The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-22
DISCOVERED AFTER DEATH.
A Reformed Thief Leads a Respectable Life
for Twenty Five Years.

for Twenty-Five Years.
Philadelphia Commercial List and Price Current
Some twenty-five years since there came to
Philadelphia gentleman of fine personal ap-
pearance and much apparent refinement He
had means and. with his wife. found his
way into good society They lived in fash
ionabe neighborhood, and when he set up bust
ness as d manufacturer, inquiries were made as
TO his circumstances by the gentlemen with
whom he had dealings and it was discovered
that he was all right For a time his bills were
cash. as he produced no recommendations or
other information concerning himself, but the
bills were readily paid and discount allowed for
the prompt payment Gradually his circle
widened, and before long he had all the credit
he wanted, and, as his bills were al
ways promptly met, merchants Wed
with each other as to who should
sell him. Things went on in this way and in
the twenty-five years he had been in business no
fault could be found in any of his transactions
He bought and sold extensively, and among his
customers he was regarded as a man of great
probity. His exactness and correctness with his
employees was remarkable, and yet none could
be found who would dare to say that he was a
mean employer. He tried to do right so far as
his judgment dictated His wife soon became
celebrated as a friend TO the poor. and, as no
children had blessed their union, their house
was the asylum for more than one homeless and
friendless little one.
All things end. Not long since the merchant
died. His loss was deeply regretted. And now
comes the most singular part of this most curious
case. The undertaken was sent for, and he and
his apprentices proceeded to get the body ready
for burial. Judge their astonishment when
upon stripping the body it was dis
covered that the mans ears We're
clipped That he had once had natural ears
there could be no doubt. for all the indications
were there, but. in some way that could not be
accounted for, the tops of his ears were miss
ing Still another surprise awaited the under
taker, for, on turning the body on its face, there
flac IF hoo
of large black bold-face T. The absence of
ears on the corpse had been a surprise, but now
the letter T, so plainly stamped in the white
skin of the back. was most unaccountable. The
ears might have been frozen off, but they could
not account for the presence of the T. They
proceeded to put the corpse in proper condition,
and then sought out the wife, and in the most
delicate manner informed the lady of their dis
covemes. The lady manifested no surprise, but
accounted for the absence of the ears to q hunt
ing expedition in Canada She said
that when young man her hus
band was great hunter, and on one
occasion, while making excursion to the
woods of Canada, had been caught in a terrible
snow storm and had had his ears so badly frost
bitten that the upper half fell off The presence
of the 7 on his back she accounted for by say
ing that he had fallen piece of iron while
bathing at Long Branch. and the mark on the
back was the result Of shat fall. The accident,
she said was not remarkable, but as it would
only excite comment to have it bruited about,
she requested silence.
In due time the body was conveyed to the
grave followed by the wife and numerous friends,
but no relation was known to be present When
all was over the apprentices of the undertaken
spoke of it freely among their friends, and by
degrees it reached the circle of the dead mans
friends. 1t became matter of con
versation, and so highly did one
Of the gentlemen become wrought that
he commenced an investigation of the matter
among some of the Western towns which he re-
membered hearing the dead man speak of The
result of this investigation has just come to
hand. and from it we learn that the respected
merchant had at one time been a notorious thief.
and had had his ears clipped and the INV brand
ed upon his back by vigilance committee in
one of the Western Territories He had been
the leader OF bold and successful band of rob
bers, and on one occasion had had the punish
ment before noticed inflicted upon him for steal
ing horses. 1t was pretty well understood that
shortly after this little episode he and his COM
panions attacked WellsFargos Express, and
with the money he had made in this reprehensi
bic way he came East and settled down as an
honest man; the result we now familiar with.
Truth is stranger than fiction.