The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-10-29
Tracing tho Forgery.
How the Republican State Central Com
mittee Succeeded in Fastening the For.
gerry on Philip Evidence Of the Ex-
perts in the Case-who the Forger 10.

(Nsw York Qoct. "a Special Dispatch to the 81.
Louis Globe-Dsmocrat)
After some elaborate work the state central
committee has secured all the facts fixing the
authorship of Garfeld's alleged Chinese let
ter. That letter has been proven to be . for
gerry. The committee has fastened the work
on Kenward Philip, one of the editors Of the
New York Truth. The story of the discovery
is an interesting one. From the hrst 1t has
been known that the letter. was bogus, but the
best efforts of Gen. Arthur and those under
his directions to pin the artist have been with
out avail. They suspected number Of inno-
cent people, and it is rumored here that . de-
tective was sent to Cincinnati to shadow an in
dividual who might have been guilty had he
known how. Detectives were also sent into
the Democratic national committee rooms, and
mass of manuscript was secured and the
writing carefully compared with the photo
graph of the letters but, while certain resem
blances were detected, there was not an ex-
pert willing to say that he had caught tho
man. While all this was going on, Colonel
Thomas E. Lonergan, formerly of st. Louis,
and who now runs secret service bureau here,
was busy at work on the trail. Assuming that
if the letters were genuine the holder could
hare made more money by Offering it TO the
Republican party fer sale at . high price, be
arrived at the conclusion that 1t was . fraud,
and from that point he traced 1t right into the
office of the Truth. The paper is run by G. A.
Byrne and Josh Hart in equal shares. Almost
since the establishment OF the paper Philip,
formerly employed oy Byrne on the Dramatic
News, has been its guiding spirit. Philip Is .
man Of wonderful inventive genius, and
practical joker Of almost national reputation,
and one~who believes firmly in the justifca-
tion of the means by the end attained. A care
full review of the office by Lonergan satisfied
him that if the forger were there it was Philip,
and, securing some of Philips manuscript,
compared it with the photograph Of the letter
and fourd that he had the man. In some
way, not Yet discovered, Mr.. Lonergan be-
came possessed of the copy of an editorial
written by Philip. On one Of the pages was
the name of Garfield, in which the dot was
over the "e" instead OF the "," "a in the
forged letter. In several instances 1t was
found that the dots were behind the a." in
stead of over or before It, There was . re-
markable similsrity between the writing Of
:, Philip and the manuscript Of the Garfield Leu
ter, and. having satisfied himself that he had
found the author Of the letter, Lonsrgan laid
his discoveries before the state central commit
tee.
In tne meantime AlD6rt DaRk0tC OF brOOk-
1yn had in some way conceived . suspicion Of
Philip Hunting around he found IN order
that Philip had written, and q comparison of
manuscripts satisfied him that be had un-
ravelled the knot. This ORD or was sent to the
commi tee, and all the specimene of Philips
writing, together with the forged letter, were
put into the hands of Payne, the celebrated
expert, and several others of his profession.
This afternoon they completed their report and
unanimously declare Philip TO be the author Of
fhaf LATE he, G.,I rt.<<l, IL
in Philips handwriting almost identical in
manuscript with the same words In the Gar
field letter, while isolated letters In both the
editorial copy and the forged letter are mani
festly by the same hand. These experts were
separated like the translators Of the Bible, and
each had before HIM a photograph Of the forg-
ed letter and a mass of manuscript, part Of
which was Philips Their reports were made
separately, and were all TO the effect that the
man who wrote Philips manuscrip, must
have been the forger. The exposure so op-
perfume will, it is claimed here, utterly para
lyze" the original effect of the letter. aud the
swift detection Of the forger will carry oonfu-
sion to the Democratic ranks.
1t is not believed that Philip had any accom-
plice. He is secretive man, and generally
perpetrates his jokes for his own amusement
He is an Englishman, and not . bad-hearted
man where his friendships are affected, but he
erable force of character, and is thoroughly
independent. He is known as perfect master
Of the pen. His limitations of handwriting are
marvellous, and less than q week ago he pro-
duced from memory fac-simile OF the sigma
lures of the sgners of the Declaration of In
dependence so clevery done that they might
have been photograph. He has a mania for
initiating the manuscript Of others, and so pro-
icient has he become that any signature 10
easy to his facile pen, and he can even write
page OF foolscap in close imitation of any COPY
shown him. Apart from this he il q politician
of no little ability, and he has gone into this
campaign with the intention Of playing big
and prominent part. Practically, he controls
Truth, and in its sanctum his word is law.
Boston Traveller.)
Kenward Philip has had q career with which
the crime now charged upon him very well
harmonizes. A gentleman in this city who is
we'll acquainted with his antecedents, and was
for many years personally familiar with his
doings, furnishes the Traveller with an inter
esting accc unit of him. Philip Is man Of
about thirty-ive years of age, was born In
London, England, received his education at
Oxford, and came to this country shortly after
the close of the war in 1865. His father was
man of large attainments, an intimate friend
of Thackersy's, and one of the editorial writ
ers of the great Conservative paper, the Lon
don Standard. Kenward Philip was about
twenty years of age when he arrived in New
York, spare-built man below the medium
height, with fresh ruddy complexion; and
he brought with him racy pen, q fiuens
tongue and personal manner that won hiu
many friends. His FIRST journalistic worh
was done on the staff Of the Esw York Hsr