Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-21

taken to police court, held for examina-
ton and committed suicide by hanging
himself in his cell 20 minutes later.
From the time Lipman first appears to
view he has been consistently an impostor
says the New York Sun. Not once in his
varied history are his pretensions found
to be based upon fact. All the qualities
that go to make up the successful swindler
he Possessed in n high degree. Ready of
wit, quick To think, Il brilliant CONVERSE
tionalist, a bold and fluent liar, a smooth
and polished diplomat in social affairs, he
pushed himself to the fore wherever he
was and made a luxurious living by
matching his guile against the aullibility
of Others. Nor We're those whom he be-
fooled of the Kind usually rcckoned to be
muddle headed. In Dublin it was the in
tellcctual set which furnished him living
in London the political circle, in Boston
the literary and fashionable folk.
In 1882 Lipman appeared in Dublin
with two other Lithuanian Jews, the three
combining in what was ostensibly an old
clothes business. In reality, however,
their business was lending money in small
sums at usurious rates of interest. Rumor
had it that the three Jews We're brothers
In ability and appearance Lipman was su-
pcrior to the other two. He was the show
figure OF the firm, and by his arts Of per-
suasion he succeeded in getting together
quite q little money, subscribed or lent by
acquaintance who We're willing to aid an
excellent but unfortunate young man
driven by cruel persecution from his own
land. Very soon Lipman discovered that
his religion was not popular among those
people with whom he wished to ingratiate
himself
Presto, change! The Jew has become a
Christian, u cringingly repcntant Chris
tan, hawking holy images about the streets
as self humiliation. No penance was too
harsh for him. He began To be regarded
as "a young man of remarkable picty. Hav-
ing established his reputation, he embraced
the Roman Catholic religion and was bap-
tiZcd into that church. His piety obtained
for him u sort of patronizing social rccog-
milton. Iipman was of the stuff that takes
kindly to patronizing. 1t agreed with him.
He felt that he was started on the Faith he
wished to tread, but for a time he trod
cautiously. Then he made bold STEP
Presto, change again! The ardent, self
notifying Romanist is become Il Protes-
tant Episcopalian, with much speech Of re-
nouncing the error of his ways and of per-
sonal liberty in religious thought. To see
blackness of ignorance filled him with
grief. He became an earnest worker in the
cause of converting the Jews, especially IN
the line of collecting contributions.
Then theosophy became u fad. Lipman
became n theosOphist of the most csoteric
type and ran that fad to its death. Mill
ism was his next venture. Here he added
a de- to his name as Il patent Of nobility,
giving out the story that he was the cxilcd
son of a Russian noble who hal fallen I'M
der the cars displeasure because of certain
liberal tendencies. The son had gone
farther than the father, and his life was
forfeited in Russia. Now. this WIS a dan
gerous dodge for Lipnian. because he knew
little of the Russians and less of their Ian
guage In Lithuania they speak Yid-
dish dialect. Nevertheless Il nihilist Lip
| man would be- and a nihilist Lipman was,
| as far as Dublin knew.
One of the houses to which he had access
at this time was that of T. W Russell. the
well known Unionist ". L. of south "
rome. From time to time lie borrowed
money of Mr.. Russell until that gentle.
man became suspicious, when he laid his
| suspicious with II worthless check In the
| course of time that check came home t.
| roost. Mr.. Russell net Lipman on the
! street. Lipman was profuse in apology
| 1t was all u mistake, he said He would
| rectify it Immediately Across the street
We're two prominent Home Rulers whom
| Lipman know. He forthwith buttoDholes]
them and poured "a narrowing tale into
! their ears about friend of his who Vas
being hunted as n nihilist, and who would
fail of escape for lack of IL very little mon
1 ey. He got 40 from each of them and
| Turned the sum over to Mr. Russell heior.