The San Francisco call., 1896-11-01
Reduced to Beggary Before His
Reputation Is Purged
of Stain.
SENT TO PRISON FOR THEFT.
Learns From a Portland Man That
His Doub e Long Ago Con.
fessed Guilt

PORTLAND, Or, Oct. 31-William P.
Severance, late arrival, with his family,
from Sacramento, CAL, had q strange
caller at his residence a few evenings ago
in the person of beggar. This man was
seemingly about 35 years old. with wealth
er-beaten face, such as distinguishes sail
ors after a long and tempestuous
voyage. There was something in the out
casts countenance appearing strangely IA
miliar to Mr.. Severance, and in order to
study the beggar's face more leisurely the
stranger was asked into the kitchen to
partake of some cold victuals.
Where have l seen you before?" asked
Mr.. Severance. after contemplating the
ravenously hungry fellow a few minutes.
Nowhere, guess" replied the beggar.
''I'm sailor and just came in from
China. left my steamer at Tacoma a
few days ago and came here, where fool
ishly spent all my money"
do you remember ever seeing my face
before 2" queried the host.
Cant say do, for this is my first re.
turn to the United States since left my
home in ST. Louis, Mo-, Ten years ago."
"You are Ernest Cragie, are you notf''
81 am; but who are your" queried the
beggar with much surprise.
Mr.. Severance knew the man before
him when he was a promising boy, and
knew his family, TOO, in St Louis. He
says this man was the victim OF the con-
sciep celess treachery of cousin, resem-
bling him SO closely that it was difficult
for their most intimate friends to dislin.
guish one from the other. One night in
1881 Ernest's mother in st. Louis was
chloroformed and $1,000 worth of dia-
monds stolen from her bedchamber. The
jewels were hypothecated early the fol-
lowing morning to an Olive-street pawn.
broker. The police discovered the stolen
gems few days afterward, and without
entering into details the broker identified
Mrs. Cragie's son as the young man having
received $4,000 on the diamonds from him.
There could be no doubt or that, because
Ernests double was at Cheltenham, q
place about thirty miles distance from st.
Louis, that night.
Ernest was branded as thief, and, de-
spite the efforts of his famil, to spare him
from punishment, was consigned to the
penitentiary at Jefferson City for five
years. He served his time, and without
ever visiting his relatives he went to Cali.
fornia, and from there to China, where
for the past decade he has been leading a
roistering career on steamers plying in
Oriental waters. In fact his adventures,
as he told them to his Portland benefactor.
would fill volume.
Three years ago." said Mr.. Severance,
''Ernest's cousin died in San Francisco,
and on his deathbed he confessed to a
priest that he was the man who had stolen
his aunt's jewels fifteen years ago. On the
day OF the robbery he announced to his
friends that he was going to Cheltenham,
he having had In his mind the com mission n
of this robbery for several weeks. After
gaining possession of the diamonds and
pawning them. he really did go to Chel-
tenham, remaining there for several days,
and permitted his cousin to become a
convict for his own villany.''
Mr.. Severance impaired this informa-
tion to Cragie, and the latter was induced
to go home and visit his old mother.