Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-03
A LONG STERN CHASE
Which, Like Most, Has So Far Proved
to be Without Avail.
NO WAY OF CATCHING s. B. W. GILL,
Although One of His Victims Has Spent
Fortune in the Attempt
SOME OF THE FUGITIYFs wAEDERINGs

SOME OF THE FUGlTlYE'S WANDERlNGS
Although lacking in its redeeming fea-
lures, the career of the distinguished and
widely missed S. B. W. Gill, who left Pitts
burg in the centennial year of the 1nde-
pendence of the United States, is almost as
romantic as that of Edmond Dantes,
Dumas hero of 1.-THE Count of Monte
Cristo," and Mr.. Stewart Robertson, of
No. 103 Sandusky street, Allegheny, can
tell it, if so disposed. Mr.. Robertson
wasn't in the humor yesterday afternoon,
doubtless having grown somewhat misan-
thropical under q sense of his injuries. In
fact, it is stated that his estimate of the dis
tribution OF honesty is that sit is as scarce
among men as scales on toad's back. ="
This feeling was also pronounced in a
conversation between Mr.. Robertson and
the assignee in bankruptcy in Gill's case, at
the late meeting OF creditors in Register N.
W. Shafer's office, when Gilrs catchable
assets were administered upon and found to
yield between two and three mills on the
dollar.
Mr.. Robertson is the only creditor on this
part of the footsto ol who is able to make
Mr.. Gill any serious trouble, were he to re-
visit glimpses OF the moon hereabouts, as
Mr.. Robertson was the only one who prose-
cuted. A true bill was found by the grand
jury, but Gill cometh not within the juris-
diction of the court, or If he did, it is in
manner that makes it impossible to put a
finger on him. Mr., Robertson says he is
confident that Gill is in the Dominion of the
Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, in
Montreal or thereabouts. He is now man
f70 or more-Mr. Robertson says con-
siderable more-and is supposed to be very
rich with the spoils of two continents, North
and South America.
WASTED SMALL FORTUNE.
Mr.. Robertson's proven claim was in the
neighborhood of $50, 900, and he says Gill
did him out of S45. 900, and he, Robertson,
spent in addition small fortune in the at
tempt to bring the fugitive to justice. only
desisting when his resources failed.
After it was ascertained beyond doubt
that Gill had gone Mr.. Robertson instigated
q pursuit. He says he learned that Gill
spent the following night at the residence of
q prominent citizen of Philadelphia, we'll
known in Pittsburg. He appears to have
gotten q tip, however, and the next heard of
him he was stopping with relative in the
mountains of California. Mr.. Gill soon
smelled pursuer on his track, and cut his
visit short, and he was next heard OF taking
passage on a tramp steamer. Mr.. Robertson
put a detective on his track, and after an
Of I'D he
located Gill in Rio Janeiro, where he occu-
pied much more space in public esteem than
he had ever done in Pittsburg. He had
cultivated friendly relations with the En-
peror of Brazil, Dom Pedro, and mad in ad-
dition become prominent in a railway enter
prise. A company wanted to build rail-
way from Rio de Janeiro to Para, and was
not overly blessed with money.
Mr.. Robertson says that Gill's son, Harry,
had been in Brazil, and Gill pere found his
path pretty we'll smoothed on his arrival.
However that may be, the story runs that
Gill represented himself as a man of means
who had retired from active life, but had
found idleness insupportable, and desired
some occupation to prevent the rusting of
his faculties. He said he would take $780,
900 worth of the railroad stock at par ii the
company would make him treasurer. The
company conferred, and subsequently pro-
posed to make Gill treasurer, on condition
that he put in quarter of a million of the
dollar he had taken, mainly, from the men,
bers of the church to which he belonged
here.
MADE IT PAY HIM WELL.
It isn't supposed that the company knew
It was dealing with a fugitive from justice.
1t is said that Mr.. Gill made his stewardship
SO profitable at the expense of the company
that Brazil would now be hotter place of
residence for him than would Allegheny
county,
1t was during the time that Gill was
riding on the crest of prosperity's wave in
Brazil that Mr.. Robertson's detective fell
fell foul OF him. Dom Pedro was consulted
and GiIl's rascality unearthed, and he said
that if Robertson would foot the bill he, the
Emperor, would have Gill conveyed in a
tug within q league of the shore of the
United States, so that our authorities might
nab him.
Meantime, Mr.. Robertson's means were ex-
hausted and he asked for help from people
hereabouts but could not get it. and while
he was trying to raise cash Gill perfected
his plans and making haul from the rail-
way company of a size that dwarfed his
operations in this country, hired tug him
self and left Brazil without Dom Pedro's
helm.
Gill's track was cold for several months,
but finally Mr.. Robertson's detective located
him in New Mexico, where he had established
three banks and was the idol of the people
whom the lavish outlay of this Napoleon
of finance" had greatly benefited. The de-
tective reported that no representations that
could be made had any effect to shake the
confidence of the people, and he did not
believe it would be safe for regiment of
men to attempt Gil's arrest. The latter
finally sprung his trap and left his victims
to calculate their losses while he went
northward for his health, at least Mr.. Rob-
ertson believes he did.
Mr.. Robertson says Mr.. Gill lives six
miles south of Philadelphia, in New Jersey,
and he believes that Gill has eaten Christ
mas dinners in the United States within
very few years past. There is no insinua-
ton in this that Jersey is foreign State.
with which we have no extradit1on treaty.
NO EXCUSE FOR BEING CROOKED.
8. B. W. Gill was regarded as a fair
lawyer. He was wealthy, started wealthy,
had fair practice, and had no excuse for
but he is certainly cold-blooded,
L.