The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-11-10
A BRILLIANT FORGHR
Takes the Name of the
Daughter of the Con-
federaCy.
sTODDARD BEATS TIE JAIL.
Must Have Had an Accomplice
0utside-Clever Enough to
Get Away.
sTODDARD BEATS THE JAIL.

Superintendent Smith and Chief of
Police Murphy have just unearthed a
novel scheme which was intended to vic
timize United States Senator General
Gordon, of Atlanta, Ga, and DIR. William
Morrow, of Nashville, Tenn, to the tune
of 81 900 each, but unluckily for the con-
spirators, the intended victims dropped to
the game and put the police of this city
on their track.
The game to be played was unusually
clever, and although the police will not
acknowledge it, that prince of swindlers.
Edward L. Stoddard, alias Woods. alias
Wolfe, etc. ETC., who occupies cell in
the County Jail. is believed to have been
the prime leader in the intended swindle,
though it is palpably evident that he
| must mad accomplices in the work.
Stoddard, who by his cleverness out
witted the Governor of Tennessee, as told
in The NEWS, in this instance of deviltry
assumed the name of Miss Winnie Davis,
daughter OF President Davis, of the late
Confederacy, sending to Senator Gordon
and DIR. Morrow the following letter.
CLEVER EPIsTLE.
JERSEY CITY, Oct. 10, 1891.
SIR:-ConformabIy with request of
my dear mother ask of you favor in
her behalf; that you accept her note for
81, 600. payable in ninety days. You may
send draft or cheque, payable to either OF
US, at your earliest conven-
ience. Mother assures you that
| she will certainly be able to care for the
| note at maturity and will heartily appre-
| eiate your kindness We are having. as
you are undoubtedly aware. trouble with
| the publishers of my honored father 3
| book, and mother has been Obliged to
sales, as the firm was inclined to defer
payment beyond the time specified in the
| contract We hope soon to have matters
| properly adjusted, that we may return to
| Beauvoir aud not again be summoned
north. In order to escape the confusion
and publicity of hotel life in New York,
we engaged quiet quarters in snburb
of this city, where we are stopping
somewhat incOg. Mother is badly worn
| from travel, labor and worry and is quite
anxious to return home. She has been to
| SO much expense recently that her ready
money Is reduced to minimum point
| and she is compelled to effect a loan for a
short time. She will soon be in receipt
of comfortable income as the book is an
assured success and will rank among the
| greatest works Of modern times. She
| certainly merits the reward for she has
| toiled assiduously to complete my
| lamented fathers unpublished work. She
! begs me to assure YOU that she will be
happy to welcome you to Beauvoir.
Whenever 1t may please you to call, we will
extend all the hospitality in our power.
| Awaiting your gracious response believe
me, sir,
Very truly and respectfully,
WINNIE DAVIS,
No. 81 Ash street.
| Lafayette,
| Jersey City, N. j.
To DR.. VIM. Morrow,
| Nashville,
| Tennessee.
| An exact copy of this letter was mailed
| to United States Senator Gordon the
same day. October 10 Superintendent
Smith heard from DR.. Morrow on the
| subject. He at once concluded that
| Stoddard was implicated in the scheme.
| The case was put in charge of Chief Muir
| ply, and Detective Clos was detailed to
the Post Office. to arrest any .person
calling for the mail of Winnie Davis.
| With view TO facilitating the bust
ness a dummy" was mailed to Miss
| Winnie Davis. This letter was not called
| for, and finally it was sent to the house,
| No. 81 Ash street. by letter carrier. No
| one there answered to the name of Davis,
and as Stoddard was in Jail the police be-
| lieved that his accomplice had become
| alarmed and skipped.
| Chief Murphy this morning, in giving
| the case to the reporters, said:
"No one by the name of Davis was at
| the house, and we believed that the auth
| or was not in a position to call at the
Postoffice fol his or her letters"
| The police have no doubt, however.
that the scheme was hatched by Stod-
| dart.
The opinion of the police is sustain ed
| by the internal evidence. In every swim
die traced to Stoddard he invariably
began his letters with the word ICON
formally" and ended by waiting for q
| gracious reponse."
| 1t also appears that Senator Gordon
sent the letter he received to Mrs. Davis,
in New York, who at once sent it TO
| Superintendent Smith with the informa-
| tion that it was a forgery.
| DR.. Morrow is one of the firm employ
ing the Tennessee convicts who were re-
Gently in revolt. Stoddard is the only
man in Jersey City who is likely to know
him-another reason which points to him
as the forger.