The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-27
THE ERRATIC COPELAND.
Who is He probable Answer

SIT never rains but it pours" is an adag'
being constantly exempliied. Especially
the saying true applied to man detected IL
one crime when no sooner does his guilt ap
pear than other and more serious charges art
brought against him. and the criminal onct
caught is soon enveloped in complete net
work of elimination. One of our latest locaI
sensations is that created by the so-called
Rev. w. E. Copeland.
Suspected Of being an impostor and being
gradually circumvented BY adverse evidence
he seizes the first opportunity Offering, and
makes good his escape. No sooner does he
thus practically admit his guilt than sur
mise and conjecture are busy with his name
and identity. We have just been reliably in
formed that while he was performing mar
rage ceremony in the city, short time ago.
one of the grocmsmen, who had formerly
lived in Canton, Miss, remarked to friend,
swell, if that is not Horton, it must be his
brother"
This Horton was man who, in 1873, turned
up in Canton, Miss, and represented himself
to be Methodist minister. He produced
MANY excellent credentials, and among others
one from the Bishop of Mississippi, bearing
testimony as to his character and ability. lie
soon became very popular in Canton, and
especially SO with the ladies OF the cougrega-
| ton.
After the lapse of some months, some
strange actions of his began to arouse suspi.
sions as to his character and identity, and
these suspicious becoming somewhat strong,
he concluded to leave. and did so, promising
to return soon and adduce satisfactory evil
dence to prove his innocence. just before
leaving he remarked to supposed friend,
"these people think they are smart, but they
are mistaken, as for good credentials, here is
box of the best" saying this he exhibited
bundle of documents which he kept IN box
in his trunk. Whilst in Canton he repre-
sented himself to be widower, and indeed
had with him large Saratoga trunk filed
with elegant female apparel.
| OF course he took this trunk with him, and
Canton has never been since honored by q
visit from him. The next we haer OF him is
as William Wesley Warren, and he is located
in an adjoining State, where, after practicing
upon the credulity of many good natured
souls for some time, he is at last detected IN
forgery. He is promptly arrested, but es-
capes by knocking down his guard and jump
ing from the train which was bearing him to
prison. Since that time he has never been
heard of, and many have wondered in what
new field he was INDUCING his favorlte
pastime of playing minister for moderate
consideration.
The gentleman who made use of the re-
mark mentioned in the early part OF this
article, was in Canton at the same time that
Horton was, and, in fact, knew him quite
we'll He states that the resemblance between
his old acquaintance and this Copeland is
remarkable, and that he is beyond doubt
the same person, the only difference being
that Horton wore beard, but even the re-
moval of this did not fully deceive our In
formant, who was on the point several times
of taking measures for his arrest, but was de-
tered from SO doing by persuasions Of friends,
who were convinced of his error, and of Cope.
lands innocence.
After Horton left Canton one of his photo
graphs was sent to Gen. Badger. and probably
! even now adorns our rogues' gallery. At any
rate we have been promised copy OF one
within the next few days, and then an oppor
! tunity will be offered to judge Of the identity
J of the two men. If they be the same, it is
another evidence Of the ease with which
} shrewd and polished villains can, in the name
of religion, practice upon the credulty o.
Christian communities, and reaping rich har'
vests from the Christian charity of honest
men, make mockery of true goodness AND
; purity. We trust this clue as to Copeland
: identity will be closely followed by our de
tectives, and this scheming villain be pre-
vented from imposing upon other communl
ties with his specious wlles and DESCENDING
villainy.