The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-11
SIGNS AS HOWARD
Or. J. w. CIaWSon Addresses
His Friends.
STORY OF HIS OPERATIONS
In Southern Illinois Where
He Was Convicted.

DR.. ]. ". Clawson, who is now in tht
Illinois penitentiary at Chester and going
by his old name Of George B. Howard
writes to his friends through the Eagle
It will be noticed that he has dropped tht
name of Clawson and signs his name
Howard
''Manard P. O., Kan, June 9, 1899.
kind Friends-I arrived here still sick
and a broken hearted man. But Cod
bless you and the people Of Kansas. God
viii reward you all for the mercy you
have shown me. To separate me from
dear wife and little Geneva was near
death. But the prayers of that widow
wife and orphan child and good people OF
Kansas, and their neyer-ceasing efforts
feel will soon send me back to those that
are so dear TO me, TO live and die on
Kansas soil. Nobler people never lived.
Remember me TO every one as they are
all my friends. and remember me to them.
&C. B. HOWARD"
Deputy Marshal Trigg and Harry SUIT
ton, who took Howard back say that the
Illinois officials take no stock in Howard
at all. Mr.. Trigg says the officials were
tickled 10 get him and said if Kansas
people only knew his history they would
not have any sympathy for him at all.
The following account Of Towards op-
erations IS from the st. Louis Republic:
1t was a little more than twelve years
ago that George B. Howard. tall, distin-
guished looking and about % years old,
came into the small town of Mound City,
III. He let It be known that he was a
southern gentleman, and his soft accent
and polished ways Convinced the people
he spoke the truth. No one ever inquired
where he came from or if they did they
did not find out at that time
Howard had considerable money. appar-
emily. He opened up a real estate Office,
and, although that was something Of a
novelty in Mound City, where men bought
and sold property without an agent, he
did some business. Finally ne startled
the town by selling a tract of land to q
big concern which erected a factory and
employed several hundred men and wo-
men.
1t was This which made Howard respect
ed by every one-if there had been any
lack Of it before. He was received in the
best society Of the town, attended church
regularly and, although it was whispered
that ne sometimes had nights of revelry
in his Office, few listened to the rumors.
Howard had been in Mound City but
little more than a year when he met Abbie
Clawson, whose mother, Mrs P. c. Earle,
was one of the richest women in town,
and had beside so it was said, many
wealthy and influential relatives IN the
east. Miss CIawsoR and Howard were
married late in 1889, the wedding being
the most elaborate the town had ever
seen.
In the meantime Howard had opened an
Office as pension agent and gave this bust
ness his attention almost to the exclusion
of real estate trading. He had no white
clients, but hunted through the southern
part Of the state, commonly known as
Egypt. for negroes who had served in the
civil war and for their families. He had
a number of agents and in a short time
the attention of the pension department
was called TO Towards agency by rea-
son Of the many pensions which were be-
ing issued to persons in his locality. An
Investigation was made, but nothing was
found that pointed to any wrong-doing.
After the visit Of the government officer
the applications for psnsions came in
stronger than before. Towards reputation
as a pension lawyer brought him many
more clients and he appeared to be max
ing thousands Of dollars a year.
one day, in examining a pension vouch-
er, some one IN Washington noticed the
signature on a receipt, purporting TO be
signed by a woman was very much like
Howard's writing. Experts said it was
the same Another investigation followed,
and an astonishing state Of affairs was
found The result was that the federal
grand jury for that district returned
twenty-five indictments against Howard.
He was arrested and, despite the efforts
Of his mother-in-law. ne was kept in jail.
AS soon as he secured his release on one
indictment he was Immediately rearrested
on another.
Failing 10 set out Of the laws hands,
Mrs. Earle then turned her labors in an
other direction. and within a few days ne
was placed on trial The first charge on
which he was tried was forgery. It was
proved that he signed a pensioners name
to a voucher. For this he was sentenced
10 serve three years n the Chester peni-
Tertiary, where government prisoners are
cared for by the state. He was then tried
for an ordinary case Of pension fraud
obtaining money from pensioners by rep
resentation, and sentenced for two years.
There were twenty-three other counts Of
like nature against him, and he pleaded
guilty TO nine OF these and the remaining
indictments were noue pressed
Howard was taken 10 the pe1itentiary .
serve his fourteen years On October L.
1S91- He Immediately began To snow signs
OF insanity. either real or feiEned, and the
following July he was removed 10 the gov
eminent hospital in Washington n. c. It
was from this place that he escaped in
october. 1Sa2 II IS claimed by the secret
service that Towards removal 20 the hos
pitaI was the result OF influence which his
relatives had with high officials. Il was
proved that a larse sum Of money was
sent him while he was in the hospital and
that he used it to br5be Z guard VINO al
lowed him TO escape.
MRS. SHEPPARD INJURED