The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-05-03
A Man of Many Trials.
Row the Reformed Book Agent Went in
Search of a Member of the Smith Fami-
ly, and What He Found.


ibid ever tell you,' commenced the re-
formed book agent as he filled his glass, "of
the interview had with one of our family
at the time the old man was working up our
family hstory?'
II guess not" said the Washington street
saloon keeper. 'How was it?''
"Well, about as follows: Father was try
ing to get at the facts connected with our
family history, and, in particular, the facts
concerning prominent members of the faml-
ly, and one day he called me in and told me
TO get ready to go to Calais, Maine, and have
an interview with the most prominent Smith
in that section of the country The old man
said that the Smith he wanted was an old
man who had been almost everything In his
time, who had served in the Mexican army,
been gold hunter in California, pioneer
settler in Texas and the like TO hear was
to 1T, and weat TO Calais aud was told
that the old general was at st. Stephens,
and that he never came over to the Amerl-
can side. | thought that looked little
strange, still l didn't know but he might be
one of the fellows who think with Henry
James that there isn't anything American
quite good enough for them, and the next
day hunted the old rooster up. He was
tine-looking old chap, George, and Just as
straight as they make EN- He was all of so,
and that was in 70, so suppose he's dead
long before this. walked up to him. gave
him my card, explained the nature of my
visit and asked him If he objected to talking
about himself. He said he didn't object in
the least, but, on the contrary, should find II
real pleasure TO go over old times with me.
"'Iou have had many trials Ia your time,
| suppose said to him by way OF a starter,
and the old buck almost took nv breath
away, when he replied, Yes, and I've been
convicted about every time I've been tried
Yes, I've had some trials since left old
Massachusetts nigh on to sixty years ago.
How came you to leavef / asked.
They wanted me on charge of passing
bad money! he replied, adding. sand from
Boston went South but 1t was no place
there for man with any git to him. Jist
because cheated planter out of 1920 by
using marked cards, they wanted to lynch
me, but got away, and had to borrow a
boss in order TO do it, Self-preseryation is
natures first law, and in order to preserve
myself had TO take the boss, and sold him
later for $500. Got that down for yer
book?'
II said had, and the old sinner went on:
: found that there want no openin' for
me In the South, and as had been more or
less at sea off and on, went to New Orleans
there was rough set there, an no mis-
take-an' once there / went into the pirate
business for while. We didn't do much of
business, though, an never killed man,
sept the cap'n or some of the crew got
drunk an wanted some fun When the
pirate trade got duh went on a SLAYER to
Africa, and in that line made quite pile.
As general thing we managed to land half
the negroes we started with, and the profits
were very good. Sometimes when grub got
short we had to throw q few of them over
board, but as we picked out the poorest of
the lot it didn't make so much difference as
you might think. Got that down for yer
bookp
II managed to tell him that had il all
down, and he went on once more:
After while got tired of that sort of
life; him and went back to the South
but killed man, was tried for 1t, and SEN
fenced to be hanged. broke Jail and went
out among the Iniuns, and had quite
pleasant time of 1t for while; | Joined lot
of good fellows, and when there was war
| we took hand at il, and when there was
| peace we went in and riled the red niggers
nhtff fs r Gated All Is outlaws an The Whites
went to shootin' at us an we at the whites,
an in course of time the place got too hot
for us, and packed up my scalps an other
things an lighted out for Texas. Have you
| got that down, young feilow?'
Il said had, and he resumed his story.
| and talked on for a good two hours, only
stopping once in while to take drink ard
TO ask Have yer got that down for yer book,
| young fellerg He told me stories about Tex
| as that were enough to make your hair
| stand on end, and his narrative Of his life In
Mexico, how he married the widow of a gen
eral that he killed himself, how he entered
/ the Mexican army, rose to the rank OF gener-
/ al, and left at last with $500, goo of the pull
lie money given him to pay off the soldiers
of his command with, was startling. He
told how he was in California during the
| gold excitement and made money by selling
miners drugged liquor and then robbing
| them. How, when Kansas was bleeding
he killed and scalped free States men. All
| this and much more he told me that after
noon, winding up with the information that
for ten years he had resided a. st. Stephens.
| watched all the time by the agents of the
United States government. His public ca
reer, he said, ended when the plot in which
| he had been engaged to make raid on all
| the National banks of the United States a.
| ADb5 1AN RaheA2dit ftuc Udl DSCI uisGONsEtQ.
| He let me go at last, having first made me
| promise to send him a copy of the book
| when it came out"
Ibid you do it?' asked the Washington
| streeg saloonist.
''Not much. That night / had a talk
| with law officer; l asked him IL he could
| keep secret, and then read to him the notes
/ took of the conversation | had with the
| many times murderer. He nearly killed
himself laughing when described the APP
pearance of that dreadful Smith. Why,
that's Bill Frazier he said; he was never
twenty miles from st. Stephens in his life.' -
But he don't dare to go over the line
into Maine, said, and the officer said that
was true; that Bill got drunk over there
once and was fined SO and costs of court
They let him go home to collect the money
and he never went back
And you didn't find the general your
father sent you to see after all?'' said the
Washington street saloonist, passing the box
OF cigars to the reformed book agent, obedi-
ent to wink from the horse car conductor
on the South Boston road, who had listened
TO the story with great interest.
20, yes did" said the reformed book a.
gent. He had been in Mexico, and his title
OF general was due TO the fact that he was
once general agent Of a New York liquor