St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-18
A TITLED VAGABOND,
The Drunken Bet of an Embyro
English Earl and What Came

Oh He
Chicago Inter Ocean.
Once in while real live lord, with
his his pedigree spread out in Debrett
is allowed to run through Chicago with
out being noticed, but not often. 1t
came pretty near happening yesterday.
but the Inter Ocean hates to see the
record broken too often, and so gives
his Ludship paragraph.
When the train due from st. Paul at
in the morning arrived yesterday, an
hour and half late, tall, gentlemanly
looking man emerged from one of the
sleeping cars. A reporter for the Inter
Ocean, happening to be in the depot at
the time, recognized him as notorious
English nObleman well known to the
police authorities at Scotland Yard,
from prison after serving nine months
sentence for Swindling tradesmen.
Upon being accOSted by his name,
Lord Hinton, his face betrayed him,
though he at first attempted to deny his
identity and gave the name of William
Thomas, d most unfortunate admission
on his part, as his Christian names are
known to be William Turnour Thomas.
The reporter at this point was obliged
to leave him to attend to the business
that had called him to the station. and
afterWard his efforts to trace him were
unsuccessful. The account of this
young nobleman'S life forms quite amin
tereStlng history, even his birth Great
ing domestic scene unusual at such
proceedings. The Earl of Poulett. in
the year 1S49, was lieutenant i'll the
Iwenty-Sec0nd regiment, stationed at
portsmouth, and one night, taking more
than was good for him at mess, he made
bet OF i. 900 that he would marry the
first woman he met. Upon leaving the
barracks the first woman he encountered
was well-knOWn character about the
streets known as Betty Newman,
though Debrett gives the name as Miss
Elizabeth Newman, daughter of James
Newman, pilot, POrtsea. George Pou-
lett the had not then come into the title)
could not afford to lose e1 900.
SO he married the lady on June 90,
1S49, and the gentleman who honored
Chicago with his presence yesterday
was born December 18th of the same
year. George Poulett by no means expe-
rienced those feelings that are supposed
to animate the paternal heart on the
birth OF son and heir, but, on the con-
trary, separated from his wife and
refused to have anything wateyer
to do either with mother or son.
At the death Of his uncle George
Poulett became Earl Poulett, and
this son of his wife was legally Wis
count Hinton, and upon arriving at an
age of understanding he was not slow
to take that title upon himself. He
was educated at Church House college,
Merton, Surrey. at eighteen he was
by no means model boy, and for
time lived the life OF tramp, finally
obtaining position as clown at the
Surrey theater under the name of Cos
man.
In 1869 he married ballet dancer by
the name Of Lydia Shippy, and they
have one son living, the Hon. William
George. For several years Lord Hinton
kept up the business of a clown, but in
1879 he enlisted as private soldier in
the Seventeenth regiment, and was, in
the course of few months, drafted out
to India. Here he let it be known who
ne was, and had he behaved himself he
might very soon have obtained a COM
mission, but after number of very
sharp deals with people in Calcutta and
with some of the officers OF his regiment
he deserted, and upon being captured
he suffered six months Imprisonment
and dismissal from the service. In
1888 he turned up at Port Said,
Egypt, and was locked up for three
days for attempting one of his sharp
practices upon the prOprietors of the Ell
dorado, famous gambling resort in this
place, but he managed to escape and
obtained passage to England. Here,
it is claimed, he pursued the same
tactics, visiting jewellers, gunsmiths
and others, getting them to send articles
to various places, forgetting to pay for
them, and Immediately dlsposing of the
things for whatever he could get for
them.
He was eventually brought to book,
and for securing some guns suffered
nine months imprisonment from which
he must have been released about six
months ago. Bankers, merchants and
others had better be On their guard
against this nobleman, as he is an ex-
ceptionally smooth party and has had
large experience in the best ways Of
living without much work. William
Turnour Thomas, Viscount Hinton, is a
man of thirty-nine years of age, but
does not look more than thirty-two,
dark cOmpleXioned, with a slight mus
tache, large dark eyes and long lashes;
when last seen he had OH Sealskin
cap and long dark OvercOat lined with
the same material. He carried gold
headed umbrella and Russian leather
dressing case. He has not registered at
any of the leading hotels, nor has long
search succeeded in locating him in the
city at present.