, 1889-03-07
THE GAY DECEIVER.
Another Chapter i'm A. b.
WadswOrth's Career.
How He WOOed and Won a
Rich California Girl.
When Exposed He Cassed the Convic
tion OF an Innocent Young Man for
Criminal Libel.

After reading the history of A. B.
Wadsworth, the man of many aliases, as
given by Detective James II. Walworth,
published in yesterdays REVIEW, Prof,
w. b. Turner, of this city, related the fol.
lowing interesting Renaissance to re-
porter:
"The reading of the account given by
Detective Walworth and especially the
name, Major Eugene Bannerton," re.
calls to my mind circumstance which
wonder has never occurred to me in this
connection before. You will observe that
in all of Wadsworth's 9 aliases the initials
of his boyhood name, Eugene Beauvoir,
are te be found, except OF late years, when
A. b. w. appears, as in A. b. Wadsworth.
A. b. Ward, etc. The circumstance am
about to relate will probably prove of
interest, and will, as am now quite posi-.
tive, furnish another chapter in connec.
tion with the history of this now famous
scoundrel. hrving taken years respite
from college studies.
"In 1877 was city editor of daily
evening paper at Napa City, California,
in which capacity had my attention par
ticularly called to a character who tallies
exactly in personal appearance and subse-
quently developed history with our Ar.
lington Buckingham of local fame, al.
though he then called himself Major
Eugene Bonner. About eighteen miles
above Napa City in the Napa valley is the
town of st. Helena, which Is the summer
resort of many prominent and wealthy
families. In the summer of 1877, two
wealthy families came out from San Fran
cisco and took up their quarters at their
was the family of William ID. Bourvoir
and the other Of Mrs. Langley, "a wealthy
widow lady. In the Burvoir family was
son, William b. Bourvoir, Jr., and Mrs.
Langley had
AN INTERESTING DAUGHTER,
Millie. Both these young people were
about 81 years Of age. They had been
playmates together. and were reported at
one time engaged.
"In September, there appeared on the
scene an aristocratic appearing man, aged
about 33 years, calling himself MAJOR"
Eugene Bonner, and owing to his fine ap-
pearance and other winning accomplish
ments at once won his way into the select
society of st. Helena. He was lionized
and sought after by the wealthy families
of the place, the Langley's among the rest.
He particularly captivated Mrs. Langley,
and at the end Of short time she thought
so much of him that she invited him to
make her house his home for the summer.
This invitation was accepted by the gay
Bonner, who at once made the most of his
opportunities by courthg the daughter
Mile.
"At this stage of the proceedir gs young
Browne arrived at St. Helena from
at Cambridge. Hearing of Miss Lang
leys infatuation with Bonner he wrote
to her that be had inquired into the ante
cedents of Eugene Bonner, that these in
quiries had not been at all favorable to
that parsonage and he therefore advised
her to have nothing more to do with him.
But the crafty Bonner had gained such
hold on her affections that the letter prov
ed of no avail. Less than week after
Mrs. Langley received an anonymous letter
which stated that the writer knew
Bonner,
A CoNsUMMATE sCOUNDREL
with wife and child in the East, warning
her to have nothing to do with him. Mrs
Langley showed this letter to Bonner, who
at once and openly accused young Bourne
of being the author, being prompted by
jealousy. So sure was he that this was
the case that he at once brought suit in
the district court against young Bourne
for criminal libel. Owing to the high
standing of all parties the case excited in.
tense interest. Bourne denied having
written the anonymous letter or knowing
anything about 1t. Judge Delos Lake one
of the best lawyers in California was en-
pleyed 10 defend Bourne. and Bonner Sc
cured Hall McAllister, the great San Fran.
cisco legal light, to assist the district at
torney in conducting the prosecution.
THE proof of the case hinged upon the
similarity between the penmanship of the
first letter of Bourne to Miss Langley and
the anonymous letter. The testimony was
principally given by experts in hand
writing, several of whom have since tes-
titled in the famous Sharon case, and oil
of whom professed to find many points of
resemblance between the two in spite of
the fact that the letter they said was writ
ten in u cranped and disguised hand.
After several days trial, young Bourne
was
ADJUDGED GUILTY
by the jury, and date fixed for his SEN
tence. Meanwhile he lay in the common
Jail several days, being denied bail on q
legal technicaiity. On the morning of the
day for his sentence, when court opened a
reopen the case on the ground of newly
discovered evidence. Judge Stoney, pre-
siding. said he would entertain such q
motion il satisfied that the evidence was
of sufficient Importance. A satisfactory
explanation was given by Bourne's
counsel, and q young man called to the
witness stand who testified that he was q
table waiter in one of the st. helena
hotels and that he had written the alleged
ceeded to prove then nd IL Gre by n aking
copy of the letter which proved 10 Oe
an exact counterpart. He si that he
had kept sil mt heretofore. not imagining
that Bourne cou be convicted but rather
than see him suffer wrongfully he had re.