The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-10-02
AFTER FOURTEEN YEARS.
STRANGE FATE or AN EMBEZ
XLER.

Looking Eor Him Since i3SO-Hc is
round at an Auction Sale OF OLD
E"oiSS! r''
Henry w, Howgate, formerly chief
Oh the weather bureau in Washington,
and who has been II fugitive from ius.
tlce since the winter OF lSSO-Sl, was ar
rested last week in New York by De-
tective "A. l.. Drummond, acting for j.
STERLING Morton, Secretary of Agri-
culture at Washington.
Howgate was not only chief, but dis
Dursing officer of the weather bureau.
his emDczzlen'onts, forgeries and lar
GENES, 1t is alleged. aggregated $780,
ouO ut least. He was an officer of the
regular army, and being q genial,
@hole-soulcd man had hosts of friends.
There arc seven indictments hanging
over Howgatc. each containing a num-
Der of counts.
Howgatc was arrested in 1881, but
ESCAPED from an officer who had him
IN charge on II visit to his home. He
disappeared and has not since been
seen and identified by any United
States officer. He was known to have
lclt Washington with u woman not his
wife. He had family at that time.
He now has q daughter, who lives at
Newburyport, Mass. Tho woman with
whom he fled from Washington has
long since left him. Howgatc was,
whcn he He'd from Washington. an
active black-haircd man in the primo
Of life. He is now sixty years old
bent and broken, and with gray hair
and beard.
Though tho United States officers
have been hunting all over the United
States Tor Howgate, he has been living
quietly in New York City ms n dealer
in secondhand books. His place of
business was at No. so Fourth avenue.
in basement. He has had cards
printed bearing the name of Harry
Williams" and by that namc he has
for years been known to tho book trade
of this and other cities. Howgatc's
cards announced thal he deals in old
magazlr IS, reviews and periodicals.
Ills residence was at No. l95 West
Tenth street, whore he had "bachelor
lodgings" and kept Il large amount of
stock for his store.
Detectives hunted the cOntinent0vcr
Tor Howgatc, but without success.
Fonr months ago, Drummond learned
in New York or Brooklyn. a syste-
matte hunt OF all the bookstores in the
two cities was made. 1t was believed
that he was an employee rs no book
seller named Howgatc was known to
the trade. Whenever any Of Drum
mond's agents learned that Il man re-
Sembling llowgatc in appearance had
been found in Il book store that en-
ployec was shadowcd. His acquain-
tancc was formed and his private his
tory Gathomcd by conversation.
~ week ago Drummond tried the
plan OF haunting book sales auction
rooms. 1t was IL happy thought. a
clerk from the War Department in
Washington, who knew Howgatc,
made the rounds of the book auction
room every day. On Monday the
clerk saw llowgate enter an auction
room on Broadway near Tenth street.
Tho clerk was not certain, however.
us Howgatc had changed. From IL
man weighing upwards Of 100 pounds,
he has grown to be dried up old man
of about l45 pounds. The clerk went
again to the book sale on Tuesday and
entered into conversation with How
gate. From Howgatcs manner Of
speaking the clerk was certain that he
stood before the fugitive at last.
Drummond took the midnight train
for Washington on Tuesday and got Il
bench warrant from Judge Bingham
OF the Supreme Court. When How
gate was arrested, he remarked quiet
ly: - know when | am beaten"
The detective and his prisoner got ON
board Il car and went to the Federal
building. District Attorney Wallace
McFarlanc appeared 70" the govern
mcnt. Howgatc had no counsel. How
gate was arraigncd on the nominal
charge made in the Washington IN
dlctmcnts in 1879, Of obtaining 81 800
on q forged receipt from II. ID. Sawyer.
in July, 1870
Nou understand the charge :"
added Commissioner Alexander.
Oh, yes" said Howgatc, with II
feeble smile, 1T is one Of the old
series, | suppose"
This said the commissioner. sis
an application to hold You in order that
u warrant may be obtained from "a
United States District Judge. so that
you may be taken to Washington. DO
you demand an examination ?"
No, no, | waive an examination
and admit my Identity" said the old
man, there is no object in delay"
Bail is fixed at $4,000" said the
commissioner.
"Thcrc is another charge" said Dis
trict Attorney McFarlanc. +" Hero is
another charge Of cmbczzling the sum
Of $4,000
Same bail fixed for that. $40. 900"
said the commsS iOncr.
H"wgatc said he could not give bail
and he was tak,a to jail, pending
advices from Washington.