The evening world., 1911-10-02
"BEGGARPR|NCE,"
L0OTER0F RICH,
i GOES TOPR|S0N
Names of Many Prominent
and Wealthy Families Used
by Clever Swindler.
HAS A POLICE RECORD.
Most Famous Ruse Is Offering
of Faithful Dog in Exchange
for Money.
HAS A POLICE RECORD,

william Edgar Finlay. prince OF beg.
sars." whose aliases include the name,
OF many Of the most prominent familie,
OF this country. and who has posed In
various roles, from hNt club hostler "a
wealthy clergyman. was committed as .
vagrant to the Workhouse to-day for six
months by MAGISTRATE Murphy in The
Tombs Police Court.
He has obtained hundreds o, dollar.
from persons OF position and wealth. M
represented himself as a scion OF SONS
prominent family. an Impoverished dra-
matte star. tutor or churc organist. Hc
frequently offered to sell his pet doc
Fidele.
Twice he recybsed sentences OF sIx
months In the Workhouse for trying 10
sell Fidele. On pne OF these occasions
he took her vic him. The dog wa, a
small yellow mongrel.
James Forbes, secretary OF tho Associ.
alton for the Prevention OF MendIcancv
sent out circulars that caused the I'M
doing OF Finlay. Some months ago Mag
istrate Frederic Kernochan wrote Forbes
that several members OF the Meadow.
brook Hunt Club had been approached
by a mar who said he was formerly n
groom under Samuel Willett. Master of
the Hounds. He asked for money 10
nelp nm DuN CTulCuts. lie S1lQ ne mad
been MANNED by a horses kick. Magis-
trate Kernochan denounced him as an
impostor. Forbes sent his description
and picture to members OF the club.
ASKS FOR MONEY TO TAKE HIM
TO HIS SICK CHILDREN.
Nothing vas heard Of Finlay until
Saturday, when he called on J.. T..
Grace Of William X. Grace and Com
pany. shipping merchants, No. / Han
over Square. He asked for money to
take him 20 his wife and four Sick
children In Montreal. lie was told he
could see Mr.. Grace on Monda:' morn
Ing When he turned up to-day Super
intendent stephen +. Dooley OF the
Mendicancy Association arrested him.
FORBES appeared against him.
This man. he said In court. "is the
most expert CRATER and beggar to come
under the notice Of our society, He. had
palmed himself on as a member OF old
Dutch families. such, as the ,.Vap
SensSel1ers Schuylers, Van Nesses.
Reekmans. Ter Eycks and fivlngstons.
Vile posing as "A Southern gentle-
mar .s has appeared as Robert l.. Lee.
'cphew nt the Confederate general,
Robert Lee Carter. son OF the late Col.
.-erter OF Richmond. and Henry Clay
Carter. son OF tho late Col. Carter OF
baltimore. He also call.d himseN the
son of Gen. R~eaureguard.
"As a financially distressed New Eng
lander ne has given the names OF the
Winthrops. Ameses. B~ur'ingsmeS and
Adanses. At other times ne has repre-
sented himself as . co-star with great
actors.
He has a prison record. having served
two and a half years in Philadelphia.
fve years In Sing Sing, and two Work
house terms for begging.
lie has posed as a Long Island
clergy nah who had had his pocket
picked. He has obtained aid from rich
people who begged him to stay for.
lunch.
Ills most famous trick was his offer
to sell Fidele. Wearing a shabby suit,
he would call on some prominent
woman member of the Society for the
Prevention OF Cruelty to Animals and
offer to part with his greatest treasure,
his beloved dog. In the mlddlesos his
tale ne would break down and sob. In
nine cases out of ten the story would
secure for him n generous sum OF
money. As a writer of begging letters
he Is a wonder. lilo is about ffty-one
years old and the son Of a Saratoga
springs clergyman, long since dead"
Finlay did not deny Eorbes's state
ments,