The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-07-21
4 REMARKABLE CAREER
Preacher, Printer, Tramp and
TrickSter.

The st. Louis Republic of this
morning contains the following;
Shelby Hughes was arres:ed yes
terday by Detectives Archambeault
and Tracy. He is wanted in Benton
rankin county, on q charge Of rs
sault to kill. and will be taken there
to day. There are also supposed to
be a charge of bigamv and one Of
forgery against him, the latter at
Mount Vernon, III.
Hughes career has been q strange
one. When boy Of Is years he left
school, scarcely able to read or
write. He secured q posii"n as
printers devil for country newspa-
per. After having became journey.
man printer bis rowing spirit mani
tested itself. and for eight years be
drifted about the country, working
first here and then there. In Kansas
he studied law and was admitted to
the bar. In another State he
taught school for awhile and
| in others he fell
back to typesetting. While drifting
about from one place to another, he
took to drink. Finally he determin-
ed to study for the ministry. A
year of close attention to his books
fitted him for this new calling. He
stopped drinking and for time trav-
eled about in Illinois preaching the
doctrines of the Methodist Church.
While in Mount Vernon, ILL.,. charge
Of immoral conduct was preferred
against him for Using harsh language
in the pulpit. He claims he was vim
dicated, but rather than again face the
inhabitants of that place he left,
drifting to Ardmore, /. I. There BY
the aid of letters OF recommendation,
which he is charged with forging, he
managed to Obtain charge of a church.
Several months later his rowing dispo-'
siton again got the best of him, and
he drifted into Sedalia, No. A posi-
ton as reporter on
the BAzoo was secured.
On the night of April Is last he mar
ried Miss Laura Bomgessor of this city
whose parents live at 1415 Carroll
street. There he made an applica-
ton ror the passionate Of "a new Con-
gregational church just being erected.
The position would have been Sc
cured had not prominent member Of
the committee err cling the edi6ce re-
ceived letter from Rev. Mr.. Thomp-
son, of Mount Vernon, charging
Hughes with having forged letters of
Recommendation which had secured
him various positions. To add to his
trouble the contents Of the letter BE-
came known to his wife, and after
married life of about two weeks she
left him. She is now stopping with
friends in jacksonville, Ill. From
Sedalia Hughes driftedp to st. Louis,
stopping at various small towns on
, the way. Here he secured position
with a weekly paper, and commencedi
the study Of medicine with the inten-II
ton of becoming a physician. Adj
mittance was secured in local medi-
. cal institution and had he not been
arrested he would have obtained d.
ploma in q year. /
Hughes is q confirmed opium and
morphine victim, having contracted
, the habit four years ago after he ceas-
ed drinking. While in his cell yes
terday be pleaded piteously that the
drug be given him, but no attention
was paid to the pleadings.
According to his own statement
Hughes had four wives and was &C
cused of having fifth, but denied
t that allegation. All are dead or le-
gally divorced, he says with the exi
ception of the last. One when hf
married her was twenty-eight year
his senior. He thought she was
rich, but the mistake va
discovered several days later and {
sepsration followed. Another woman
3 whom be was accused Of having mar.
3 ried and who is still living Isl Blanche
.. Willard of Milwaukee. The prisoner
however, claims that she was only hi;
mistress while be was in the latte
place for q period of six month.
The prisoner claims to be we'll VI
in literature, and says that he cal
5 converse freely in eight languages, a
. Of which, together with his othe
knowledge he mastered while driftini
about. He is willing to return to an.
place he lie wanted without requii
; ton. b
sssE....,s WINE OF cAanu. sor female dissase