The chronicle=news., 1913-11-04
HIS CAREER ONE
Of CLEvEREST
SW|NOlES

New 'fCrk. Nov. A.-Thc filing oi
suht tor divorce In the supreme
court hsss BY Mrs. Florence Sophie
Williams, daughter ri samuel New
man Of the firm Of Rothsrhiid and
Newman. cotton merchants. against
hcr husband. James .Iaffrays VII
Hams. Once more brings into the lime
light OF publicity the nEme and won
deiful career ot Harry Siih"rbcrs.
known In two hcmisph"rcs as one Of
tho most accomplished swindicrs in
history. The man whom Miss New
man married called himself James
Jaffrays Williams. hut II appears
that his real name IL Harry Silbcr-
berg ana that at different times dur
Ing his varied career he has been
known under many aliases.
Silbcrbcrg was horn IN Atlanta.
ia. about foriy-fi," years ago. His
father was rabbi who had rcmC
to this country and had accumulated
u fortune by becoming II blockade
runner during the civil wnr. Young
Harry did not obtain very thor
ouIh education. but began to work
in one al his fathers stores when
when he was lc~s Than . years Of
age. A. his fathers death Harry
siibcrbcrs became the part owner
of u chain of profitable stores IN
Kansas. Missouri nnd Arkansas. For
n while h, devoted himself to his
business md made n success Of II. hut
horsc rncinG. gambling and women
proved hts undoing and soon hc had
no, only run through his fortune.
but had gotten deeply Into debt.
For u while S,lbcrbcrr had good
position In California as writer Of
hut hi- fast iife
again tanscd him to run into debt
and h" ran away To Mexico. Thcr"
he vcniurrd his flint saindlin1 one
ration. hut was caught and rcn-
tcnccd to three wears ip,prison m"nt.
His persuasive manner won him the
friendship of the governor of Chi
huahua and af'c, u fcn DAYS III
prison Silbcrhcrg WAS parolcd nnh
became the secretary oi tho cover
nor. While he held that position
Siib-,acrs devoted himself To tho
study of English. Spanish and
French. aud also studied u hook on
etiquette I" Improve his sociciy man
nsrs.
with $500 in his pockc, silbcr-
berg left Mexico and went to Now
York. lie obtained n rcod position
nv an advertisement writer. but hir
debts soon compelled him To leave
the city. Taking the nanri of Whit
ncy he went to Baltimore and after
swindl'ns an architect ont II 5000
nc went to Rochester. taking the
name OF i. e. Davis. II was under
that name that he married for the
first tine. The bride was III. haugh-
ter Of u wealthy iumbcrman and snc
teIt Ntn on tIlt WeuulUE tTlN. Wn"u
he was arrested for obtaining $1,000
on forged drafts. She subsequently
obtained ~ divorce and Silhcrbcrg
went to Europe. whcr. he Travelled
extensively swindiing many wealthy
persons and thus obtaining the mon
cy and credit which enabled him to
live In princcly style.
unon the advice OF an Austrian
countess. whom he mot in Vienna
and with whom he became intimate.
he began to pose az J. Cunningham
Drayton. a connection of tho As,ors
rndor that nnmt he gained admis-
sion to the most exclusive circles In
Austria and other European coun
tries and. wherever he went he left
"a trail of swindliny operations. un-
paid debts and forged papers. While
in London SilberberS was arrested
for some swindlinG opcrai ions In
Germany He was cxtraditcd and