Morning journal and courier., 1889-03-01
HIS NAME WAS SMITH,
But He Was am Imposeor All the
 Same.

6ut RIG " as an kmpOBtOF All Sh0
 Same.
 The story of the career of John Alexapder Smith, alias Thompson, lately highly pop- ular 'misson preacher" in Liverpool and its neighborhood, but now an unmasked impos- tor and fugitive from justice, presents, says the London News, some features which dis tinguish it from the common record of the swindler's career. This rogue appears to have been not above the mean and cruel fraud of getting cash out of poor widow on promise of marriage, which could not be fulfilled, if there be any truth in the statements of a woman in Whitehaven who claims him as her husband. For this req son, aggravated by the fact that while he was csjoling the widow and inducing her to sell her household furniture he was making an equally per6dious proposal of marriage to a Liverpool young lady, the police are very desirous of ascertaining the where abouts of the ex-preacher. But John Alex- ander Smiths great failing was not so much swindling ss propensity for hoaxing. His passion was to be regarded by his fellow men as an incarnation of romantic generosity; and he appears to have revelled in the tenn porary delight of playing the part of a Liv- erpool Monte Christo. Smith seems to have originally introduced himself to the Liver pool folk as a ''converted actor" and this description in the eyes of the many consci- entious people who look with disfavor on the stage was no doubt potent recommen- dation. If they had carefully inquired they might have discovered that he had never been an actor, properly go called, though be- sides being soldier and policeman, and probably many other things, he had at some time been theatrical supernumerary. One thing was certain; he was an illiterate man, for his speech was 1ngrammatical and be was accustomed to write the first personal pronoun in the form of small 'I." But he had ''command of language and an earnest style." Hence, though the converted actor "was sixty years of age and of by no means attractive appearance" i" he exercised no small amount of fascination over many worthy people.
 As may be surpassed, John Alexander Smiths popularity did not grow less when, some time since. he made known that he had come into a large fortune, partly through the death of his wealthy father and partly under the will of a rich brew CT, and that it was his resolution to be- stow his wealth upon all sorts and condi- tions of men, women and public institu- tions. To this and that deserving minister of the gospel he declared his intention of paying one hundred pounds a year; to a score of missions, churches. chapels and temperance associations he sent the well come news that they were to be endowed with sums rising from one hundred and fifty to seven hundred pounds. One day the case of poor man who had worked as temperance missionary, but was now poor and fourscors years of age, came under his notice To him Smith at once granted life annuity of twelve pounds. Still more joy ful news was in store, for Smith announced that he had succeeded in founding mission for seamen, and had raised seventeen thou sand pounds for that purpose, in token of | which he began to engage missionaries from Dumfries, Whitehaven and Manchester. Under a marriage settlement, moreover, which he instructed his solicitors to draw ! up, he undertook to place fourteen thousand pounds in the hands of trustees for the ben eft of the widow, as well as of two young ladies whom he insisted on befriending. Particulars of Smiths ingenious machina- | tions and multifarious forms of roguerY are even now accommodating daily. So the game of building castles in the air, and settling them upon friends and acquaintances, was played. But obviously this sort of thing