National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-02-11
A QUEER STORY.
HOW EDMOND HEALY WAS FLEEcED
By al Alleged Heir to an English Fortunc-SiraRge
Adventures of Man in Search of Ills IL
heritance, Ending With His
Sudden Departure.

would be likely to learn of his whereabouts an,
everywhere obtained the same mysterious reply
He has gone" The person referred to is Nj
Charles F. Barton, wellknown printer. Thu
fact that one gentleman is 81 100 out by placing TOT
much confidence in Barton's representations ant
others have reason to mourn the loss of smalle
sums increases the interest manifested concernin:
Mr.. Bartons departure. The story goes as follows
For several years Mr.. Barton, who original!
came from England, and who had many of tht
characteristics of genuine cockney, has worked
III TINS city as Journeyman printer, having beeI
employed in the various printing Offices
On the 18th ofMay last a perSonalnoticc appeared
lnthe New York Herdid calling upon Mr.. Charles +
Barton TO appear and identify himself to the sat
isfaction of the Orphans Court liz London. Mr.
Barton shortly aflefwaTd announced to his friend;
here that he had fallen heir to life estate Torth
81. $50, or $1,000, year. left him By his uncle,
bishop of the Church of England, who, in dying
kindly provided him with this snug annuity on
condition that he should join the Episcopal church
Mr.. Barton was not the man to let a little matter
such as joining church stand between himself
and fortune, and it is related that he made ap-
plication and was admitted as a member to the
Trinity 2. E. Church in this city. In June lie set
out for England. AMI during his absence nothing
was heard of him. He returned last October, and
since then has lived, it appears, on his great
expectations and the confidence which his friends
had in these expectations.
Now that he has gone the question is raised
whether there was any foundation TO his stories at
| all, or whether he had invented them simply for
the purpose of swindling If he was engaged in a
| confidence scheme, he carried out his part admir-
| ably.
When he wanted to go to Europe last June not
/ having any money, he applied 10 q friend ard
! neighbor, Mr. Edmond Hcaly, who keeps a store
/ ri I, and hole n
streets. Mr.. Healy Endorsed Bartons note for go.
| Barton raised the money. left las it was under
stood for England, and Mr. Healy paid the note
when ii became due. During Barton's absence
| Mr.. Healy advanced funds for the support of his
wife. Nothing was heard from Barton until the
24th of September last, when Mr.. Healy got let
| ter from him, dated at St. Johns, New Brunswick
| A STRANGE STORY.
After referring to previous letter which he had
written to his wife, Barton said in the letter to
Mr.. Healy:
"Icould explain nothing about it. and so now will
! give you the whole. landed in Liverpool on the
| 10Th, after fourteen days passage, went to
London the same day Saturday, found two per-
sons IN London who remembered me, and on Mon
day sought the lawyers the address given me- but
there were no such persons there. 1 then hunted
up the one who had his name to the notice in The
Herald, but no one knew lin either was un-
able to do anything, nor did | know what 10 do
for had but two shillingS in my pocket at the
Z
judge, explaining everything and handing him
the letters and Herald with the notice in it, Heidi
not know how to act in the matter but ne ordered
the clerk to examine the list of counsellors prac-
ticing in London, but ITO such names were found
among them. He admitted that there was schemine
somewhere, but he could not act in connection
with it The case was not in the proper court; il
should be IN the Probate Court and the appeal if
there was any, should be from decision of that
court, and ordered the whole matter to be returned
to it. Now here another comes III and saws he is ia
miliar with some features of the question that he
was the widows solicitor and she protested against
this portion OF the property being given away TO
any one, as it was hers by Inheritance before mar
riage-her husband never controlled or presumed
TO control 1t after marriage, and she claims it as
hers TO DO as She wills and pleases with. The
Judge asked him if he knew the firm of Bell Il
Bliss. He did not, he said The Judge then said
Ii was Late he thought after all the requests of the
VIII were carried out, except in my case, to come
with prayer Or protest before any court
1t was out of his Jurisdiction but he said ii he had
to decide on it, he would materially alter the cy-
pectatlonS OF some scherner at present unknown
1t was case of cruelty TO bring me so far from
home To be left on the streets of London riendless
and without means, and an act which he would
IKE 10 nave the opportunity OF passing sentence
upon. He then told the clerk to give me two
guincas and desired ne to call the next day tues
day, the 2ith). Then comes this Sawyer to me- say
ing lie was sorry that should be treated so in his
country; that had better return, as this was a
case it would take years probably to settle. This
same fellow on Tuesday tells the Judge there is no
proof of my identity, but if were the proper per
son had not complied with certain portions of the
VIII. l could nor, you know, as 1 sent the proof
over along with the affidavit the day you and went
to TaylOrS office and where theyarc now God knows
told the judge that had sent such proof by mail
TO this man Bell and that had persons in America
who could prove that did 50. left that dav with
an order from the judge to attend next day and
On that Gay was arrested in the courtroom. That
was Wednesday. Having deserted from one regi-
ment into another, was tried for deserving twice
so was cOurt-martialed ar Cork where the first
regiment Is, for both and sentenced to twelve
months and fifty lashes for each charge. Fiftv
laShes was RENTED in the first regiment on ac-
count Of service, but in the second one the SEN
tence stood so that l was y serve twenty-four
on the Sd of July, but only got seventeen
lashes, when l was taken down, unable to
stand more. did not know how many | got
until was told for was without feeling and in
sensible after the fifth lash got On the It'll after
walking three days and nights around a room un-
able to sit or lay, was sent to Spike Island and
put in hospital there. Here / got line TO one in
Queenstown, who came to see me; told ME to keep
up, as he would get me out some way and he did
so by sending one OF the soldiers doing guard duty
over us out here with me on board the same ship.
Then | had to change my name, and went on
board under the name of Monroe until got from
under the British flag
The rest of the letter is devoted to detailing his
destitute and helpless condition and declaring his
purpose of making his way to Washington as best
he can. 1t appears that Mr.. Healy sent him money
and shortly the hero of this tale
REAPPEARED IN WASHINGTON
His stories of adventures in the old country
were very interesting and could be woven into q
very pretty romance. Barton said that in early
life he had enlisted in the British army and after
few years service deserted, fact which explains
the allusion to his arrest in the letter.
Since his return to Washington he has ostensi-
bly, been engaged in correspondence concerning
his heritage. Recently he exhibited what pur-
ported to be a letter from the American Minister
to England stating that he had arranged to have
and had secured for him an honorable discharge,
that his visits to England hereafter would be at
tended with less peril.
Meanwhile Mr.. Healy had continued to advance
funds to Barton on the strength of the latters rep
resentationS, until Bartons Indebtedness to him
amounted to 81, 100. Of course such sums do not
amount to a great deal in the mind of gentleman
expecting an income of 1903 a year, but it was
enough to make Mr.. Healy feel little anxious so
he recently began to press his expectant friend for
money. Barton met his urgent demands with
statement that he was just about to realize his
golden prospects. The money he said, had been
paid into the Union Bank at London, and was to
be transmitted by draft through KGontz Brothers
bank in New York. On Monday, to make his !
statement good, he exhibited what purported TO
be a telegraph dispatch, directing him to meet the
person who sent the message at the St. James Ho- !
tel, New YORK, the next day between eight and |
one o'clock. The dispatch was signed NJ H." |
and Barton said it from Mr.. R. T. Mcrrick, the
lawyer who was managing MS affairs.
Since Barton's departure some of those !
who saw the dispatch recall the fact |
that it had a suspicious look. One of |
them says that it was written On an American |
District Telegraph Companys blank This dis |
patch being shown to Mr.. Hcaly, the latter con-
cluded that he would accompany Barton to New |
York and settle things once for all. |
BARToSS DISAPPEARANCE
Mr.. Healy went to New York and returned last |
Wednesday without Barton. His story is that |
when he arrived in New York with Barton, Barton |
reouesIcd him TO engage a carriage so as IN nrn- |