The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-08-30

- hNAAAbSi VI StAtSt oWhAAlNAH hcNaGGsI tNe
successful result of fertile but perverted
ingenuity. In TACT, his crimes are as yari-
ous and cover as wide a range Us the as.
sumed names under which this man-who
h called the "Smartest scOundrel alive,"-
travels. ....eI
Alarvin's appearance Is not as striking
or prep0aseSsinR as one would think from
hispictures or the published descriptions,
He says he Is between fifty and sixty years
OF agc, and looks It. As lie alt in the de-
tectlye's Office yesterday he appeared to be
u tall, rather spare man, OF fully fifty years,
HIS DErENsE, t...
As will be seen, his defense Is to he an
alibi and mistaken identity. NYou will be
staggered when you hear his story" aid
the detective; ut Is the most claborately
planned and the best defense have ever
seen. The chain is perfcct-vcry nearly"
"Can you find break in it?'' n
Zone that he little expected. But 60 In
and interview him. You will como out
convinced that he IL an innocent man, I"
The reporter laughed incredulously, and
within tiSe minutes found hinlselfinclincd
TO think the prisoner martyr.
Tue prisoner calls himself General Bud.
long A, Morton. He says this II his only
name, and will not respond to any other.
The title he claims to have won IN the
army. After he Ind disClaimed any knowl'
edge Of the Marvin who recently married
Mn, De Hart in New Jersey and Miss Tur.
pinln Virginia, the reporter asked:
"How came you to be identified with
Marvin?" .n
''tiod only knows, I do not" was tho re.
ply, In very impressive tone. "All !
know OF this Richmond affhir | hAve
learned since my arrest. ! have never
knowingly wrOnged man out of u dollar,
and appeal to your manhood 10 do me
Justice and to print what shall gly.
ask only simple justice, This is a mistak.
en- identity, az I can easily prove, i can
give you my personal historyif YOU will
take II lust as shall dictate"
The "Geneal" then proceeded to relate
with the smoothness and finish Of praC.
ticed orator the story Of his life. To be In.
terrlpted by questions rather annoyed
him. apd occasionally he refused to answer
because II was not policy to disclose the
whOle Of his defence, his counsel had told
him, For instance, when the writer asked
to what regiment he WIS attached during
the war he declined to say. Occasionally
he was facctiols, ~ when he said, pointing
to the burly officer who was constantly at
bis side, Excuse mc, but IhaVe this flan
In custody, and he Is u bad man, as you
can see from his face"
TItB pRisoNER's STORY.
u was born in Erie County, N. Y. My
fathers nnne was Willis II. Morton. lie
was born in Grcenbush, n. Y, and he was
a civil engineer. My mother was Eliza
Jane Silsbeo, and she was born. in the
vicinity Of Greenbush. When was about
seven yearS OF age our family removed to
ChautAuqua County, and | lived there tin-
Ill was eighteen years OF agc. In my
fOtlteenthi year ! was sent TO heidelberg,
Germany, TO the school Of civil and mill.
tary engineers, or, In other words, the oid
gymnasium ot Heidelberg, where gratlua.
ted after about four years Of extraordinary
had study Az an engineer, military and
civil. After returning to this country I en-,
gagged with COlODel lIezckiah G.. Seymour,
He was at one time State Engineer Of New
York, and was then located at a place
called Drew's Gull, on the Western Divi-
sion OF the Erie Railroad, In the ConstruC.
tI0n Of the Western Division. After lpav.
ing THAT work and tie road was opened, !
was employed M an assistant In the TODo4
graphical Engineer Corps Of the army In
thcRummer ot 1854 I went TO the Pacific
ssSSsS Ss@ ubSot % sSSraI 3S y csske ss ToRS re
tonmandant Of the department at that
time. After serving there until lSj7-full
Of I$b7-l was selected by Mr.. EpgIiah,
then chief Of the Bureau Of Engineering ior
the English GovcTllNcnt, TO take charge Of
tho survey for the 1iitcroceanic Railway Id
Hppaptas Central America. After coin.
iplSthH thAtiwefk \ tetVr1cd "a the states
In 1911 soQp atnFwaFl ! was married, ]
pngNsptl then In bridge hNildlng,
when the war broke out entered the
AeTVtae NJ q pflvAte.i u IL. 7-l!a '+'
''4Ifter The war closed / was In 1900, 1867,
and part Of 1868 disabled from any Nctlve
occupation with inaamWSt0Ay rl,ciiIlaIisn,
After retoyttpt; ehBeslIyGsh VI stseRa to bus.
inyCFs seAasISCll!stf went intothe bridge bus.
jIe% ID Chicago. In The fire Of 1871, I was
burned ouI. t1n 1S72 Anylwife died. Sub,
sequent to her death my little hMy died
but five years old M Vie spring of 1874 |
vert tD Europe and EHglged agaiR In Me
epGbssfthH eh&r4Iaeh(Si tho government
oi Great BfttNIIl a. an engineer OF bridges
And vialuutA ; HbrBInRined there Until the