Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-09-16
LACY'S GALL.
HIS RgAL NAME HARRY BBRTRAN OF
CALIFORNIA,
Where BE Has Done Tine hr Swindlng-He
Curses The Rsgsisr-Hs Hearing to
Come OF THIS Afternoon.

The narration Of Harry Lacy's exploits
and the publication Of his bare-faced at
tempts to swindle and defraud, was the
talk Of the city, yesterday.
sco1ea and hundreds of the REGISTER IS
readers had met or heard of Lacy during
The week and the chronicle Of his manoeu-
yres had a particular interest for them,
while the general public read the story
with avidiiy.
A great many people fell into the error
OF coniounding the prisoner with Harry
Lacey, the well known actor, who hiss Wis
tied this city in times past; but the bogus
circus agent is altogether a different party.
In fact, bis name ia not Lscy at all, but
Harry Bertram, q man who has done time
in the California penitentiary for swind-
ling. The following, from the last issue Of
the Clipper, corIObOrates this;
LANCASTER, PA man who said his
name was Harry Lacy, representing that
be was a contracting agent Tor FOrepaugh's
Circus. called on Manager Durham, Of the
Opera House, on the 9Th, sayiug be wished
TO arrange for billing the show. which
would exhibit here October ], . Mr..
Durham telegraphed to Adam Forepaugh,
who replied that the show would not be
here this year, and that the man was an
imp0ster. Harry Ulmer, mansger Of the
She Co, arrived here on the 9th and
spoke to Lacy, who was leaving for the
West on the same train. Ulmer recognized
him SO Harry Bertram, who had served a
term 10 Jail in Cal flrnia several years agO
for obtaining money by claiming TO be IN
advance Of various shows and securing a
bonus from people with whom he made al
legged contracts. He is az his old tricks,
bat Manager Durham nipped his little
game in the bud, although several people
hsd already fallen viciims"
lacy srriyed in Wheeling on the Sth,
and be must have come right through from
Lancaster, probably having fixed upon
Wheeling ia advance, as the next Point
for working bis sEindliug schemes. He
stopped of at Little Washington for a
few hours, and it was probably his
plan, II he got cut Of Wheeling all right,
wss 20 90 back to that town, and work 1t
this week, during the Fair. There can be
little doubt bu. that be has been working
@ pre-arraugsd route over the country, and
now that he has been brought up here with
q round turn, we may hear Of him from
several other places Lacy's gall in coming
Lere, after being published IN the Clipper,
Is Characteristic of the man the wonder 10,
no one 10 the city, coming in contact with
him, bad read or heard OF the item.
Lacy will be given a hearing before
Justice Phillips at two o'clock this after
uoon. on the Bgubaker case. Should he
succeed, by any means, in getting out Of
that scrape, he will be re-arested by
Others, or held on Mr.. FOrepaugh's tele-
gram. Several gentlemen called at the
Jail 10 see the prisoner, yesterday. Some
be refused to see, but others were convers-
Cd with quite freely. He realizes ne is IN
serious trouble.
List evening a REGISTER reporter called
at the Jail and sent Ia a card to Lacy, but
the imDoster was in bed, and asleep, and
would not be disturbed. There were nu-
merous other callers st the all during the
afternoon and evening, and the vanity Of
the prisoner caused him 10 believe "his
friends" were sticking TO him." in his
trouble
As soon as Lacy awoke yesterday morn
ing, be called for the Tailor, and asked for
o paper. He was told the papers gave
him big headlines, and a good deal Of
spsc5, and his curiosity 10 see journal
was redOubled. A REGISTER was handed
him. and after looking at it, he said:
81 see that d-n REGISTER gives me
column. - d-n 'em, I'd like to get
out long enough 10 lick one Of their staff. "
Soon afterwards be said:
"Say, I want a lawyer, and a d-n good
Oh ed 'ye he2rf
The ililor told him he would get him a
"d-n good one, b1t az preliminary,
be- would have TO put up o retainer Of SO
OF So Lacy said:
"Ol, MONEYS 10 Obi aCt to me 10 this
matter. Get me hrst-class lawyer 1
don't care what 10 costs D."
The TAILOR declined 20 do anything until
the money vas forthcoming, and as Lacy
had bat So or So on him when searched
Saturday afternoon, re got no attorney.
Daring the day, when enc Of the gentle
men he had 5wiudied out Of about $50
called upon him, he said;
Young man, l want my money back. "
"Who the devil sre yon?' said Lacy.
vi don't owe you anything. Send in your
bill; what have You got to show that /
owe you a dollar2'
This naturally inside the caller q little
srathy. and be expressed himself in some
what vigorous language, when Lacy ap-
roalei TO the iailer for protection, saying
be- ough. not 20 be abused when under
lock a1d hey.
During the day the prisoner was asked
as % where he came from, and in reply
said his father was an Irishman and his
mother an English woman. His people
came 20 this country, and went to the
West, ard at this time, his relatives were
nearly all il California. This corroberates,
To- part the publication in the Clipper, re-