The Portland daily press., 1892-09-07
ROMANCE OF A ROGUE.
How a ShleWd AdVenturer Fooled
Prominent Officials.
COPYRIGHT, 1892, BY BAcHELLER & JOHNSON.
His Part in the TiIden- Bayes Controversy.
A Colonel Who Never Smelt Cum
powder His Downfall and the Ro-
J markable Events that Led to 1t.

A Colonel Who Never Smelt Cum
powder--His Downfall and the Re-
marlable Events that Led to II.
COPYRIGHT. 1892. By BAcHELLER JOHNSON.
This is the romance of rogue. The
story has never been told. The rogue was
never discovered to the general public.
Skilled in the art of deception, he made
great place for himself and at one time
was historical figure at the National
Capital He had much imagination, fair
address and good memory. He was not
satisfied with his position in life nor his
own history. By the force of will and
his imagination he created for himself
new position, based entirely upon false
hood, and through his adroitness he reached
confidetial position under the Govern
ment and was accredited abroad with
letters of our highest officials, so that the
most exclusive circles of Europe were open
to him.
The other day saw him, broken, gray
and worn, ON one of the back streets OF
Washington. He is now in the last stages
of invalidism and has been under treat
ment for some time in the Government in
sane hospital. AS he is now harmless and
beyond the ability to deceive anyone, it
will not be necessary to give his full name.
It will be enough to call him "ths
Colonel"
He was always known as the Colonel,
even in his most brilliant days, although
he had never served in any army and had
never even smelled gunpowder. Through
mere force of assumption he made the
grave and dignified War Department grant
him the honors due to full Colonel OF
the regular army, and it was through the
Acknowledgement of the United States
Army that the Colonel was introduced in
England to Lord Wolseley as an officer OF
rank and consideration in the service OF
the War Department
A Sham in All Things.
This successful adventurer played ,
great part in our history during the event
full winter of 1875 and 1877, the year OF
the Tilden-Hayes dispute. AT one time
the Colonel was absolutely the arbiter OF
the situation and held in his hands all the
threads of those delicate negotiations
which were carried on between the mana
gers of the Republican party in the North
and the political leaders in the South.
saw the Colonel at short range during a
number of years, and was an eyewitness
of some OF the principal phases OF his
career. sat at the same table With hin.
in the hotel where he stopped when he
first came to Washington, and received at
various times enough of his confidence to
keep me well informed concerning his ca
reer. Afterwards, when he became so sue
cessful, became sufficiently interested to
make an investigation, and learn the exact
truth of his real history.
He came to Washington early in the
winter Of 1876 as a newspaper correspon-
dent representing daily newspaper in
the city of New Orleans. The Colonel
was then in the neighborhood of 40 years
of age There was nothing particularly
striking about his appearance; there waa
nothing to suggest the military character
that he afterwards so well played. He wai
a small, understood man with a slight
stoop and rheumatic limp. His face,
however, was rather distinguished looking.
His head was large, his forehead was very
full and broad; his ron gray hair was cut
very Short his color was good; his eye,
were very dark brown and most persua
sive in their expression; his nose was
small aquiline; a slight gray mustachs
shaded his mouth. Except this his facs
was smooth shaven. In front of each ca,
was small dab of English whiskers. The
Colonel came to Washington unknown
and unheralded. He seem ed chiefly re
markable in the early days for his ability
to adapt himself to every new situation.
He had not been in Washington more thar
a month when he adopted the most care.
full and precise dress Of what he called '1s
haut monde" He discarded the soft black
hat of the South for the stiff high hat %
the North and East. He attached himself
very soon to the Louisiana Lottery Com
pany and so had larger income to crafty
his tastes, which were extremely social.
No one ever saw the Colonel drunk. He
was very careful and abstemious in his
habits. He devoted almost his entire at
tention to Washington society. He made
khS IuduI CELLS tzS OkAC WHO VI SobAhO0
officer. In the easy going society of
Washington any one who is well dressed
and deports himself with decorum and
dignity can go very nearly where he likes.
he Colonel had evidently never found so
inviting a field He attached himself to
the diplomats by telling them remarkable
stories of his power and influence in the
South. He made many friends among
the Southern men because he represented
a Southern paper, and when with them
he was the most unrsconstructed rebel
living. The wife Of the Spanish Minister
was pleased with his formal politsness
and attention and honored him at nearly
every entertainment with her special
favor.
It was during this winter that the
Colonel decided the role he was to play.
He saw the attention given to officers in
society at Washington and decided at
once that he should become an officer.
Ac ha WAC then nj ouinu tho roIe If hainQ