Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-06-24
TIE TrcHBoRHE REvIvAL.
Another Side to the story-The Life of
C. o. Ferris.

Charles o. Ferris, an old acquaintance,
and not very desirable one at that. A
careful examination OF the traditions OF
the city shows that some ten years ago
there became prominent in Vallejo one
Charles Q. Ferris, employed in the Mare |
Island Navy Yard. One Of his hands was
mutilated, as is the dexter claw of the
pstrician poet from San Diego, who is
ambitious of startling the Tichborne manor
with lone more taly.ho" Three OF
Ferris fingers were gone, and, as he ex-
planned that he had lost them in the REBEL
Ion, warm sympathy was extended toward
him. At that time Vallejo was in the
midst of remarkable business boom, and
very large force was employed on the
Navy Yard. General John B. Frisbie con-
trolled the principal interests of the town,
and was lavishing money in all directions
Ferris suggested that military COM
papy, bearing the Generals name,
would be lifting mark on the his
tory OF the town, and soon he was com.
missioned to organize q military company
for that purpose. Ferris, who possessed
unusual powers of organization, rapidly
formed the Frisbie Guards. General FRS
bic went surety for the uniforms, and
though Ferris collected from the men,
bers most OF the money in payment there
tor, General Frisbie, it is said, had to
pay the amount of his Endorsement, Fer
rls pocketing all the money which he col
lected. Other moneys collected for the
company were, it is said, similarly mis-
appropriated, and after one term as Cap.
tain the company removed him, electing
in his place Q. l.. Henderson. The first
act of Captain Henderson after his cleo.
ton was to cause the expulsion of Ferris
from the company for fraudulent practices
General Frisbie did not desire notoriety
IN the matter, and no prosecution followed.
His loss through Ferris and the Guards
was a little over 81, 500, besides a build.
ing lot which he presented to his Cap
tain as a token Of esteem. Ferris con-
tinued working in Nalls 10 for year or
more, meanwhile getting deeply into debt
all over the city.
Then new scheme was advanced, Ferris
representing that he had become the agent
OF William c. Ralston, who had valuable
tracts of land in Arizona and desired to
colonize them. The work ON the Navy
Yard had become very light, great many
men lounged about the street without work
and the colonization scheme was eagerly
Sundays at that time was near the brick
yard at North Beach, regular pro-
gramme of foot races, jumping matches,
boxing and other sports taking place once
a week. Ferris went over every Sunday
to the brickyard, called meetings of the
men present, and in tiowery speeches en-
larged upon the unfailing prospects of max
ing fortunes on Ralstons lands in Arizona.
Ralston desired the formation of regular
colonizlng company to cultivate farms and
open up mineral lands of fabulous value
he guaranteed to pay all expenses of the
trip, and required, simply as a guaranty of
good faith, the payment of an imitation fee,
to be returned when satisfactory proof
of intention to improve his land was
given. The company soon assumed
large proportions. Ferris was Cap.
tain John Watkinson, remembered
as having killed Isaac Robinson.
was First Lieutenant, and man named
Crowley was Second Lieutenant Just be.
fore the initiation fees were to be paid in it
was discovered through some misplaced
confidence of Ferris that he did not lose
his fingers in the rebellion, but had suf.
fered their loss by an accident while NOV.
ing house. This, coupled with the re.
membrance of his dubious transactions
with the Frisbie Guards, somewhat shook
confidence in his Arizona project, and in.
tereste1 parties wrote TO Ralston inquiring
about it. Ralston replied that he had no
connection with the affair and that Ferris
WIS evidently an impostor he letter was
kept quiet until the following Sunday,
when Ferris opened the meeting and began
one Of his most seductive speeches. Then
he was stopped and Ralstons letter read
aloud. The men assembled were indignant.
and an2rily seizing the schemer, started to
throw him into the bay, but by some lucky
incident he escaped.
The next moves were the gathering to-
gether of his household effects and family,
sending them aboard a vessel in the middle
of the night and embarking for San Diego
In this clandestine manner the future
aspirant to the historic estates of the Itch
bornes sneaked out of Vallejo.
In the third chapter OF his continued
story to General Barnes, the Tiehborne
claimant, with the scar on his aristocratic
skull, stated that he had been Captain of
the Frisbie Guards in Vallejo. To cover
up the tracks of the gallant commander of
the Solauo yeomanfy he told General
Barnes that while wandering around South
America, cursing his patrlcian aunt. he
met one Charles .. Ferris, who soon after
died. He did not state whether he had
talked the unfortunate Ferris into his
grave, but General Barnes probably in
ferred as much and consequently regarded
the death of Ferris as perfectly natural.
To any suspicious mind, however. it was
significant that the long-lost Baronet
should drag the plebeian Ferris into his
autobiography. The significance became
more marked when the alleged Baronet
stated to General Barnes that on returning
to Brooklyn, where Ferris had sailed from,
the friends OF his dead acquaintance cried
out Here is Charley come home
again" The idea of personating the dead |
man took a firm hold on the fancy of the |
alleged aristocrat, and for some time he |
practsed the deception, but fearing to meet |
Ferris mother, skipped out for California.
To anyone able to see hole through a |
ladder, this shred Of the alleged Baronet's |
story showed that the romancer was Ferris |
himself, and that he was straining his in |
tellectual power to have his memory con.
signed to the undertaken
The claimant appeared in San Diego un-
der the name Of Charles o. Ferris. He |
has not yet arrived in San Francisco, and |
seems to be in no hurry to interview the
English gentlemen, whom he should be able |
to recognize if he be a Tichborne. He |
writes three letters week to General |
Barnes, however, and frequently expresses
regret at not having had the pleasure of |
meeting the Duke OF Sutherland. 1t is so |
long since he has had a cordial meeting |
with the English nobility that his aristo-
cratic mind fairly hungers for the exciting
experience. That the Duke, unfortunately, |
does not reciprocate the amiable sentiment |
is shown by the press dispatch in which
his Grace denied tina. he took any stock |
whatever in the claimants story, while MIR.
Russell went to the extent of denouncing |
the "fellow as % fraud" When care. |
full English journalist goes to that extent
his feelings must be very strong indeed.