The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-05-01


Not long ae-o an old man, looking
Ike 4 rich. retired merchant or banker,
walked into tn olicr Of one of the
foremost publishing houses OF New
York and asked 20 sec the head of the
grrn. That gentleman recognized his
caller as n man who tEval mtg years ago
had been the junior ~ -aber OF = great
wall street firm. IL -.is1 rem I'm bered
that the senior member had been one
Of Lincoln's most trusted advisers II
financial matters. The cX-banl1er said
You viii remember that my partner
who died about SIX months ago, was
very prominent during the civil war.
Everyone in New York knows that
Lincoln many times followed his cOun-
sell Now, ! nave IL my possession
papers and memoranda showing how
very much Lincoln was indebted to
him. This information Is OF q deeply
interesting, and, l might say, OF
startling character. / thought, pr
haps, We might make some arrange
ncnt to write a memoir. feel certain
that ii would pay, besides being lar
tribute to my lriend anu throwing much
light on history"
The cx-Uanlxcr went on TO tell that
he had proof that his partner drew the
original draft OF the eInancipatiOn
proclamation. besides doing many other
things of vital Importance. The pub
Iisner was delighted and made arrange
ments for writer To cau 1T the cz-
bankers house OF { c-rtain DAY and be
gin work. The publisher talked with
the eN- banker Tor an hour or more, and
they separated, equally well pleased
At the appointed time the writer called
AID began to discuss the forthcoming
book After some time the eX-banker
sad:
There is one thing I have not yet
told you, and IL is the most important
cf al" His voice sank to a mysterious
whisper: My partner assassInated Mr.
Lincoln"
No" said the writer, drawing back
and looking at the eX-banker IN an as
tonishcd way.
Yes said the ex-banler, ''he killed
h H." And then he proceeded to relate
O. v.li AID rambling story. The writer
questioned him. and was soon satisfied
hat ne wa stark mad. On all other
--bjccts he was perfectly sane. On this
1lc OF his partners connection with the
Lincoln akin. ,traJ.aa he was insane.
Instances Of TINS kind are not uacou-
non, and yet i is . iJrIa of insanity
hat Is almost incur.t-le. and is liable
to become dan. .erous ~ any time II
was this form IF m-EIa that possessed
DOuShcrty, who mu---rsd Or. Lloyd
Generally. however, 1t j. content wish
manufacturing 4 great hoax and stir
ring up N excitement
few years GsJ the police Of New
ark had an experience Of this kind
about which they decline TO talk eveu
yet. One day q man q respectable a?-
Pear1nce walked into police head
Quarters at Nevar-s Z. i said: i an n
dry goods merchant from Chicago. !
was passing through here and stoppcl
OF at the station. / had valise with
twenty-seven thousand dollars in bills
in it left the vaIise On a seat in til
waiting room whiI / stepped out Tor B.
moment When / came back it Wa
gone. l am fortunately not entirely
without money, as / h@ppened to have
! few hundred dollar. in Iay pocket"
The police were at first inclined TO
doubt, but when the man told of two
men who had followed him from Chica-
go and acted suspiciously, the chief
was interested. He ordered diligent
search for the robbers. Circumstances
came up which verified the mans story,
and the result was great hue and cry.
The man went to a hotel to await de-
velopments. He spent his own money
freely, and encouraged the police in
every way. Several days passed. The
story and the descriptions of the sup
posed robbers were telegraphed all over
the country. Would-be detectives in
small towns made arrests The news
papers were full of it and the mystery
grew each day. Finally the man from
Chicago took one of the detectives aside
and said TO him:
Perhaps | should have explained one
feature of this case sooner. 1t NAV
have an important bearing The fact
Is am JeSus Christ i think these rob
bers may have been the devil in dis
guise."
The detectives stared at him and then
called in other detectives, who put the
man under arrest. At first il was
thought that the loss of the money had
turned his head. But it at last came
out that aside from the fact
that he was a Chicago merchant the
story was false in every particular.
The police were enragcd and locked
the hoaxer in an asylum as soon as pos
slbie. They still remember the great
laugh that arose all over the country.
inspector Byrnes tells story of the
same nature. A merchant who lives
here and is reputed as sane as anyone
could be came TO him one day and said
that his wife was being annoyed by
letters from a woman who
vas trying TO blackmail him. He went
IN to tell all about the contents of the
etters, and the inspector began to feel
'reatly interested in the case, which he
was difficult At length he
aid:
Il can see only one way. We must
'ring this woman face TO face with
our wife"