The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-23
JOLIET's MILLIONAIRE CONvICT.
Confessed Forgery in Order to Appear as
Heir 60 His Fathers millions.
From he Chicaoo Lnlcr Ocean

Heir 60 Ills Fathers billions.
From the Chicago liner Ocean
In a cell at the Joliet Penitentiary the son NJ
: former high official Of Illinois impgticnt|v
awaits the time for his release from prisoI and
makes plans for the spending of the s2,oooWD
Of which he is the po~srssor. If II had no been
for the fortune William G. Cuthbert would not
he n convict, for he had been = Gee sful IN
eluding the oGicers ~ the law, who went i'm
to answer a. Indictment for forre"! id no
SURRENDERED himself in order 10 claim the hg
bona IA that WIS i Inheritance.
Cuthbert had the choic between Poverty and
wealth. but ha had To- -acrin,e hs III rty in
order 10 procure the millions that belong to
him For nearly two ,eGrs ho debated = =
question whether 10 reliuuu,sh s., COO.Nu nd
thus to cscnp" the shame and d srrac' NJ be- ng
7 Il ConyiC'. or to serve a term in the IL uitor'i ~,
accept the dI-comforts 20 d the hun Hat ous ot
PRISON Ito, and ultimately chi y h- u'' y.
The pric' Of liberty WIS millions Month after
month 10 W. ghcd the matter in hi M nd Life
a. n fugitiv from justice had It's Ora wlict~.
however, and che day last summer Cuth ort
walked into the triwina' Court and confn sod
to the crime Of for GinC a check on he We>,
Side bank Of llinnkley & Tildcn II as
sent TO the pcnit"ntiary or an nd"tcr-
inmate sentence. but by go,d behavior 10
DIlFOIfI IO Is l'l lflFtEN IA y WI NttAlNs
Gu hbert has had a life full Of Oh NC II has
had its lie lsaNt side, but the record Of his forty
years contains many dark pages. The son OF
an Illinois pioneer, lie was accustomed 10
wealth in his youth His father. old Gen Cum
bert. was n promo'er. a Spectator ard a pole
tician in the days when there were great OPP
ror'unities to make money in the West. or'-
June played strange tricks with the pho cor.
who was wealthy one dav and poor the ie>t.
Gen. Cuthbert travelled through all he IVES ern
States. lie inv sted in mines, he bought catlls
ranches. he 'tarted town sites. Wherever he
went he took his only son, a ha1dsome bov. Who
was quick 10 become familiar with all he vices
OF the times. In mining camps and in boom
cl ies the youth learned to drink and 10 pay
faro. and to shoot.
When his father was successful In some new
venture the hoy had plenty OF money. which he
spent like a prince. He treated whole camps.
lie played poker with a reckleseneS that mads
the professional gamblers hold their breath.
Monev had no value 10 him. except that It was
something TO be snent az quickly as possible.
When young Cu,hhert came TO Chicago his
companions were the most rectless that the sa-
looms and the levee could furnish.
n tho height 81 h fortune. Gen. C%uthbert be-
cane a power in politics. He Was n shreWd man
and he was on known as The oounsei!o r OF gov
ernors and adviser Of party leaders. He con-
trit uted generously to campaigns. snd he set
mslnd ds C Of 6i1S In R a. q cItia. no of 1 Fl ,noi-' u" t T Fs,
at his time that he realized his sons dIssolurs
rSform' Young euthbort had gone too ~,
hoveves to change his mode Of life, He fol-
low d the raS9,rscks he ramhIed In stoc
the scandal Of his fathers fr!erds
was on the wrong side Of the market in a bg
wheat deal. He was squeezed so seriously that
he Red 1I ri y ISr : hqls of bis sd Fort ne n. f Sorr b That m ;.
fortunes patiently, but his. son chafed under
hem Young CUT bert ga not have enough
thai hi father could not meet. There Games
time when the father and son had painfnll
Genes Gut, Stt ter, s 9 6r,S o. ' Tie had s s rseS seT b y,r =
the Generals signature When the old man
took the check into his hand he saw stained
The Genera said thai the signature was a
good he would ave caAhed /, himself.
said t Grr man man prTG1Sr dD tfd 'C General Cn@GS tenn qs me s ns1 and
yOlcd He suddenly sal dow in his ch ir. IL
lad rad man bows in his life, AMI he knew
turned and assed in 3 steady. voice TO be- al;
lowed 20 .ee the Signature again He amine
1t is NV. own handwriting. sisned tho
check myself. Let me have 1t and I will cash
There was n l'tile delay. Then he General,
VIII had gone int an adjoining on1ce. returned
with the m~oney-t5oo IN crisp. new hank notes.
Young Cu,h'ert showed no sense ~ shame
when his fa'her returned the check 10 him After
that forG"r made the proc or procuring
none comparatiyely easy. The boy wrote his
fathers nalne again whom he needed money,
and the old man honored tie check. Then 10
became Z common ting for the checks 10 10
ras'inr scenes connected with the i~nquiIIe'
concerning them.
Gen. t%!uthbert %mortgaged his few. remsini,s
wreck Of his fortune dwind'ed swsv. Is
d-oored pol &c. and liy1d in retirement II;
friends began to or ct him and hsson showed
no sign Of romTrsp for his miSieedG
When The Generals name became Of lf''s
value on heck The soy Initiated other Ign:
and rs victims generally dec'in d 20 make a3v
trouble. because they wished to 8 are 40
who was r lontes!' ne declared that h
meant 10 PROSECUTE the forgsr There vs. a
but hefo 70 he onfecr' rad a chance 10 arrest
him the Central rad ra'sed rough Toney %
send his ga son out o. town p o.. hrsL,ii
soon e~ft'rward. having nothing but a trlnN'pl
Of o'd p1po-s.
The ~fnri'iye won't West to his old comper-
iors First he became n cowboy, next \ d.
voted himself 10 gambling. md whom no began
I,GaT DETECTION 30 ned 70 a new mining cam
excitement over a big strike In a mos ect thas
was situated among SOM Old dGr rrs, to
working in a doserte shaft The strike caused
som" one 20 Look ~ tie history 81 the former
working, and then It became known that tho
It's Cuthber'is luok' an old-'imer declared.
Tho Genera was here in 70"
II was true that The mine vas owned by Gen.
Cuthbert. and his only heir was f. the crowd
that eagerly examined the rich specimens
brought in from the shaft. II was then that
CnthbNrt saw he cou'd choo p he' veer Uhor'v
and poverty on the one hand and imprisorw 1T
f'r n term Of wears AID wealth IN the other.
Love Of gold won the dav. A mont ago he
won't down TOD lot. put on III" strips, and be-
ga to brn1k stone.
Tho Imprisoned r. lionairei Is n woU-hchav"t
couvi I He il lc0ding q hrn'thful. rceHI. Nr -
To- n first time In wears When - r gam va
ir ednm he probably will again resIuo 'ho r'"
Of n Monte Cristo lIo has branded himself -
n forger, but society soon forget hiogr rphie- 7
~" ~ chapter are ro'"rlv Cildcf. When ''e
fog r is released n will be REGAL cd, %p"r'a'-.
N 7 William 'uihbeTt halo g. 10 once Z the fr-t
families Of Illinois. and t'athS father wHs ooos
n wealth. man.