The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-04-21
| Col. ShalIeross Comes With His
Man from Canada.

Yesterday fOdtOmce SpeCI1l ASGub -
P. shalleroas reached this city from Mon
treal, Cauada, having in charge Charles
Worms, commonly called Captain Worms,
from having been connected with the
army during the war. The arrest TOOK
place several months ago, the charge ior'
gerry, connected with which there Is an
Interesting story. The delay IN bringing
the prisoner TO this city arose from ms |,
having employed counsel in Montreal
who resoried 10 every legal measure pos
sible 10 preyent his clienta extradition.
The circumstances out OF which the
nrosacntinn grew have been obtained
from an official source, and are therefore
reliable. Several months ago Charles
Worms appeared in Chicago, and put up
At one Of the principal hotels. He there
raye out that he was IN inspector con-
Sscted with the Indian Bureau, and in.
sinuated that he could secure for con-
alteration one Of the most lucrative Of the
contracts for supplying goods.
This story he was careful 70 talk about
in a way to reach the ears Of 4 very few
persons, one Of them being the proprietor
Of the hotel at which he was stopping.
The sum necessary 70 secure the contract
he said was i've thousand dollars, and
this he represented was not for himself,
but for a hign official At Washington.
The proprietor Of the hotel at length be-
came impressed with the belief that the
statement Of Capt. Worms was entirely
reliable, and consented TO advance the
Eve thousand dollars, to secure the con-
tract. He was then told that 1t was neces-
sary for them TO proceed to Washington
and see the Secretary Of the Interior, he
proposing to introduce the hotel proprietor
TO him. When about starting he suggest
ed that his companion should put the
money in the toe Of one Of his boots, so as
to'preyent the possibility ola loss Of it and
his suggestion was followed. They went
to Washington, roomed at one OF the
hotels together, and had not been there
long before Worms invited his compan-
ion 10 go with hum to see the Secretary Of
the Interior.
They started from the hotel, and when
not far from the office Of the Secretary,
Worms stopped suddenly, and said that
il would not do for him, 40 inspector, to
be seen with an applicant for contract
ut headquarters, and he thought they had
better return to the hotel, be promising
to see the Secretary himself and have the
affair arranged. Having gone back to
the hotel, Worms went out alone, and on
his return pretended be had seen tie Sec
rotary, and assured the Chicago hotel
proprietor that it was all right, that he
had the signature Of the secretary to the
contract, and that all that was necessary
now 70 do was 10 go to a neighboring city
from which to send the letter containing
the money by mail.
They took IN early train, came to
Philadelphia, and upon arriving here
Worms conducted his victim to 3 saloon
on Walnut street, near Ninth, where an
envelope was procured, FIVE one thousand
dollar bills put into it, and it was direct
ed to Ulysses s. Grant, President Of the
United States. As the letter lay on the
table upsealed, Captain Worms suggested
that it would be better to have sealing
wax to unite and hold the envelope
firmly together, and asked his companion
il he would not step down stairs and bar
row piece ofwax. This he had no OBJ
lection to do, and he started with that in
tentiou.
Before he got down to the foot Of the
stairs he was called back, Worms assur-
ing him that he had found piece Of wax.
In that short time the letter enclosing the
FIVE one thousand dollar bills was remov-
ed and one like it in all respects sub
stituted. This was sealed, and at the in
stance Of Worms it was carried by the
resident OF Chicago to the Post-ofice and
registered, he supposing Of course that it
contained the money, and that, a. he was
assured, the contract was his.
The registered letter was received at
Washington, and when opened was found
to contain merely newspaper cuttings,
one OF them being headed "Grant and
Third Term" The affair was regarded
by the President as very good joke, es-
pecially As the letter was registered one
and sealed with great deal Of care, and
it was the subject Of much merriment. II
was not until the Chicago hotel proprie-
tor began to make inquiry about the mat
ter, and intimated what had been done,
that the affair was understood, and the
President then declared that Charles
Worms, who had meanwhile disappeared,
must be arrested il it were possible to
find him.
A bill Of indictment has been found
against him in the State tribunal, and a
prosecution has been instituted before q.
s. Commissioner Aubrey H. Smith, the
charge being the forgery of the name Of
Secretary Chandler. In the absence OF the
witnesses yesterday, the accused was com:
mitted by the Commissioner in default Of
5000 bail.