Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-09-03
now an Ex-Attorney and Ex-ConVIct swim
died His Cell-Mate,a Relatives.


died His Cell-Mate's Relatives.
Toilet (IlL) Cor. st. Louis Globe Democrat
Ten years ago Samuel E. N. Gates was
one Of the most prominent lawyers at the
bar of Iroquois County, Ill, and was hon.
ored and respected by large circle of
friends. Since that time he has lost not
only his honor, the respect of his friends
and his character, but has twice become
an ex-convict, and the prison doors are
now yawning for him again. WhilAhe was
an attorney at Watseka, ILL.,, Gates took
to drinking heavily, and in a few years
became total wreck, morally and finan-
cially. To obtain money to crafty his
love for liquor he began forging the names
OF some of his old-time friends to notes
and checks for small amounts, and final
ly, becoming more bold at his success in
getting small amounts, he used an Iro-
quois County mans name on paper
for quite a sum OF money, and
then left the State. 1t is said that he To-
Gated in Missouri, and through some man
ner Of his crooked operations he fell into
the Missouri peDitentiary for a term of
i've years. At any rate, after a disap-
pearance of about that length Of time, he
returned to his old stamping ground at
Watseka, ILL.,, and was soon afterward ar
res'ed for forgery, and upon trial was
consigned to the Joliet penitentiary for a
term of two years. In prison Gates braced
up and said that when his term expired he
would be man again and never touch an
other drop of intoxicating liquor-laying
all his misfortunes to whisky. On August
IL, 1885, Gates was turned out of prison a
free man, and nothing further was heard
OF his whereabouts until last week.
1t appears that while Gates was serving
his two.year term at Joliet he worked in
the same shop with and had as q cell-mate
one Henry Hempkin, a convict sent up
for fifty years from Jcrseyville, in 1879.
Gates obtained the confidence of Hempkin
to such an extent that the latter
infoi med him concerning all OF his private
affairs, gave his sisters names and their
addresses, and told how we'll fixed his
relatives were, and in fact was pumped
completely dry by the willy ex-attorney.
No sooner did Gates become a free man
than he opened up a correspondence with
sister of Hempkin, living near Brighton,
Jersey County, and told her that he was a
prominent lawyer; that he knew all about
her brothers. case, and having great infiu-
matter for him to procure a pardon from
the Governor for Hempkin. He further
stated that he had been to Joliet to see her
brother, and that Hempkin had begged Of
him to visit his sister in Jersey County,
that she would deiray all expenses Of pro-
curing the pardon, etc.
Gates wrote the sister ut Brighton that,
as it would be impossible for him to come
and see her, she had letter send him a
certain sum of money, and he would at
once go to Springfield and procure the de-
sired pardon. Without further delay sew
eral hundred dollars was forw arded to
Gates by Hempkin's sister, and she ex-
pected to see or hear from her pardoned
brother at any moment.
Days and weeks rolled by, but no fur
Their communication came to her from
Gates. She then bethought herself of
writing to her brother at Joliet, and she
did so, forwarding to him all the letters
she had received from Gates.
Hempkin was struck dumb at the du-
plicity of his former cell-mate, and wrote
to his sister that Gates had swindled her.
that he was an ex-convict and a scoundrel
OF the first water. The matter was placed
in the hands OF the States attorney of
Jersey County, that Gates might be found
and prosecuted, but the oily rascal had
fed the State, and is now probably seek
ing new victims in some other State. A
term in the penitentiary will await him
should he ever show up in old Jersey