The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-04-28
IFrom Tie Phladelphla TImes.I

lFrom the Philadelphia IImes.l
That :. truth is stranger than felton,
Il ofientimes strikingly exempliied in
life, but frequently the accuracy Of the
saving j. brought out with startling dis
tinctness in the records Of criminals AS
they are worked up y BY that sleuth-
hound of the law, the detective. The
recent daring attempt 20 rob the Bank
Of Chambersburg by gagging the cash
Ter and his household and cutting the
vaults, has brought 10 the surface, IN
the capture OF the principal burglar, n
man who presents i history capable of
being wrought into "A Paul Clifford or a
Claude Duyal, and needs only 4 chron-
iclcr. The fact thai one OF the chap
tiers Of his life was written in this city
makes him especially attractive at this
time to those who read the records Of
crime with interest.
wORD-PoRTRAIT or THE MAN.
When 4 young man-say Is or 20
Lewis G.. Clermont lived ia Chicago as
a car conductor. II may be imagined
what be looked like then by his present
description A man about SO years old.
a little over the medium height and
weight, well thewed and shapely IN
physique. with a face almost classical
Ia outline, striking for iisfull dark-bl
eve, warm complexion, heavy dark
brown moustache and good teeth, and
I'm dress a mob gentecl in black,
with spstless linen, diamond-studded.
such "A man, in his last teen, came
under the notice Of Walter Patterson, a
man who stands at the top Of his pro-
fessi0n-in other words, the most sue
cessml and notorious fOrger in this
country. Clermont became his "kid''
IA name given TO the young who
operates under the Instructions Of an
old one-in the frequent repetition in
al the leading cities of this country OF
the following "seheme.H Patterson,
"A rather distinguish looking stranger,
with a travelled air. arrives in ? city,
and calls At some new banking ins;itu-
tiOn and At once opens Al account with
say ten thousand dollars. He rents an
Office, and apparently enters in some
business appropriate 10 the place. After
his first visit TO the bank be never calls
again, but uses his young man. 10
take his checks and deposits to and
from the bank for "A few months, keep
ing his account about even Then.
when time is ripe and his reputable
business character establi~ he'd he draws
down Lis balance pretty low, deposits
A heavy draft on New York, but, before
il is collected, draws against the draft
for As much as is safe, say seven or
eight thousand dollars, and "skips"
before the draft is returned to the bank,
marked in red ink across the face,
. forged" In such q school a. this
young Clermont made the tour Of the
cities, and in each h. left his distinctly
marked trail TO the tune Of perhaps
100000.
In 1872 Ciermont. now arrived 10
mans estate, experienced by contact
with the world and blushing in all his
manly beauty, registered AT the West
End Hotel, Long Branch, as the son Of
a rich mcrchan; in Cuba. AZ the same
hotel the tall. handsome, ripened form
and rather refined face Of a woman,
well known in certain shady circles in
West Philadelphia, were noticeable.
Her csmel's hair shawls. rich silks,
fiashy diamonds and coach and pair at
tracted the attention ~ our hero, and
his fascinating appearance on the taHis
was the signal for a desperate case OF
lOyo.at first sight. both thought they
had a good snap; "A case OF diamond
catch diamond" A hasiy marriage
while ~ Long Branch and a fitting %
a West Philadelphia mansion for the
honeymoon followed. Clermont in his
assumed character OF a Cuban hiding
from the United States Government.
kept close To the house, armed cap q
pit, never writing a note without his
jewelcd- hilted pistol ready at his hand.
never sleeping without the cold steel in
different shapes under his pillow, and
grand, gloomy and peculiar in his treat
ment of his mistress-or wife, rs she
supposed.
After a few weeks Of this sort OF life
he concluded 20 take a trip 10 Europe.
and madam converted all her portable
property into ready cash, packed up
her diamonds, valued at $4,000, and
the tw ain prepared 20 leave. Suddenly
Clermont remembered that he had for
gotten something in the city, and sent
the lady in with a mote which would fix
it. When she returned il is needless To
say that her hero-her Adonis-had
gone of with the bandbox Of diamonds
under his arm. A hot but fruitless pur-
suit by the lady clear out TO the Pacific
coast followed, but although her pertid-
ious husband appearedin San Francisco
and carried out the snug operation Of
bagging $1,000 on "raised" silver
mining stock-Nan Nalkenburg, the
-cntlemanly superintendent Of the At
lantic and Pacific Telegraph Company,
being his victim-his friend did o
come up with him. but here first learn
cd that her gay Cuban was a most cx-
pert forgcr from Chicago. Clermont,
after the San Francisco transaction,
No. .-.-.on--l n. N... I'll - L.