The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-04-22
Career Of q Queer Rascal.

"Gentleman Jo'' who has been trying
to get $1,000 from Rev. DR.. Morgan
Dix, the stately rector of Trinity
Church at New York, by addressing
postal cards and letters to tradesmen
and all sorts of people telling them to
call on the reverend doctor, seems des-
tined to become notable figure in the
criminal annals of the time. His pres
ent public appearance dates from about
the middle Of February and provoked
such an annoying lot of callers that
Rev. DR.. Dix asked Postmaster James
to help ferret out the anonymous
scamp. Superintendent James Gayler.
of the Postmasters staff, formerly
special agent of the Post-office Depart
ment, was given the case, and first OBJ
tanned legal advice that Williamson's
attempt to extort money was punishable
with a years imprisonment and $3.50
fine. To catch the man liable to this
penalty was more difficult affair.
"Gentleman Jo's'' apparent knowl-
edge of Trinity Church affairs led Sam
uel I. Peters, who is in business in the
Trinity building, to suggest William
sons name to the police, as he taught
class in the Trinity Sunday-school in
1869, and appealed to Mr.: Peters when
he got caught in similar trick in Lon
don several years ago. Superintendent
Gayler came to the same conclusion by
finding Williamson's name on the file
kept at the New York Post-office of
those wishing letters addressed to them
forwarded to certain points, William
sons writing corresponding with the
addresses on the postal cards which
were annoying DR.. Dix. Williamson's
letters were to be forwarded to Windsor
Hotel, where he was registered as from
Pittsburgh, Pa. He had gone to Balti-
more, however, but his trunk furnished
the clew to his whereabouts. Proceed
ing to Baltimore, Gayler and two de-
tectives finally traced it to the house of
relatives where Williamson was stop
ping. One of the detectives stole into
the house on the pretext that he was
an express agent looking after trunk
wrongly delivered, and, after seeing
trunk and man, became convinced that
their game was freed. The arrest was
quietly made, and the culprit confessed
on the spot that he was "Gentleman
Jo." He said it was all a practical
joke, and he has humbly begged
the pardon of DIR. Dix, who is disposed,
however, to let the law take its course.
Williamson, who is a sickly-looking,
bald-headed man of about forty years,
with the manners and language of one
who has travelled and mixed in good
society, has had quite career. Born
and brought up at Baltimore, the testi-
mony OF his mother, who now lives at
Pittsburgh with married daughter,
shows that he was always Tightly, and
has been more so since he recovered
from a serious attack of typhoid fever
in 1875. A mania for playing tricks
has been his special characteristic.
Williamson was, however, linguist
enough to be selected as Mason and
Slidelrs attache when they went to Eu-
rope in the rebel interest at the begin
ming of the war, which gave him en-
trance to high circles abroad. As
colonel in the confederate service, he
afterward tried to organize cavalry
regiment at Baltimore, but his attempt
to betray his associates compelled him
to clear out to save his neck. William
son has made six trips to Europe, since
his Mason and Slidell experience, sew
eral times as travelling companion, for
which position his knowledge of places
of historical interest and natural beauty
well adapted him. Twice at least, how
ever, he has got into trouble abroad.
Once he left Geneva owing S., 900, which
he had spent on magnificently furnished
apartments, where he had all sorts
of musical mechanism hidden
away in pieces of furniture. The
sofa the visitors occupied would
give out lugubrious German airs;
the foot-stools, when pressed, live
ly French melodies; the chairs some
Tyrolean air and, when wine was poured
into his glass decanters, the strains of
The Beautiful Blue Danube gurgled
out. He figured in the same gorgeous
ness at London near the close Of the
war, representing himself as member
of Virginia's blue-blooded Fairfax fam
lily. Good English society recognized
him, and he is said to have been en-
gagged to the daughter of a respectable
family. But the dashing young rebel
ran::his race after several months, wind
ing up with q year confinement at Car
lyle's model prison at Pentonville for
trying the trick he has played on DR..
Dix on Jew named Lowenthal.