St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-05
A FIFTEEN-YEAR JAG.
A New York Man Who Got on
q Drunk Lasting Many
Years.
Charles Guillemot's Celebra-
ton, Which Included Fiji
teen ChpiStmaSeS.
How He Squandered $4,000
and Had Plenty OF So
Called Fun.
He Sues for Another Fortune
"A Most Romantic
Career.

early age, says Tie NcW 1"lh WI"
When he first began TO make observa-
tons of his surroundings he found him
self living with father and mother
named Guillemot. The woman was less
than twenty years OF age. pretty and
dark compIeXioned, and she spoke
French usually and English sometimes.
The man was young, too, very little
older than the woman, and he also
spoke French habitually, and English
only at times when he was addressing
some one who could not talk French.
There was another man who spoke
ONLY English, and moved in a dlgnlfed
way in and out of this very early life of
Charles. He was tall and dark and
stroug-featured. He did not live in the
house like Madame and Monsiuer Gull
Iemot, but came about once week ana
was treated with great respect by
Charles mother and father. At these
times he would take little Charles on
his knee and talk to him. He always
had a dime and a little candy for the
child. and, as he had little to say to the
Guilemots. it looked as if he came TO
SEE Charles.
And Charles heard that the tall man
who spoke only English and who paid
so muchg attention to him was his god
father, and was very rich and famous
lawyer.
Revelation and a Wfndfall.
When Charles was seven years of age
he was sent TO ST.. Johns college, at
FOrdham, where boys of all ages are
taken, and he stayed there for six years,
coming home to the Guillemots only at
holiday times. Nine. GuillemOt petted
and cried over him at such times, and
the strong-faced. famous lawyer came
to see him. and patted him on the head
and gave him big silver pieces and said
he was a fine little fellow and was grow
ing fast. When Charles was ten years
of age Nine. GuillemOt died, and four
wears later NJ. Guillemot Shout
dered his musket and went to
fight for the Confederacy, his affili-
atoms with the Louisiana CreOles
being too much for his love for the
North, where he had lived so long. SO
Charles went to live in Montreal with
his mothers sister, and his godfather
wrote a letter and sent money, and
Charles education was continued at
big Montreal college. at tWenty-one
years of age his gOdfather'S gratuities
ceased and Charles went out to seek
his fortune. AT tWenty-four years OF
age he had made 1.-THE was an S.
week clerk in Roses cigar store. One
day Charles received letter from his
aunt in Montreal that made him drop
his work in a great hurry and 20 and
see Lawyer William G. Wetmore att
Nassau street.
"Oh, your name is Charles Guile
mOt?' asked MI. WetmOre.
Ives, sir"
"Well. your aunt has Informed you
correctly. Your father, John Rowland,
about $4,000"
WAS he my father? l thought he
was my godfather"
HE was your father"
"And NJ. Guillemot?"
"No relation 10 YOU"
But Mime. Guillemot was my moth
err"
"SEe was your mother"
Charles when away after having
heard from the lawyer that it would
take a long time for the executors to
settle up the perhaps it would
take two years. Meanwhile he could
not get any of the $4,000, and had bet
ter continue working in the cigar store
for IS Per week.
His First Thousand.
To young man of tWenty-fOur years
who has always been punched for
money 81, Geo looks like an ineXhausti-
BILE sum. Why, Charles could have a
great deal of fun on So 1t would go a
long way. He had been used to spend
ing only about ST on the dissipation of a
whole week. And $50, 600! 1t took his
breath away.
And yet, though in sight of land of
plenty. he was starving in desert.
Two years, the lawyer had said, he
might have to wait. and two yearS-.it
might as well have been 1000. What
young man of twenty-four can wait two
years to be rich?
Charles had another trouble. The be-
quest seemed too good to be true He
would believe in the money if he could
only get it in his hands.
Charles had one or two good friends
In the city. One was Mrs. Howell, wife
of Mr.. Howell, and the other was a
man who visited Mr.. HowelPs family
frequently and who was relative of
Mrs. Howell, President Barmore, of the
Knickerbocker Ice company.
$50 you want some Of your money
right away, do you?" said President
Barmore, when Charles had stated his
difficulty. "Well, you had better see a
lawyer. They're all rascals, of course,
the lawyers, but you'll have to ask adj
vice from one in this matter. / think
the old lawyers are bigger rascals than
the young lawyers, so see a young law
yer"
Charles sought out a young lawyer
and was informed that he could get
money Immediately, but would have to
pay high rate of interest, as he might
die before he came into his inheritance,
and then the man advancing the money
could not recover cent. as in the event
of his dying before the settlement of
the estate his share would go to the
other heirs. Mrs. Adele de SerZe How
land, wife of John Rowland; her daugh-
ter and young Portuguese to whom
Mr.. Rowland had been a godfather in
the same manner as he had been god
father to Charles. Nevertheless the
young lawyer got Charles $1,000, for
which he gave a note for $1,000, to be
paid on the settlement of the estate.
How will you have it?'' asked the
bank clerk quite cody, as Charles pre-
sented his check to be cashed, still feel
ing that there was a mistake some
where and his fortune was too good to
be true.
ANY way" he replied to the bank
clerks question.
His Fortune InexIlaUstible.
He bundled up the bills he received
and walked hastily out of the bank. To
his lawyer he said he would go to his
friends in Canada and stay till the es-
tate was settled. He went to Montreal.
and at first lived very quietly among his
French-Canadian friends. But this did
not last long. The story of his wealth
spread, and his friends multiplied with
astonishing rapidity. He was Cresus
even among the richer French-Canadian
young men, and he soon found himself
the leader Of as gay band of spirits as
ever rent the midnight air. Like the
friends of Gargantua, they were all tail
fellows, great guzzleIs and good players
of skittles. Again and again Charles
had TO repeat the note-shaving process,
borrowing money on his prospects at
rs per cent interest OH two-year loans.
Sometimes he gave so per cent interest.
1t was all the same-$S0.0O0 was mex
hauStible.
AT last the estate was settled up and