The San Francisco call., 1913-07-18
Lamar Looms Up as Strange
Character With Career
Far Antedating His
Change Record
LAUGHS TO HEAR
RECORD EXPOSED
With Mystery and Finesse
He Wins Sobriquet of
The Wolf In Wall
! Street Lingo
Especial Dispatch TO The caln


Especial Dispatch to The CalD
NEW ORLEANS, July 17.-According &
to a report current in New Orleans
Monday. David Lamar, Wall street
operator and one time conf1dante OF
Russell Sage and other prominent
by charging an sS2.ooo,ooo forgery in
the Union Pacific railroad books of
1901, came to New Orleans In Decem-
ber 1891.
Lamar, it is charged engaged a
young woman stenogra pher from
Charles Nathan. who conducted a
stenography class at 362 St. Charles
street He also engaged office space
from the, late G. Nathan. who. In turn,
had rented from Isiddore Newman.
her salary and the Nathan estate office
rent.
FAMILY RECALL HIM
The daughter and sons OF Charles
Nathan. who died two years ago, re-
member the incident, although Lamar.
they say, was simply one of the many
who did their father Miss Nathan
referred to her fathers records for
1S91-1S92, but could not recall the name
of the young woman who is still walt
ing for the salary that never came.
THE most amazing witness who has
appeared before the senate lobby COM
mittee. That is Washingtons esti-
mate of Lamar
"The most unconscionable liar of
modern times" Is what the Union Pa
cific attorney called him on the witness
stand.
"The Wolf" is wall streets name
for him.
He has led many speculative bear"
raid. He has femented strange suits
against corporations He Is regarded
as one of the most adroit plungers in
the street and is feared and hated
by many big fnancier.
He Is remarkable,' said Lamar's
wife one day sifeHe can Just make a
stock. do anytl1fng. He can make 1t go
up or down, just as he wants to-"
WALL STREET WONDERS
His Wall street acauaintances are
wondering now Just what 'his little
game" was in telling his story in
hington-whether It was the pro-
liminary to another bear raid" as we'll
as thrust at old enemies
But Lamar himself Just laughs. He
isn't sensitive. He even laughed when
Congressman Martin Littleton. In a
speech OSiOTS lIc muse OIL representa- =
tives two years ago. called him "a man
OF unsavory and unc1ean reputation and
character.
Lamar is said to. have come from
Omaha, where he was a railroad ad-
vertising man 20 years ago. He started
as small speculator and became the
confidential man of Henry Hart presi-
dent of the Third Avenue Railroad COM
pany. There was manipulation of
stock. and litigation, and Hart lost
$4,000, 600.
Next Lamar was known as James r.
keenes gum shoe man" They both
made money in United States Leather
common stock. Before long f. H.
Hartman charged that the gum shoe
man. was trying to hold him up on a
stock pool manipulation by Keene and
Lamar.
In 1902 Lamar was active in bear
ing the United States Steel corpora
tion. His brother in law brought suit
to enjofn 1t from issuing $3.50 600, 900
bonds An acquaintance of Lamar, who
ran an automobile shop, testified as an
expert on steel manufacturing and
later admitted his ignorance
In 1910 a middle west senator was
about to deliver a speech attacking the
steel trust on information supplied him
by Judge Lamar But he learned