The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-01-02
The Way Of TraussrcSsors is Hard.

we puDllSn pclOW TIC silolt LUZ toi
from simple annals of poor Miller, GkGs
Thomas, really John Bags Hopper.
AS Captain Miller, agent OF the Southern
Life Insurance Company, he is vel
known to the inhabitants Of this county
and of this State. OF all ~insinuating
agents he wasthe insinuatingest, Rather
~goodlooking, of winning manners, and Of
considerable accomplishments, he made
q good many friends III this nc~iShborhood
several years ago, and induced some o
those most opposed to life-insurance not
onlyto insure in the shaky Southern Life,
hut to take stock thorein. LaUronS county
has a wholesome remembrance OF him,
having lost sixty or seventy thousand
dollars by his help. He somtimes affect
cd tho pious role and sang in the church
choirs of the towns he Was working.
And q capital singer he was, How touch
ingly he used to sing ''The beast bowed
down with weight of VICE." Poor Miller.
President Hays. through the Attorney
General, has received q request for the
proper papers to eXtradite John RagG>
Hopper, now in Jail at st, John, New
Brunswick. Concerning this precious
rascal, who WIS 50 well Known III
Charleston under the name Of john II.
Miller, the Springfield (Mass.) Republi-
can has tho following:
The arrest Of John Baggs Hopper, alias
John Miller, Maj. john Thomas and
Charles Chapman, at st JOhu, y. B., the
other day, for forgery, brings UP tho ca
lcer of Il very remarkable SWlndlcr.
Springfield knew him under the name Of
Thomas, and he has done Now Eng
land very thoroughly. Here ne pu: up
principally at the Ma>Sa>soit House but
afterward was at Mrs. Evans boarding.
house. lie sought 70 know our "bcst
people" was q patron of several neigh
borhood parties and Eicnics, his picture
j. said to hang in the display made before
altogether a conspicuous figure III the
city. He was hore for quite a stay last
January, and returned again in the early
summer for another little visit. He came
sometimes to the Republican editorial
rooms to read the Southern papers, talk
ed interestingly of politics, and was alto
go.iicr Il fascinating person. Thomas Is
perhaps jus. turned forty; of medium
height, stout build and little inclined To
be portly, weighing ahont two hundred
pounds. His head is shapely with All in
cipient bald spot around his dark hair,
which is cut short, hut not close,
mud has a little wave in it. His COM
plexiun is healthily ford, and he
wears a handsome dark mouStachc; lis
eve is bright. his manner frank, inrciii-
gent and attractive.
SO much for the man. His career Of
crime and scandal has been industrious
and ~eventtul. Hopper WAS born III Queen
Anne County, Md, where he married 4
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 lied
South. After the war he turned up at
Augusta, Ga, having assumed the name
Of his deserted wife. Miller, as we must
now call him, was agent for two insurance
companies which he swindled in 4 dozen
years out Of about $50, 900 by forgery and
embezZlement; he also married another
wife, by whom he had five children.
Miller finally passed forged noes on
James G. Bailie q Bros, intimate friends
and left Augusta. He next t%urnelup at
New Orleans, and, with the help Of q pal,
vlctimiZed a Catholic bishop out Of $4,000
He is thought to have gone thence 20 Cal
ifnrnia, but turned up in New England
last January. He lived handsomely at
the Boston Revere house, and came to
Worcester and this city ~ Major Thomas.
He was q somewhat notable attraction at
Martha's Vineyard last season, being ac-
companied by Il young and stunning wo-
man who claimed to be i rich Buffalo
O.. " widow, and the pair gave the
most elegant entertainments possible.
About this time Major Thomas won the
confidence and money Of a Springfield
drummer, and he proved a "iady-hiller'
to the disgust Of a certain gentleman from
this part Of the country, it is said. 1t is
also thought that he was concerned in the
big diamond robberies that took place at
the Vineyard about this time, But Vh"m-
As was recognized by an Augusta tGa.)
man, u whom he explained that he us
samed his present name because he WAS
living with a woman Dot his wife. The
swindled Augusta parties were notified,
and the chase after tho forgcr began
which has just ended in his capture.
Those who knew Thomas in thiS'city
say they are not surprised At his great
success "a 4 rogue. He had A most. rcten-
tive memory, was accomplished. studi-
OuSly polite and carefully agreeable. He
rather Dyerdid the business at first, as
10 bring suspicion upon himself. but soon
utSPtllca u WIN slPdI a!l. ~ cotrHc
thereare people who now say they always
knew him 70 be = villain. But the DC
gree of confidence that Thomas every
where inspired seains to have been no
less remarkable than the success with
which he carried out his CRIMES. While
here he pretended TO be a New York law
yer settling UP the estate Of a ward in the
metropolis. He is also said to bayc had
5000 deposited in the Chicopce Bank
LNuyieSt0H Ne@S 0uG C5uri.r.