The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-08-29
Wilkinson. the Alleged $4,000. 600 President
of the Airy bubble. Tells Pitiful and
Interesting Stery to the officers.
Several Columbus Citizens Caught in
the Miller. Wichman Failure.
Strange Action Of Swell Couple with Two
Babies-JOhn Pippen, OF Nashville, Who
Was Supposed Dead, Turns Up Alive.
THE MADAGAsCAR "MrLLIoNAIRE."

Says He Was Made Involuntary Dupe
by the smooth Promoter.
Special TO the Indianapolis Journal.
NoBLEsvILLE, Ind. Aug. 2S-City Mar.
shsl Barnett has returned from Chicago.
whittier he went with a requisition for
Thomas Wilkinson. late president of the
alleged Chicago IL Central Indiana Eiec.
tric Railway Company. but he came back
without his man. 1t had been stated
here that Mr.. Wilkinson visa worth
not less than SS.O00.OO0 which he was
anxious to invest in the enterprise. The
investigation made by the marshal and at.
tOrney who went 10 Chicago with him re.
veals the fact that Wilkinson Is the owner
of two pieces or property. both OF which
are encumbered, one to the full value. aud
worth only about $4,000. Instead
of being millionaire. he i'd
the recipient of a pension from the
English government. which he claims is
sufficient for his support. and this. aside
from some sort of claim he sets 10 TO an al
legged interest in some sugar plantations in
Madagascar, constitute HE wealth. He
claims not to have known for some time
that he was held out TO the public as q
millionaire, and that he was the vic tim Of
some sort of undue influence. under the
pressure of which he was induced to sign
certain papers against his Judgment he
said when he declined to sign them PEN
ningtOn came to his private room and en-
gagged him In long conversation. entirely
foreign to the subject and then sudd enly
produced the papers and requested his sig
nature, and that he COMPLIED with the re-
quest. but does not know why he did so. Is
is believed Pennington exercised some oc-
cult power over hls victim. He expressed
regret that he had allowed his
name to be used as q means TO
dupe anybody. ana believed all
the time that Pennington had other men of
wealth, who were going TO put mp the
necessary money to meet the liabilities of
the company. He says that Pennington in
duced him to sign On order for fifteen hun
dred dollars worth of bicycles which he
said were needed for the officers OF the
company and as q means of making q great
display, and that the money would be-
forthcoming when the bills were DUE
When the subject OF the air ship was
approached. he says Pennington insisted
that it had not proven o failure. but that
they were simply awaiting the action OF
the French government, with whom he
had closed O contract for two of his ships
90 be used as q means OF defense In case
of war the ships to be constructed
30 tn8t tuey cOuiO he aDcnoroO over u city
or ship at sea. and thus drop ton of nitro
glycerine on the enemy. the explosion of
which would annihilate whatever 1t struck
for a mile around. Pennington said that
when the French government was known
to have these dynamite AIT ships, then the
German and English must likewise get
them at any cost If all these governments
used them then the United States govern
ment must follow suit as q means of self
protection. and because of the CONTRACTS
with tie French government Pennington
sold him he had only Co abide his time and
the air ship would bring him fortune as
we'll as fame. Wilkinson said Pennington
expatiated on the number of great men
whose names ended with the letters ''on,"
thus: Washington. Jefferson. Madison.
Harrison, Morton. Edison and last but not
least, the one great man Pennington.