Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-17

tillery uniform and dressed up like n
common soldier. George at once accOsted
the writer and informed him that he was
there as detective, to keep the Yankees
and Uontederates from trading together.
The next day Gentleman George was seen
coming between two guards to the old
Washington Hall, where the Markham
House now stands. He told the guards
that his wife, whom he claimed was very
wealthy, was stopping 1T the Washington
HAL, and asked the guards to wait outside
while he Went in the room 10 see his imagi-
nary wife, The unsuspeoting guards
waited some time for Gentleman George
to make his appearance, but he never
came he had slipped out OF the window
and made his escape. This was the last
heard of him for some time. When the
Yankees came to Athens he was hand
in glove with them. and rode around
showing them where the richest
people lived. Gentleman George
disappeared from Athens and went
to fields more flush. He emigrated
to Washington city and sued out "A par
don that he was worth over 100000.
President Andrew johnson granted the
pardon, and armed with this document as
wealthy Southern planter, he made his
way to Indiana, and soon ingratiated
himself with the family Of a Maior-Gener-
al, who had a daughter worth $4,000 in
her own right. Here was chance for
Gentleman George, aud he awaited himself
OF II, and soon married her and proposed
to take his rich bride to his brothers ranch
in Texas. The unsuspecting bride started
with him, and going down the MISSISSIPPI
pi river the funds OF Gentleman
George began to grow alarmingly short.
He found passenger on the boat who
had plenty of the filthy lucre, and be, to-
gether with two others, robbed the rich
passenger. For this Gentleman George
was arrested and lodged in Baton Rouge
jail, with a fair chance Of going to the
penitentary. His young bride, almost
heart-broken, went back to her fathers
in Indiana and told him, with tears stream
ing from her eyes, that the rich bride
groom was fraud. From this point we
lose sight of Gentleman George for some
time, and a great many have said that he
served several years IN the penitentiary
for robbing the man on the Mississippi.
Others, more knowing, say that he got
out and went to Mexico, where he was
engaged in getting horses from the MeXi-
cans and trading them in Texas. We
are inclined to believe the latter story, as
Gentleman George never had any Idea OF
going to the penltentiary, and if there
was any chance to get out he awaited him
self of it. The next we hear of him he
is ON boat going down the PotO-
mac river from Washington city, where a
gentleman from Athens met him en- route
for Europe with party of gentlemen. He
said that be had large lot of cotton in
Europe which he was going over to sell.
Gentleman George landed in Europe and
got into the service of the Queen of Eng
land as a detective. From nigh living in
the Queens service he contracted con-
sumption and a few years ago died. He was
one of the shrewdest, sharpest and bold
est rascals ever raised in any community.
He was as liberal as a prince and as bold
as lion. He played for big stakes, and
had he turned his attention to better
things would have been a very useful
man. Athens has never furnished poet
or many actors of note, but for daring
rascality Gentleman George takes the
cake.