The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-12
THE BOGUS CANVASSERS.
George Alexander, Alias Cyrus Cush-
man, ON His Way to Walia Walla.

Deputy Sheritts W. G. Estep and Griffin Has
tie, OF skagit county, arrived in this city at $50
last evening on the Great Northern road, br. ng-
Ing with them George Alexander, alias Cyrus
Cushman. Alexander was placed in the King
county Jail until o'clock last evening, when he
was taken out and conveyed to the Northers,
Pacific depot. bound for Walla Walla His visit
TO the state penitentiary will last three years,
unless he breaks jail or dies before the end OF
that time. He is one of the smoorhest and most
accomplished swindlers in the country, and il.
the few months that he has been in this part CT
the country he has gained most surprising
reputation as crook. His career has been rs
full of adventure as one would find in a 5-ceut
novel.
-Four or five months ago the business manager
OF the Observation-Disclosures began to get COM
plants from points along the Canadian Pacific
railway, III British Columbia, telling OF the de-
cidedly queer actions of an agent who was calI-
wasting there. Before the bogus agent could bs
located lie would disappear, and after a few
weeks he would De heard of in anothet locality
He canvassed Vancouver, Victoria, New Wess-
minister, h amloops, Nanaimo and other places,
and finally Disappeared after syEindling a lot Of
people at Mission City. There he broke into "A
store and nearly killed Chinaman. who wss
on guard He borrowed a map and left. The
next heard OF him he had stolen a SUIT az
Clothes ii a farm house. Tnen he came doW4,
into Nhatcom county aud commenced to eau
vass FOR the Seattle Telegraph, using a Posr-iN-
TELLiGESCER map. His scheme worked, at1
his pocket, were always full of money. HIS
scheme worked splendidly until he ran un
against +. ". Pollock and W. NJ. sheffield It
Mount Vernon. Both had been PosT-INrELl7-
6ENCEa reporters, aud both knew e. c. Cusfs-
man, The real Telegraph agent. An exchange Of
teiegraIns resulted IL the arrest OF the bogus
agent. When the hearing was to come OF the
prisoner asked ior minutes conversation wit.,
his attorney in the iatters offica II got rid OF
the attorney upon pretext and then jumped
from the window, ana was two blocks away b.
lore the lailer IL whose charge he was discog.
covered his loss. unuckily, Alexander ran
square into the arms OF Sheriff Davis, who VIZ,
coming from dinner Two weeks ago AIes-
anGer pleaded guilty TO the charge OF obtaining
money under iaise pretenses ana he would prob
ally have gotten one year in the penitentiarg
Bat the day after he slipped out OF jail whe1,
the i0ler came to give him his breakfast hiding
his shoes and hat III his vest. The sheriff sert
out men IN every direction, and thirty-six hours
after Deputy Essep captured the jail breaker or,
the IA road track near McMurEay.
The deputy saw Alexander trott!ng down tlrs
track and called upon him to bait. But Ia
stead OF heeIlng he broke into fnsfer eais
katep fred II scare him, ana that falling, IA
gave chase and caught the fellow after a ous~-
Ter Of mile chase. Twice on the way to Moutt
Vernon he tired 10 slip away again. hut wx.
t0led both times
Alexanders remarkable pcnchant for escas-
ing the officers gives RS, to the belief that +.
= much more wanted criminal than a, fir
supposed aud the officers are now irving %
identity him s. crook under some other mama
lie bears al the earmarks OF Il bad man, and his
sac incarceration IN the Nalla Malta strong box
VIII no the community OF . dangerous man.