Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-01
POSSIBLY. VIRTUE
PENITENTIARY OFFICIALS 90 NOT
THINK COLEMAN IS MARVIN.
They Are declined 70 Identity Him With
Another Noted and Astute
6windler.

Half an hour spent yesterday In ran
sackIng old records at the penitentiary
and In talking to the old officials at that
place tended to show very conclusively
that Thomas Marvin. who was incar-
cerated there for forgery and bigamy, is
| not Coleman. the sstute swindler who Is
| eagerly sought now by the police Of New
| York.
| A couple Of the clerks at the prison,
| who were there throughout Marvin's en-
| tire term OF nine years. told the Dis
patch reporter. who was looking into the
matter, that they were confident that
| Coleman was a different man from the
Richmond criminal. They thought the
| New Workers. work resembled more that
done here early in 1879 by man giving
| his name as John G. Virtue.
BUYING THE SHOE-FACTORY.
Virtue, II seems, came to Richmond
about that time, and was negotiating for
the shoe-shop at the penitentiary. The
negotiations even went so far that the
contract was drawn up. and the most
careful attention had been given by Virtue
to the mnutest detail. Just before the
pretended purchaser received his "certi-
fed checks" on which TO secure the money
to comply with his contract, he was sud-
denly called to Petersburg, and bor-
rowed sums Of money amounting to some
thing like a couple of hundred dollars
from those with whom he had been thrown
in contact by the deal here, and skipped
out. He was subsequently arrested, and
sent to the penitentiary May 3. 1879, for
term OF two years. for forgery. He was
discharged from prison February 2, 1851,
and has not been heard from in Rich
| mond since. Virtue then gave his age
as 80. He had black hair and brown
eyes. There was a scar on his right arm
and right cheek. and also one on the left
side OF his head. He was feet IL
inches high.
DESCRIPTION OF MARVIN.
The pententiary officials think 1t posi-
bic that Virtue and Coleman are the
same man. and they cannot see any rea-
son for believing that Coleman and Mar
vim are one. They say that Marvin, or
General Morton, as he was inclined TO
call himself, must be older than the New
York swindler is said to be, and that
Marvin had blue eyes, not black. Cole
mans eyes are described as black. Mar
win is entered upon the records at the
penitentiary as Thomas A. Marvin alias
discharged June l6. 1890; native OF the
United States; Erie. n. Y, place OF resi-
dence; aged Sc years; fair compleKioned,
gray hair, blue eyes, scar on right arm,
anchor and eagle on the right arm also,
star and bird on the left arm. and seve-
raj scars on the legs and body. He also
bore In India ink upon his right arm the
letters "a. T. NJ"
The prison officials believe that these
t.,,o - til l.tt Of Afar stfNfC
real name, but that he was much older
than he claimed he was. They report
the clever swindler as man OF extraordi-
nary ability, q thorough student, CONVEX
SAINT with almost every known topic. ana
of pleasing appearance and charming con-
versational powers. While in the peni-
tertiary Marvin made a set of architects
drawings of the woman's department,
which are evidently the work Of an ex
pert in that line. The drawings now
hang as centre-piece in Superintendent
Lynn's office
Marvin was reported at one time after
he left Virginia to have been in an asylum
In Ohio
Sergeant John T. Hall yesterday dis
covered among his collection Of crooks
faces the card bearing photographs OF
Marvin in four different face positions.
There are two side faces and two full
faces of the noted criminal. In one of
the latter the swlndler and bigamist Is
bound to a post with ropes encircling the
entire length OF his body, and has his face
slightly distorted, in his efforts 10 pre-
vent the photographer getting good
picture Below the photos. which are
slightly stained and blurred with age,
Is written Marvin alias General Morton,
the celebrated bigamist and forger; also,
the husband Of sixteen wives"