The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-08-27
WARNING RECEIVED HERE.
About a Fellow Gathering Data About
Colonel inqersoll.

Several persons in this city have receiv-
ed letters from Grant Wright, a well
known publisher in New York, warning
the people against an alleged swindler
named Edgar Garstin Smith, who it IS
said is headed this way. The Peoria,
H.. Star of Tuesday. August 9th. says
of him:
During last winter a fellow giving his
name as Edgar Gastin Smith came to this
city with the announcement that he was
engaged in collecting material and data
for life of Col. Robert c. Ingersol. He
had called upon the family in New YORK
and they had referred him to Clint Far
reI. Jr, who had been Ingersolls business
manager. Farrell did not exactly turn
the fellow down, but while he was not at
all taken with him he gave him some ma
terial and it appeared to be enough for
Smiths adventurous purpose.
He came to this city and during his
stay of few weeks obtained a number
of photographs and anecdotes of the colo
mel of which he made copious notes He
also represented that he was editor and
proprietor Of the National Weekly. sam
pie copy of which he flashed at frequent
intervals and took subscriptions at the
rate of "a a year. No other copy has since
been issued. To further this scheme he
had letter of recommendation from man
ayers of the Republican organization. and
strange to say. Colonel Ingersoll rendered
him some assistance in this direction just
before he suddenly died. Having the
Ingersoll letters and those from other
Republican leaders he opened his graft
and has been working il in various direc-
tions ever since. AS soon as lngersoll was
dead he picked up the biography string
and that brought him to Peoria.
Now comes the information to this Of
flee that the Auditorium hotel at Chicago
is acquainted with him to the tune Of
$500. The trustees of the American Tract
Society building in New York are hold
ing his furniture for rent bill of $3.50 on
an office in which he has been seen but
twice since he engaged it. The Electric
Light Engraving company of the same
city is holding the photographs he OBJ
tanned in this city for plates not yet paid
for: the printers have another bill they
would like very much TO see him settle,
and at the Republican headquarters on
Twenty-third street, New York. they are
looking for him with a club and threaten
to kill him on sight and charge II up TO
party improvements During the cam
paign of last fall he worked everybody
around there for sums ranging from "a
TO SO He flashes among other things
photograph OF Colonel Ingersoll's office In
which the fraud appears in the back
ground. and ne calls the picture "a meet
ing of the stockholders Of the National
Weekly" He is now i'm Maine getting
letters OF introduction from ]. H Manly
down and working the politicians there
Just as easy as he did In New York and
Illinois.
It was the original intention Of the In
gerson family to have DR.. Gilbert write
the life of Ingersoll. but just as he was
preparing for the work. he too. diad and
MI Farrell states that since then any
number of schemes have been worked
by other parties. but that Edgar Gastin
Smith rather lays over them all for gen
eral rascaiity. Farrell complains that he
cannot check him by legal measures, 50
he wishes to inform his friends and the
numerous friends Of the late Col Inger-
soil of the character Of the fellow who Is
trading upon his reputation and swindling
his fellow men II is a peculiar condition
Of affairs and I; now looks as IL the Life
OF Ingerson" win never be written.