Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-10-16
a COLLEGE MANS STRANGE CAREER.
vicissitudes an the Life of Man who
Was Cremated In Missouri.

Nicisstudes sn the Lie OF Man Who
Was cremated IN Missouri.
John r. Duilin, who died at the Plus |
hospital, and whose body was cremated |
at the Missouri Crematory, was well
known at Belleville, and seems from his
own statements while there TO have had
a very eventful life.
Dufiin, whose real name was Hamlet
| Shakespeare FELTON,, was released from
the penitentiary at Chester, Ills. Feb. %,
1890, upon pardon issued by Governor
Fifer, having been sentenced to that in
stitution by the circuit court of st. Clair
county, April o, 1888. for twelve years
for forgery. Duffin made his appearance
at Summerfield, little town in the
northeastern part Of st. Clair county, in
the fall of 1879, and secured work as a
farm laborer.
His intelligence and gentlemanly bear
ing soon gained him many friends in
that locality. and IL was not long till he
began transacting legal business, making
loans, etc, for number of the wealthy
and prominent farmers at Lebanon town
ship. On April /. 1890, he secured a
blank note ut the First National bank Of
come acquainted through acting as agent
for the Summeriield farmers, and ON
April l2, 1880, he returned the note,
, signed by Mr. Jacob Schmitt as principal
, and Mcssrs William r. Padheld and
Julius Winkler as securities, and got
$1,000 on the note, which was drawn for
81, 106.70, payable in four months.
! The bank officials did not suspect any
e thing wrong in the matter until tw,
}, weeks had passed, aud then, upon com
d muncating with the parties who's,
names were ON the note, they learne,
o that the signatures were forgeries. II
; the meantime Dufiin had fled, and
:, though large reward was offered 70
! his capture, he was not apprehended iii
1. June, 1882, when lie was accidental
ID met with in Decatur, His, by Nr. Il. a
y, Winkler, of Symmetrical. Ills, a son G
es Julius Winkler, one of the sureties ON III
SO note. He was at once arrested an
brought to Belleville, where he was trie
= April 3, 1883, and sentenced, as state,
TO twelve years In the penitentiary
o. Chester, Ills.
ip Duflin made pathetic address To Il
ia jury that convicted him, in .wh;;ch
ne said he was AN orphan, .son was horn n
is' der the English el in spanish waite
~. anu has. Seen adopted by one Randol
at pu',..i, who had him baptized into I
-. Catholic Church as John Randolph Dl
as lin, although his real name he claims, "
line Hamlet Shakespeare FELTON,. He co
Irs. pleted his collegiate education ut IT
Who college, England, studied law at Ii
ere ward university, and completed his i
tier studies at Mary's Inn. Oxford, Englai
era He also claimed To have visited SoI
M 'i America. China and other foreign Ian
a., and to have been member of Wake
Ter. flibustering expedition To Nicaragua.
Of While in Jail at Belleville, and a
lest while In the pcnitentiary, he wrote ma
irs poetic illusions to friends here and
ost the press. That he was talented tn
nus was no doubt among those who came
~. contact with him. and lac protes
~. against his conviction for forgery a
- claimed that he obtained the sigratu
i'm. of the parties to the note by fraud. O.
mas ernor Fifer granted him pardon after
pom had spent nearly seven years of
yer twelve y-ar term, when IL became .
eye dent that consumption. with which
,he ease he had been suffering for SO
- months, would soon end his days.
-. Louis Globe Democrat.