The Washington weekly post., 1900-11-27
DR.. FERGUSON AN IMpOSTOR
Came to Grief in New York After
Making Many Victims in East.
Appealed to Members of His Profess
sion for Aid-Poekets Filled with
Evidences of His scheme.

New York, Nov. 26.-The police Of the
West Eighty-eighth street station say
/ they have in custody a swindler, who, fo-
more than a year, had been victimizing
/ physicians and surgeons throughout the
/ Eastern States. The man who was ar
rested to-day describes himself as Will
lam A. Ferguson. fifty-nine years old. liv-
ing at the Capitol Hotel, Bowery. He is
of Irish birth, and says he is a physician
Ferguson called to-day on Dr. William
NJ. Polk, at East Thirty-sixth street,
and told a touching story about having
lost his wife, two children, and all his
property in the Galveston storm and flood.
He asked for aid, and would probably
have got 1t, as he represented himself as
an unfortunate physician, had not DR..
Polk remembered having received a call a
year ago from Ferguson. He further re-
membered that at that time his visitor
said he had lost all he had In a fire in
Michigan.
DR.. Polk then went to his telephone and
called up a number OF his personal pro-
fessional friends and told them to beware
of Ferguson. DR.. George E. Jarman, OF
Seyenty-sixth street. was Cne of those
communicated with, and shortly after he
| received the telephone message "Dr Will
lam A. Ferguson" was announced. DIR.
Jarman received Ferguson, and again the
Galveston food story was told. and in
furtherance of his plea for aid, Ferguson
produced letter bearing Dr. Polk's name
and which said Ia effect that the bearer
was worthy man who deserved help.
DR.. Jarman retired to a back room
marked a 81 bill. and on his return gave
IL TO his visitor. who left, after profusely
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left DR.. Jarman's house he was followed
by the doctor, who, before they had gone
far called upon policeman to arrest the
man. At the station-house the police az
once remembered a marked copy Of the
medical record. dated November "a, 1880
which read:
An imposter known as DR.. w. Preyre
Porcher. OF Charleston, N c., writes that
a man personating himself and Claiming
TO have attended the meeting of the con-
gress Of American physicians and sur
geons in Washington in May last, has
been victimizing many OF the profession
In that city by pretending TO be in dis
tress and borrowing money from them.
The man is described as being between
sixty and seventy years DID, with a heavy
gray mCstache, about five feet eight
inches tall. OF spare build. There should
be some way In which physicians could
protect themselves from this class of
scoundrels, and Dr.. Porcher hopes that
any one approached by this man will be
on kis guard and will be able TO cause the
sWlndler's apprehension.
The description corresponds with the
appearance Of Ferguson AZ the station
house the prisoner was searched and a Gu
TlOus assortment Of papers was found IA
his possession, among them being a rirsf
cabin ticket Of the cunard Line steamshin
Company. dated October ls and Issued no
DR.. William Ferguson; a bunch OF ank
checks or the Elliot National Bank OF
Boston. on the baeks Of which were
written the names OF many people az
prominence. among these being The name
OF F. G. Benedict; a newspaper dated
September II. having In It's columns a iIsf
OF contributors TO the Galveston reitef
fund: one pawn ticket showing thar losn
OF SfE had been obtained on a satcheI
and an oyercoats TWO checks on the F.iIIor
National Bank o. Boston, drawn by Will
lam Lee Hickey ard payable 70 Or. VIII
lam Campbell Ferguson was remapded
until tomorrow.