The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1879-12-13
n AMERICAN ADVENTURE.

Mccarthy Who EIoped With Miss
'..,.s from Paris-His Experience in
vs..pce, Mining and Diplomacy.
IRON the New York World
WARRINGTON, November 22.-The
..,.meut that General Sickles's daugh-
:, had eloped with a man named Nc
r.,tby is generally credited here among
~ members of the foreign Legations.
= anpears from what can be gathered
hat the elopement had been planning
hr the last two years. McCarthy's life
.ince 1872 would read like romance.
Although engaged in numerous dubious
onerations, he has most successfully
tept himself out of serious trouble. His
first visit to this city was paid in the
winter of 1871 and 1872. BY some
means he ingratiated himself with prom
iuent members of the foreign legations
and with army and navy officers. He is
handsome man, of fine presence, well
educated, of refined tastes, and, al
though over 40 years of age, does not
,ook more than 80. He represented
himself as an ex-Confederate officer,
hearing the rank of Colonel, and stated
that he had served in Mexico under
Macmillan and was member of his
staff. He said also that he was well
acquainted with the unfortunate ex-
Empress Carlotta and that he it was
Who had assisted the Princess Salm-
Salm to leave Mexico, having accompa-
MED her out of that country and through
Northwestern Texas on horseback.
It was while on his trip through
Texas that he discovered, as he stated,
certain coal and copper mines. On the
strength of this statement he organized
company called the "Texas Land and
Copper Company" cash capital $50, 900.
In the articles of agreement Mccarthy,
Is the party of the first part, received a
one-third interest. He organized par
y Of surveyors and in May, 1872, started
for Texas via st. Louis, in which city he
proposed to obtain his outfit. While in
s.. Louis he occupied at the Southern
Hotel the same rooms occupied by the
Grand Duke Alexis only short time
before. The purchase of wagons, mules,
lorses and groceries being completed,
Ne started for Texas. While in St.
Louis he excelled even the Grand Duke
b bis lavish expenditure of money. The
Shole affair was a bubble. Mccarthy
had never been in Northwestern Texas
in his life, but he had heard of copper in
that part of the State from men who had
been there, and some of these very men
| he employed when he reached Sherman,
| IN Texas. The copper was found, but
| the land which was entered and sur
veyed turned out not to belong to the
company. The members of the Texas
Land and Copper Company, So
alled, were foreign ministers, navy
officers and a few prominent citizens,
Mccarthy was next heard of in Chicago
= the chief of a mining bureau. He
vas very successful there, clearing, it is
mid, upwards of $4,000. It was in
Chicago that he met his present wife
(he has another in Canada), and to her
Ae undoubtedly owes great deal of the
uccess which has tended his later
operations. She is said to be very in
telligent and beautiful. After marriage
be spent some time in Europe, where he
lived sumptuously. Returning to New
York, he was arrested for a diamond
robbery and acquitted. His next APP
pearance in this city was in the fall Of
1877, when he hoodwinked the Secrer
hry OF State and obtained on forged
htters in regard to Cuban matters $685.
900 from the Spanish Minister, with
which he fled to England, where he was
hown as Col. William Fitz-C Charles
Mason Mccarthy. Rumors here are to
he effect that girl formerly well
hown in Washington society was the
eoufidant of Miss Sickles in Paris and
aided her in meeting Mccarthy. She is
married to q member of one of the for
dgn legations stationed in Paris.