The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-20

The Rev. G. B. Howard has been a sailor
in the merchant marine and in the United
States navy, teacher in a negro school,
a justice of the peace, a lawyer, the prin-
cipal of large school, a college professor
and preacher of the gospel He was born
in Edmonton, Eng, about forty-five years
ago. His mother died when he was about
a year old. His father, if he be still alive.
is a retired London policeman. His name
as a BOY was Frederic Atryde Hewlett
and 1t was as Frederic Hewlett that he be-
gan his American career as a sailor in the
navy in 1874, and he kept this name for
number of years while he taught q negro
school at Smokes Cross Roads Collefon
county, South Carolina, and as a Justice
or the peace and lawyer at Walterboro
1t was at this time that his criminal ca
reer began and he ran away to escape the
service OF a warrant for his arrest. He was
next heard OF at Port Robbins S. c.. where
he induced the wife of a railroad man
named Brown to run off with him. He i'm
posed upon Alexander STEPHENS and Judge
Lumphn until they discovered that the
woman whom he had introduced as his wife
was Mrs. Brown, and then he was driven
vile, Ca, where he called himself Frederick
Howard, and practiced law with Eugene
Blayiock as his partner. Here he Joined the
Baptist Church, and was received by the
best people until Judge Lumpkin's mother
recognized him, told his story and drove
him out of town again.
at the head of a big school and married a
Mrs. Burk, sister of Congressman Cob
binness and Editor Cobbinness, of the At
lanta Journal. Here, through Dr. GWynn
he was taken into the Baptist ministry and
later became the pastor of the First BaDtist
Church at Jackson, Tenn. This was in 1881
and when he arrived at Jackson he called
himself George Frederick Burgoyne Howard
and said he came of a distinguished English
family. MS eioquence and general air of
accomplishment led to his being made pro-
lessor of moral philosophy at the South
western Baptist University, and Auburn
University OF Alabama made him a d. ID.
His first wife having died, he was married
again in Jackson to Miss Lizzie Hughes a
member of a good family. In Jackson he
established new church and also news
paper. the True Baptist, and it was out of
a warfare that he made upon the South
western University in this paper that his
history again became known. He sued the
Blade, of jackson, for $4,000 damages and
in preparing for the defense Howard's his
tory was gathered from his youth. He got
the costs of court.
He continued, however, to preach until
1881, when he came to New York, ostensibly
to practice law. He lived on Staten island
kept yacht and professed a new creed of
occultism, which he called the true Brah-
minism as it was before the days of Buddha.
He talked of his mother having been a Be
gum OF India, who left him the title of
Prince Of Prenagaya, and said that he had
been been member me [ OF Parliament soldier in
India, and that he was a Knight Comman-
der of the Bath and a member of the Order
of the Garter 1t was during these later
years that he entered into the business
which finally landed him in jail. This was
swindling Americans who imagined that
they were heirs TO English estates
In London he had an office at 5 Shepherds
Bush, lngersol road, where he was known
as William Lord Moore, and in New York
he called himself Joseph Leger and e. Ross.
The public got after him here in 1892. and
that fall he returned to jackson from
there he continued the business under the
name of G. +. b. Howard. He wrote to the
persons whom he had already fieeced as
Moore, Leger or Ross, saying that he had
just returned from Europe and had in his
possession valuable information regarding
the estates in which they were interested
This generally brought an answer. and upon
the payment of d fee of $50 or so their cases
were gone into" Later he would write and
say that the case was encouraging. and that
he would undertake to recover the million
dollars or so which he found was coming
to the person for a fee Of | per cent. In
time he wrote that a decree had been re-
ceived, which he would forward on a pay
ment of $35 costs. He had a false seal with
which he stamped these DEGREES of the ''Su-
preme Court of Chancery, London
He was tried at Jackson, Tenn in the
beginning of 1894 for using the United States
mails for fraudulent purposes and convict
ed, after one mstrial. He was sent to the
Ohio Pententiary to serve his term.