, 1878-02-08
4 Fascinating ScOundrel.

Inc arrest Nl J"hn baggs Hopper
alias Moi. John Thomas aad CbarIs,
Chapman, ~ ~, Johns, y. b., the other
day, for forgery, brings up the career ~
aremarkable -Niniler. Springfield kns,.
him under the name uf Thomas. and he
ha, "done" New England very thoruuoh-
ly. Here be put up priscip1lly At the
Massa.uit House, hut afterwards WIS a,
Mr., Evans's boarding house. lie souph,
10 know our beet people, WAS u patron
IF several neighborhood parties and mic
mics, MS picture is said TO hang in tho
display made before Mofst's gallery, and
hc made for time altogether a ConSpic.
uous figure Ia the city. He was here for
quite stay last January, and returned
again in the early summer for another
little visit. He came sometimes To the
Republican editorial rooms 10 read the
southern papers, talked interestingly ON
politics, and was altogether "a fascinating
person. Thomas is perhaps just turned
40; of medium height, stout build and
little inclined to be portly, weighing
about 200 pounds. His head is shapely,
with an incipient bald spot around his
dark hair, which is cut short but not
close, and has little wave in it. His
complexion is healthily tlorid, and he
wears a handsome dark mustache: his
eye is bright, his manner frank, intelli-
gent and attractive.
So much for the man. His career of
crime and scandal has been industrious
and eventful. Hopper was born in Queen
Anne county, Md, where he married
Miss Miller, daughter of the local minis
ter, by whom he had two children. just
before the opening of the war he forged
heavily, deserted his family and fled
south. After the war he turned up ut
of his deserted wife. Miller, as we must
call him, was agent for two insurance
companies, which he swiadled in dozen
years out of about 100000 by forgery
and embezzlement; he also married an
other wife, by whom he had five chill
dren. Miller finally passed forged notes
on James G. Bailey & Bros, intimate
friends, and left Augusta. He next
turned up at Charleston, $. c., and with
the help of pal, victimized o Catholic
bishop out of $30,000 He is thought
to have gone thence 10 California, but
turned up in New England last January.
He lived handsomely at the Boston Re-
we're house, and came to Worcester and
this city as Maj. Thomas. He was a
somewhat notable attraction at Martha's
Vineyard last season, being accompanied
by a young and stunning woman who
claimed 10 be rich Buffalo, New
York, widow, and the pair gave the
most elegant entertainments possible.
About this time Maj. Thomas won the
confidence and money of Springfield
drummer, and he proved "lady-kiIler"
to the disgust of certain gentlemen from
this part of the country, it is said. II is
also thought that he was concerned in the
big diamond robberies that took place at
the Vineyard about this time. But
Thomas was recognized by an Augusta,
Ga, man, to whom he explained that he
assumed his present name because he was
living with woman not his wife. The
swindled Augusta parties were notified,
and the chase after the forger began
which has just ended in his capture.
Those who knew Thomas in this city
say they are not surprised at his great
success as rogue. He had most re-
tentive memory, was accomplished, stu
diously polite and carefully agreeable.
He rather oyerdid the business ut first,
50 as to bring suspicion upon himself, but
soon dispelled it with great art. or
course, there are people who now say
they always knew him to be villain.
But the degree Of confidence that Thomas
everywhere inspired seems to have been
no less remarkable than the success with
which he carried out his crimes. While
here he pretended to be New York law
yer settling up the estate of ward in
the metropolis. He is also said to have
had $4,000 deposited in the Chicopee
bank.-Sp,tnGfe1d Republican.
A SEAFARING CoUPLE.-When we
reached Honolulu the first thing we
learned was that the only hotel was SHUT
up for repairs, and would not be open
again for three months! A son Of VIM.
+. Dodge of New York, who came here
with daughter, on the Zealandta, 70
meet his wife and spend some months
with her, found that she had left some time
ago for the United States in consequence
of the closing of the hotel, and so he had
no wife TO meet him and no hotel to meet
her in. OF course he had to wait month
before he could hear from her, or geta
steamer to return in, and he could not Dc
at all certain even then that she woula
not be returning to meet him here, anu
he would pass her on the way back. IN
fact, had sort of dreary feeling tnat
they were doomed to go on that way,
like couple of "Flying Dutchmen,
sailing back and forth forever and ever,
trying to reach each other, and always
passing on the way.-Letter from Ge"eT"
Comfy.
A MINISTER'S PREsENT.-Two lauleS
were engaged in earnest conversation On