The San Francisco call., 1896-05-11
Walked From a Cell to the
Receivership of the Oregon
National.
COMPTROLLER EcKELs' FRIEND
Remained in Power After Having
Been Exposed-His Crimes
in Denver.

PORTLAND, Or. May 10. = Lionel
Stagge, formerly receiver of the Oregon
National Bank here, an ex-convict, but for
the past year resident of San Francisco,
is wanted at Denver, Colo, according to
the following advices received here last
night:
The police are looking for Lionel Stagge and
dozen or more mining brokers ere mourning
his sudden departure from the city. Under a
pretext OF publishing manual of mining he
gulled the brokers for total OF $50, but he
used an afternoon political organ as a cloak TO
cover his transactions and the brokers are even
more wrathy because of this. The organ was
captured by the suave manner and handsome
appearance of Lionel, and the cash drawer is
nearly empty. 1t was touched up to the tune
of $175 and the building is in mourning.
Lionel drifted into this city about two months
ago. He proposed..the publication of book
devoted entirely to mining and secured the
cooperation of a Denver daily paper and the
principal mining brokers of the city. He
worked for several weeks and used the hotel
corridors a scene of operations with out-of-
torn mining men, How many of them he
caugh no one will ever know.
The Portland career of this man is ex-
traordinary. He came here seven years
ago from New York, under the name of
Waterhouse. Several days after his ar
rival he defrauded the proprietors of the
Gilman Hotel out of q small sum by
means of a bogus New York draft, for
which he was sent to the Oregon peniten-
Ii ~ for one year. About the time his
sentence should have expired there ap-
peared here an exclusive, dignified young
fellow named Lionel Stagge. For a time
he became connected with one of the daily
papers and later he published a bankers
magazine, supported by some of the most
substantial men here. The publication of
that paper secured for him the receiver
| ship of the Oregon National Bank when
that concern suspended.
With the masses Stagge was very un-
popular because of his uppish manner,
which also prompted an evening paper
here to hunt up his record. In March,
| 1893, that journal published his Oregon
career, creating great CONSERVATION among
the better classes, with whom this convict,
! Stagge, alias Waterhouse, hobnobbed.
The heaviest blow though, fell upon his
wife, whom he married in Eugene, Oregon,
year preceding his exposure. She, how
ever Loyalty chung to him through that
| trying ordeal.
ship Stagge visited Washington City
several times and ingratiated himself into
Comptroller Eckels' favor. Stagge's friends
here stood by him, Notwithstanding the
expose. and influential kilograms were
sent to Washington urging his retention
in Office. His friends believed him to have
been victim of unfortunate circum-
stances rather than natural criminal.
SO did Eckels, Tor Stagge's successor to
the receivership was not appointed for six
months succeeding the expose,
About year ago Stagge left for San
Francisco. ostensibly to assume business
management of the Evening Post, so at
least he sal when he went away.
| At police headquarters this evening q
CALL correspondent was told that Stagge
had been in trouble long before he came
here. His picture was tonight sent to
New York for Identification and to secure
his history in the East if it can be had.