Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-10-07
4 coLtEGl MANS sTaAN0s c4aseR.


vicissitudes IN the Life OF = NJ. 49,.
Was cresnated in Missouri.
John r. Duffin, who died AZ the Pin.
hospital, and whose BODY was crematad
a the Missouri Crematory. was Wen
Known at Belleville. and seems from Tia
own statements while there to have had
very eventful life. -
Duflin, whose real name was Hamiat
Shakespeare FELTON,, was released from,
the penitentiary at Chester, Ills. Feb. "a
1890, upon pardon issued by Goyernor
flfer. having been sentenced to that a..
stitution by the circuit court Of st, Clair
county, April 9, 1883. for twelve wears
for forgery. Duffin made his appearance
at Summerfield, little town in tbe
northeastern part Of st. Clair conntv n
the fall Of 1879, and secured work a. !
farm laborer. = :
His intelligence and gentlemanly hear.
ing soon gained him many friends Il
that locality, and it was not long IN ha
began transacting legal business. making
loans, etc., for number Of the wealth.
and prominent farmers at Lebanon tour.
ship. On April 1, 1880, he secured !
blank note at the First National bank ~
Belleville, with whose officers he had ha.
come acquainted through acting as agent
Tor the Summerfield farmers. and IN
April IL, 1880, he returned the note
signed by Mr.. Jacob Schmitt as princina,
and Messrs. William r. Padfield ana
Julius Winkler as securities. and OF
N'ooo on the note, which was drawn for
u, 106.70, payable in four months.
The bank officials did not suspect any.
thing wrong in the matter until two
weeks had passed, and then, upon com.
municating with the parties whose
names were on the note, they learned
tnat the signatures were forgeries. In
the meantime Duffin had fled, and.
though large reward was offered for
MS capture, ne was not apprehended till
June, 1882, when he was accidentally
met with in Decatur, Ills, by Mr.. E. A.
Winkler, of Summerfield, Ills. son OF
Julius Winkler, one of the sureties on the
note. He was at once arrested and
brought to Belleville, where he was tried
April 3, 1888, and sentenced, as stated
to twelve years in the penitentiary al
Chester, Ills.
Dublin made pathetic address to the
jury that convicted him, in which he
said he was an orphan and was born un
der the English flag in Spanish waters
and had been adopted by one Randolph
Dublin, who had him baptized into the
Catholic Church as John Randolph Duff
fin, although his real name, he claims, wa.
Hamlet Shakespeare FELTON,. He com
pleted his collegiate education at Etor
college, England, studied law at Har
ward university, and completed his law
studies at Mary's Inn, Oxford, England
He also claimed to have visited Soutl
America, China and other foreign lands
and to have been member of Walker,
filibustering expedition to Nicaragua.
| While in Jail at Belleville, and alst
while in the penitentiary, he wrote man,
poetic effusions to friends here and fo
the press. That he was talented ther,
was no doubt among those who came il
contact with him, and he protested
against his conviction for forgery ant
claimed that he obtained the signatures
of the parties to the note by fraud. Gov
ernor Fifer granted him pardon after h
had spent nearly seven years of hi
twelve year term, when it became evi
dent that consumption, with which dis
ease he had been suffering for som
months, would soon end his days.-St
Louis Globe Democrat.