The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1890-05-22
A coLlEsE MANS STRANGE cARsHE
vicissitudes I'm the Life of Man Who
Was Cremated In Missouri.


Was Cremated In Missouri.
John R. Duffin, who died at the Plus
hospital, and whose body was cremated
at the. Missouri Crematory, was well
known at Belleville, and seems from his
own statements while there to have had
a very eventful life.
Duffin, whose real name was Hamlet |
Shakespeare FELTON,, was released from
the penitentiary at Chester, Ills, Feb. 90,
1890, upon pardon issued by Governor
Fifer, having been sentenced to that in
stitution by the circuit court of st. Clair |
county, April 6, 1888, for twelve years
for forgery. Duffin made his appearance
at Summerfield, little town in the |
northeastern part of st. Clair county, in |
the fall of 1879, and secured work asia
farm laborer.
His intelligence and gentlemanly bear
ing soon gained him many friends in
that locality, and it was not long till he
began transacting legal business, making
loans, ETC., for number of the wealthy
and prominent farmers at Lebanon town
ship. On April 1, 1880, he secured
blank note at the First National bank Of
Belleville, with whose officers he had be-
come acquainted through acting sagent
for the Summerfield farmers, and on
April 10, 1880, he returned the note,
signed by Mr.. Jacob Schmht as principal
and Messrs. William R. Padfield and
Julius Winkler as securities, and got
900 on the note, which was drawn for
"a, 106.70, payable in, four months.
The bank officials did not suspect any
thing wrong in the matter until two
weeks had passed, and then, upon COM
municating with the parties whose
names were on the note, they learned
that the signatures were forgeries. In
the meantime Duffin had fed, and,
though large reward was offered for
his capture, he was not apprehended till
June, 1882, when he was accidentally
met with in Decatur. Ills, by Mr.. E. A.
Winkler, of Symmetrical, Ills, a son of
| Julius Winkler, one of talesureties on the
note. He was at once arrested and
brought to Belleville, where he was tried
| April g. 1888, and sentenced, as stated,
| to twelve years in the penitentiary at
| Chester, Ills .
Duffin made pathetic address to the
! jury that convicted him, in which he
said he was an orphan and was born un'
/ der the English flag in Spanish waters
and had been adopted by one Randolph
Dufin, who had him baptized into the
Catholic Church as John Randolph DUFF
fin, although his real name, he claims, was
Hamlet Shakespeare FELTON,. He com
pleted his collegiate education at EtoI
college, England, studied law at Har
ward university, and completed his Law
studies at Mary's Inn, Oxford, England
He also claimed to have visited Soutl
America, China and other foreign lands
and to have been member of Walker
filibustering expe dition to Nicaragua.
While in Jail at Bellevile, and ais
while in the penitentiary, he wrote man
poetic illusions to friends here and TO
the press That he was talented ther
was no doubt among those who came i
contact with him, and he proteste
against his conviction for forgery an
claimed that he obtained the signature
of the parties to the note by fraud. Coy
ernor Fifer granted him pardon after Il
had spent nearly seven years OF n
twelve year term, whels it became eV
dent that consumption, with Which oil
ease he had been sui fering for SON
months, would soon e: I'd his Days
Louis Clobe-Democrat.
Fifty-nine walters at the Paine
House, Chicago, were discharged Mon
day, because they refused to leave tn
Culinary alliance. Hotels have combine,
Tor an aggressive 81 against the ALI
ance.
Too copious rains have caused foo
at Hornellsville, N. Y. Many house
have had to be aban doned. In the Nc
hawk valley the fat lands are flooded
The Erie canal has been damaged cor
siderably.
Patrick Hynes, national treasurer 0
the Ancient Order of Hibe1nianS, is
self-confessed embezzler to the amour
of $500. Members of the ogder tlAinl
his stealings are more than that sum
He has skipped.
Tomsk, the capital of Western Sibe
ria, was visited by fire and cyclone sim
ultaneously. The result of the com
bined disaster being the destruction Q
| three-fourths Of the city and the loss o
hundreds of lives ..-.
Large numbers of respectable youn
English women are being shipped t
Queensland, Australia. at the expense O
the Queensland government. They al
kept free of cost after Landing. unit
proper employment is obtained
The examination into the sanity o
ex-senator Charles w. Jones. of Florida
took place at Detroit, Mich, Monday
and the unfortunate man ordered com
mitted to the st. Joseph's retreat. Jone
will carry the case to The supreme court
l. The publishing HORSES of D. Appieto
& Co., A. S. Barns e. Co., Vision. Blake
man & Co., of New York, Van Antwer
& Co., of Cincinnati, and D. D. Merrill
of st. Paul, have been sold to the ne al
formed American Book company
Ed Smith, champion of Colorado, stoo
up five rounds before Jackson at Batter
d, Chicago, without any apparent yum
ishlnent. His hackers have issued
challenge for a finish fight with an.
pugilist except Sullivan, Jackson AK
McAuliffe for $5, 600 side.
Stanley has suggested to the c, Slmit
tee in charge of the Stanley expo ditto,
that the money raised be devoted ID th
equipment of steamer to ply on tn
Victoria Nyanza, in the service and. TO
the benefit of the tribes of that re ZION
| N@ saNN. ,ss.s.~---