The New York herald., 1877-12-26
A FASCINATING FRAUD.

THE CAREER OF JOHN HOPPER BoGGs, THE
GEORGIA FoRGER-HIs EXPLOITS IN BOSTON,
WORCESTER, SPRINGFIELD AND sALEM-HIs
RECOGNITION AT MATTHIAS VINEYARD AS THE
LION OF THE SEASON.
Bosroy. Dec 20. 1877.
In the HERALD's Washington dispatches published
last Sunday, there was a brief announcement that
request had been made tlis sovernmcn for extra
aitoa papers with which to ing away from ST. John,
n. B., an accomplished swindlcr, answering to the
impressive name of John Hopper Boggs This ndI.
vidual, many Massachusetts, people airp Is
one Of the clever and remarkable villains Of the
period. His above given, but he has
goue different places under the various aliases OF
John Miller, Major John Thomas and Charles Chap
man. He has, perhaps just turned forty, IS OF me.
dunn height stout luild and ;r,ne inclined 10 be
portly. weighing, perhaps. two hundred pounds. HIS
head Is sbapeIy with an Incidental bald spot around
his dark hair, which no always has cropped Short and
las trine OF In IT, His compile xion Is ncalthily
horid and he wears handsome dark mustacne; his
eve is bright, his manner frank, intelligent and al
tractive.
CAREER CRIME AND SCANDAL
His lie $, ems always TO have been one OF vice and
deceit SO tar he could make It profitable, and III
this respect no has been pretty successful He always
puts up at the best hotels und gives outward i'm
preston that lie Is prosperous and liberal million.
Hero in Boston he boarded al the Revere, had
the finest apartments In the house and managed TO
gain access to some of the most refined and aristo
cratic circles OF the city.
AS tho story goes Boggs was born in Queen Anne
county, Md, where hc married Miss Miller daughter
OF the local minister, by whom he had two children
JUS, retore the opening OF tho he forged heavily
deserted his family and acd South. After the he
turned up At Ausns,a, ga, having. assumed tho
must call MIN, WAS agent Tor two
insurance companies which he swinded in
years out Ci about 500, coo byiorgery ana
bczzoi cnt. he also married another vile, by whom
he mad five children. Miller finally passed forged
notes on James q. Bailey & Bros, Intimate trends,
and lei. Augusta He next turned up At Charleston,
D. o. anu WITH Inc ueip o pal, vctiinzcd CATHOLIC
thence 10 Culiiornia, but turned up New England
last January. He lived handsomely AT the Revere
and went to Worcester and springfield MAJOR
Thomas.
At MARTHA's VINEYARD.
He was somewhat notable attraction at Marthas
Vineyard last season, beng accompanied by young
ana stunning woman, VINO claimed to oe r,cn Buffalo
IL. ~ widow, ana tho pair gave the most elegant
Thomas the confidence und money OF Sprlug-
field drummer and he proved .'lady killer' TO the
disgust OF certain gentlemen from this part vi
the country, 1t Is said II IS also thought that ho
concerned tho biz diamond robberlus that TOOK
place a, the Vineyard about tnis time. But Thomas
recOg gnlzed ny Augusta (Ga. man, 10 whom lie
explained that lie assumed his present namc
he was living With a woman not his vile. The SWIM
died Augusta parties Wero notified aud tho chase alter
the iorger began which has just ended IN his cap
ture.
He had most relcntIve memory, was mplishod,
studiousIy polite ana carefully agreeable He rather
overuid tho business first, bring suspicion
upon himself, but sooD dispccd II with great or
course there are people who now say they always
knew him 10 be villain. Bot the degree comb
that Thomas every where inspired to have
been no less remarkable thnn tue success with which
| no carried out his crimes. While here he pretended
TO be New York lawyer settling up tho estate OF
ward Ia the metropolis He Is said TO have nad
| 1000 deposited III tho ChcOpcc Bank.
| MYSTERIOUS WOMAN
One Of his dashlng and ccompiishcd female com.
panions, '.Mrs. WeUb," created considerable excite
the social circles Of salem. She placed
self under tho care OF eminent Boston pny sican,
and wns by him turned over to one of his assistants,
rising young member OF the medical profession and
u sci0n or one OF the oldest families OF Salem. She
represented herself as woman OF wealth and
| culture, snd produced marked Impression,
! 1t Is SAID, upon her young medical ad-
! wiser. On the occasion OF annual New
| England festival the artiul widow went to Salem
passed several days under the hospitabe root oil
tho young DOCTORS parcuts. was received as
orod guest, thus OBTAINED eRtrcc blanche
into the highost arislocratic circles oil tue city, Mr.
| Boggs accompanied her during her stuy Salem as
her trusted financial agent III change oi ner Immense
Western interests. From salem she returned TO tho
| Parker House, and the suddeu denoucmcnt well
be to have struck social circles In salem as
| thunderbot from u clear SKY.