The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1891-12-22
AT HIS OLD TRICKS
FOrger StOddard Almost Vic
timizes Elliott +. Shepard.
MKINLEY'S HAND INITIATED,
And 30 0leverly Done that the Colonel
Was for Time Deceived.
HAND INITIATED,

Has So Nearly Succeeded In Getting on
Reformed Young Man, with Broken
Hearted Mother Out west---A clever
Piece of Work.
NEW YORK, Dec. % Edward L.
Stoddards forgery mill in the Hudson
County Jail, where he has been pris-
ouer since last August, has been very
busy of late, but the boldest effort that
he has made to raise money by the skill
full use Of his pen was the scheme which
has just come to light to raise ST. 200
by forging the name of Gov. elect Nc
Kinley, of Ohio The victim selected by
stoddard at this end Of the line was FL
hott f, Shepard, and the plot came
near being successful
mSeverRl days ago Col. Shepard received
letter bearing the postmark Canton,
Ohio, and marked private and conf
Dental" Before reading the letter he
looked at the sigma and was 1elight-
ed to see the bold signature OF william
Mckinley, Jr, After few personal
matters the letter stated that Mr. Nc
Kinley had become greatly interested in
q very III lb hy yOAhB Alaut JdluSh D
Wolfe by name, now confined 4in the
Hudson County Jail for forgery.
Mr.. Mckinley did not know the boy very
we'll, but was intimately acquainted
with his father who was his school
mate.
The boy had ruined bright prospect
of success as a lawyer by hard drin king
and association with thieves He was
on the stool of repentance now, felt
sorry for his misdeeds and had eN-
pressed an earnest desire to reform. He
had been away from home for several
years and his mother mourned for him
as dead. She was surprised to get
letter from him few days before, in
which he stated that he had made up
his mind to live honestly, and had
turned his thoughts to religion and
would hereafter take the Bible as his
guide Mrs Wolfe could not stand her
sons piteous appeal for assistance, and
she called upon Mr. Mckinley and de-
posted 50, Wv 80 be sent to her son in
instalments
Mr. Shepard was directed to call up
Wolfe at the Hudson County Jail and
examine into the alleged reformation
of the young man. In order that there
should be no mistake made, a dozen
questions were given which would make
the Identification positive. These re-
lated to Wolfes birthplace, che names
of his parents and ancestors, the towns
in which they had lived, and the date
of birth and death and the burial place
of some of the members of his family.
In case all the questions were answer
ed correctly, which would be a guaran-
tee that Wolfe was the right man, Mr.
Shepard was to give him 81, 200, which,
the latter limited, was to be used in
bribing the guards and jailor, so that
he could make his escape from the Jail
ard from punishment for crime that
he did not commit.
The letter directed Mr.. Shepard to
call upon Judge William d. Daily Of
Hoboken, who would accompany him to
the jail, but under no circumstances
was Mr. DAILY to be told of the letter or
receive the money.
The letter was so plain and the sigma
ture of Mr.. Mckinley so perfect that
Mr.. Shepard was inclined to send the
money to Wolfe without further in
quiry, but on the following day he tele-
graphed to Mr.. Mckinley at Canton
asking if the letter was all right and
received a reply which indicated that
Mr.. Mckinley was puzzled aud did not
know what Mr.. Shepard was trying to
find out.
Mr. Shepard gave the letter to} his
lawyer, Robert c. Alexander. Mr..
Alexander could not see any flaw in the
letter and went with it to Judge Daly's
Office in Hobolen. The Judge did lot
know anything about it, aud he and
Mr.. Alexander went to the Jail.
The prisoner is not known as Stoddard
there. When arrested he gave the name
of John S. Wood, and two months later
it 60 John s. Wolfe. Mr. Alex
ander was surprised at Stoddard's ap-
pearance He is over six feet high, aud
very we'll built, has an intellectual face
and refined manner.
He was very shy at first and would
not talk, but finally admitted that he
had written to his mother for help. Mr.
asked Stoddard all the ques-
tions to identify Wolfe, aud he answer
ed them all correctly. Mr.. Alexander
tried to trip him up by severe cross
examination, but Stoddard was equal
to the test, and the lawyer left with the
impression that tho letter was genuine.
He retained Judge DAILY to look out for
the prisoners case and said he would
send him a check for 5000
Judge DAILY refused to accept it, as he
believed the Mckinley letter was a for
gerry. He knew something of Stod-
iard s history, who had got his release
from a Jail in Tennessee by forging the
Govern ur's name to pardon, and had
been accused of forgery in other States.
That the letter was forgery was con
hrmed shortly afterward by a genuine
letter from Mai. Mckinley.