The National tribune., 1899-05-04
pERSoNHL.

1t turns out that, the "Col." VIM. A. Sillo-
way, whom The National Tribune a week
| or two ago spoke of as having given the re-
porter of the New York Journal a highly-col-
ored romance, is veteran offender, if no
other kind of a veteran. He is remem bered
| as boy in Maine, when he entered little
| printing office, and pretended to want to
learn the printing business. He was
presently kicked out for being dirty,
ragged, ignorant, and impertinent. and
because he "slandered. lied and stole,
and was incorrigible." He had similar
experiences In other printing Offices. The
next thing heard of him he was stealing
poetry and palming it off on none-too- ell
| read editors as, his own writings. He
claimed to be nephew of Mrs. S gourney,
signed himself VIM. H.. Sigourney," and
| represented several of her poems as hav-
ing been written by him. He was too ig-
norant to even write respectable prose
He also claimed to have written "The
Beautiful Snow" ard several other popI-
lar poems. He even imposed two poems
written by English authors on the Harpers,
and got pay for them. When the Harpers
threatened to prosecu him, he pretended
TO try to commit suicide, and the papers of
the country were full of the trou bles nd mis-
fortunes of the author of THE Beautiful
Snow" Then he was in the New York
Tombs for 10 months for stealing between
$500 and 500 from a newspaper man.
Next he began posing as the "mos;
learned printer in the country, and the
only printer living who had Set up the
Bible in the original Greek, and who had
worked in printing offices in Oxford, Lon
don, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Florence, Crete,
and Athens" This was absurd. He had
hardly enough educationi in English to make
fair compositor, and was constantly being
discharged from Offices for incompetence
and for general cusse dness. Bill Sillo-
way" was only too well known among the
printers The Charity Organization Scci-
ETY. says that he is one of the most per
sistent and abominable frauds that ever
worked New York and New Yorkers. He
also began posing as an old soldier who
had served in the Mexican War and five
years in that of the rebellion, and saved
President Lincoln from capture and death.
and had performed miracles of valor on
many battlefields, receiving as a reward
the commission as Colonel from President
II
have been in the Mexican War, and if he
had any part in the VIZ of the Rebellion,
it was that OF bounty Jumper. He also
| claimed to have been in the navy, and
been promoted Chief Engineer for gallantry.
Also in the Secret Service, where he was
promoted to Brigadier-G General. He cannot
produce a scintilla of proof Of any of these
services. In 1854 he tried to work Robert
T. Lincoln for a large sum OF money for
having saved his fathers life, May 20
1858. when the President was on the
steamer Jas. Brooks, when She was dis
abIed and attacked by the rebels. At the
date mentioned President Lincoln was at
homo in the White House, quietly attending
to his duties. Some OF the papers took the
matter up, and savagely scored Mr., Lin
coin for not doing something for tho =" old
| soldier" In the campaign of 1898 he came
to the front with aletter,purporting to have
been written by MAI. Mckinley. in 1890
declaring his hostility-:to pensions. The
opposition papers started in to mako q
great deal OF this, but 1t was quickly shown
| to be a forgery. "Bill Silloway" seems tn
be particularly active and vsriegated
kind Of a scoundrel.
Tho secret OF Senator Quay's success
lies in the fact that he always sticks to
his friends.
Col. Henry Carroll. Of the 7th U. S. Cav.
who has been retired at his own request
enlisted In the Army in 1853 in the Sd u,
8. Art, became Sergeant, and was mo-
NOTED to Second Lieutenant In the Sd
U. 8. Cav, May 1s. 1854 He was Lieuten-
ant-Colonel Of the 9th U. s. Cav. when the
Spanish war broke out. His retirement
prom otes to Colonel OF the 7th U. 8. Cav.
Lieut.-Col. Theo. A. Baldwin, OF the 10th
U. s. Cav. who enlisted in 1862 In the 10Th
U. 8. MAJ. Wint, Of the 10th U. 8. Cav,
becomes Colonel Of tha. regiment. Col.
Wint entered the service az a private In
the 9Th Pa. Cav, and became o Lieutenant
In that regiment. All three officers dis
tinguished themse selves at Santiago, where
Coils. Carroll and Eins were severely
wounded.