The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-03
coon sronrEs or THE rnrsnvr OAR.
The Hemsrssbis Career OF . Cheeky Man
In Western Towns.


diana excited n good deal OF admiration as
we'll as disgust. Elne-tenths OF the adult
population OF any country have moro or less
sympathy for criminal. no matter what his
crime. and an offender OF supreme check and
polite address has tho whole fold to him self
This man made his start In n small town In
Ohio. He registered at the village inn as
James A. Gray OF New York" He was about
rs years old. good looking. woll dressed. and
he claimed to be rich and single.
Tho wealthiest man in the town was an old
fellow named Arnold. He would lend money
to his neighbors. but always Mt big interest
and on gilt-edged security. Ho never specu-
lated. gave to charity. nor encouraged local
improvements. He was 80 close listed that ho
had the name OF being a miser. He was SO
suspicious OF strangers that he would not
havo taken millionairos check for ton dol
lars. Tho President OF the village corpora
ton was leading merchant and accounted
shrewd man. He had a daughter 30 years
old whom he held to DO too good for any young
man in that county. Within three days OF his
arrival james A. Gray had become friendly
with the old miser and boon introduced to the
merchants daughter by the merchant him
self. Just six weeks to q day from the time
he entered the village he was married to the
girl and they started on bridal tour and to
buy machinery for o carpet factory. Arnold
and tho merchant had contributed $4,000
each In cash. and Gray had tho money in his
pocket. He deserted tho bride in Boston. and
she was homo within ten days.
Tho police record proved that just six weeks
later he returned to the Buckeye State and set-
tied down in q town about hundred miles
from the first Hero he gave his nnme as
Charles White and his address as San Fran
cisco. and claimed to be the owner Of q rich
gold mine. He pretended to DO looking for q
brother he had not heard Of for years. and
everybody gave him all the assistance posi-
bio. His first move was to feel grateful to the
Sheriff OF the county md let him into the mine
on the ground floor. In other words. no sold
the official $1,000 interest for $1,000. Tho
Sheriff had q sister who had been widow for
three years. She was young. good looking.
and had $1,000 life Insurance. AS White was
in hurry to get back to his mine he fell in
love- proposed.was accepted and the marriage
took place on the forty-second day after he
struck the town. He deserted his bride in
Chicago. and he got $4,000 Of her money to add
to tho $4,000 from the Sheriff.
His ncxt adventure took place in central
Indiana He mado his appearance in town OF
about 5000 inhabitants under the name OF
George II. Tompkins He claimed to be from
Boston, looking for q site for tool factory
which should employ 200 mon. His first move
was to secure an option on a ten-acre plat Of
ground. He then contracted for brick and
lumber In large quantities.. paying out about
$500 moro. Then he was ready to organize
the Indians TSGl Company r. and to fall l2Ss
shares Of the, company were put ut
$50 each. so that everybody gould IN.
sS Snd no Of sSf at n ID 5a to
get hold of this money. but was balked by the
thick headedness Of one Of tho stockholders.
started on a bridal tour. 1t took him eighty
days to bring things about in this tbs instance
ent. That did not begin to mako him even.
and he left hcr in Buffalo without dollar;
probably lying low somewhere. but at the end
Of that time he reappeared in a country village
eo r bsy o he 9 E
wealthy philanthropist looking for a good To-
cation 70 establish an institute for the FREQ
theory. and he paid 500 for an option Oh liity
aeres OF land. In the town was widow named
ton. On the third day OF his arrival they were
introduced, On the fourteenth they. were
married. mi. 1t may seem very rapid work to you.
hurry to get his building under way. and that
woman who had inspired u tender passion in
his heart They did not 20 away on bridal
tour. no bustled around Tor week or so.
up to Cleveland and returned no more. He
to9k with him $1,000 Of her money.
reward been offered. For that reason only
local officers were on the watch. After leaving
pretty close to the Illinois line. lie selected q
small town again; and gave the namo Of Prof.
academy. and when he had taken an option on
u site and contracted for brick and lumber tho
tSS u5s sed te s $500 thu en9h on 9 ss1o
was n young woman named Hastings, who
was the daughter Of u wealthy farmer and had
Which cam be- substantaed by tho police rec
ords otGincinnati; that the professorp his
on the eleventh day Of his Residence in tho tho
town. A week later. having failed to make
any money out OF tho transaction. he dis
The adyenturer made straight break for
northern Ohio. and in Q small railroad town he
rant near the depot was kept BY n widow Of
the name Of Albertson: She was 50 years OF
age and very plain looking. but in some way
bank. He introduced himself to her as a lee
turer on phrenology: and expressed his desire
hor for the first time at o'clock In the
married. 4 brother took tho restaurant. tho
next day tho pair started for Cincinnati. On
arriving there Prof; Robertson. rs tho man
ing to do SO. walked OF. Curiously enough
it was this plain-faced. uneducated woman
who brought about tho scamp's arrest. Sho
returned homo declaring vengeance. but it
:, Tho papers had had very little to say about
tho marrying man. In. some instances tho
affair had been hushed up and in others the
play was suspected or it could BIO Concluded
that he was out OF his right mind. between
eighteen months later. no married. six more
had six in each state. He had stuck to Ohio
and Indiana. and the sccnos Of some Of his
marriages were not moro than fifty miles
apart. His last marriage was to a Miss Rom
ington of Indiana. Ho appeared in the town
IL which she lived under tho name Of John
Worthington. and claimed to be II New York
architect on q vacation. Tho courtship lasted
wanted to go abroad to study architecture.
:, They were to spend their honeymoon in
wedding present They were at the depot to
another. and recognized the rascal before she
como to visit q sister. She denounced him.
and was SO emphatic that the bride tainted
was not in the least abashcd He blnndly con-
Al. ..-al