing
about three months. would like to have seen that
fellow recognizing the skeleton. In fact, would
like to know him as man OF penetration. Ishould
say he had no equal In the country. In 1856 I was
In Bordeaux, France; from there went to New
Orleans, and then sailed back home to Scotland.
started from Greenock, Scotland, for New Orleans
on the Sd Of April 1860 some days before the Hee-
fornaSn
life, nor put into the House OF Refuge, and cOnse
quently could not scale the walls and come on to
u ~ was on one OF OF those yesses @
and can prove that emphatcally."
81 saw statement accusing you OF committing
"Yes; it said that I went out West from New
York, and on the train to Windsor Q. W., fell IN
with drover named Nicely, and beat him out Of
$4,000 at cards and then killed him. was arrested,
the story goes on to say, and acquitted on the
q eed under the Of
thew Brown and never knew man called Nicely.
that story was true Vet there would be no difficulty
"Dd you ever keep q faro bank in Chicago with a
'''"n never newer haa ANYTHING to do with faro bank in
Chicago In my life. There's where the police au-
thorities know me well, and that can be easily
''You were keeping saloon in Peoria, were you
not, at the time Of the robbery Of the Merchants
Union Express COmpanyr
never stopped there more than two hours. SIM
ply passed through It on the train. Inever went
by the name Of Frank Livingstone and conse-
quently could not have kept house for bad charac
ters under that name."
~, "Yoa married the daughter of man called old
'No sir. I know nothing of Old Bill Thomas ex-
cept by hearsay. never saw his daughter"
"You were arrested In Springfield, ILL.,, with a
man named Dunn, for burglary"
81 was never arrested in springneld--hold on,
on to Decatur with party named John Williams.
got four years at Decatur"
"They say that, on the LIST Of April, 1859, Dunn
and attacked keeper with stone while we were
going to work; the blow knocked him senseless,
and we escaped by scaling the walls. Now, was
arrested In 1868 and came out Of the Joliet Prison
the 18th OF April, 1861 as old s!mons the detective,
in Chicago, knows. He was Head Warden at the
Dnnn % s and IN a making yVn my escape, hurt no
one; the authorities there know that and can
prove 1t. They say that In the Fall OF 1859 1 made
the acquaintance OF George Ellis James Elliott and
Tom Riley and the headquarters of the gang were
at No. S2s West Twenty ty.ninth street. was In Bal,
timore In 1869, and was never In the house No. 533
West Twenty-ninth street."
"what about the robbery of Migel's store in
East Fifteenth street. They say you were con-
~ was in Philadelphia when heard that job was
tried to be done, Now they say l was arrested In
there; but that is like all the rest have told you
OF, lie. never was arrested by Chief Hague but
in that town BY one Of
I was taken at ten O'CLOCK in the morning, on my
way to the Post once. left that very night for
ing, was OO' taken ' to '1 phaSelpnia Se SGane''
got away from the police in Phadelphia on Mon.
y Of @ aT o aS s soTs
the officers to let me 90 into the saloon during the
Journey to Philadelphia, and then jumped of the
train is false. They say the train was going at the
rate OF thirty miles an hour when jumped on, that
Is not 80; did not Jump or and did not escape un
fields and get country blacksmith TO take
Oh the handouts. Why on earth should
/ do thatP When i escaped j went rom
Philadelphia TO Baltimore. From there went to
Key West, on the steamship Cuba myself and wife
with Captain Ducart. We got Of at Key West and
waited for the steamship Liberty Captain Reade;
went with him to Havana and from there to New
Orleans In the same vessel. travelled all along
that line as Frank MARSHALL The books Of the
arrival In New Orleans. remained there about
two months, and during that time the Nathan MUIR
der was cOmmitted.n
'Then you did not come back to New York for
some time after 2"
"No ! was not back here In New York for
nnarl moniha Alter