The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-12
John Grant Lyman, Posing
as Rutr,an the Broker,
Makes Another Klhnq
Fngitive's Office Manager
COnfcsscs to Jail Escape
in California.
TWO NEW YORK BANK
ACCOUNTS UNEARTHED

by the brokerage house of John II. Put
nam n Co. in selling the stocks OF stand
ard oil subsidiaries on the instalment
plan. II" read casually until he came
to the description of the missing head
or the firm who was known to his en-
pioyees as John ". Putnam Then the
inspector strode into the Office of As
sistant United States Attorney stanton.
who Is investigating the affairs OF the
brokerage house at ss Broad street.
DO you know who John H. Putram
is?' cried the inspector. Hes pr. John
Grant Lyman, a former member OF :he
New York stock Exchange and the pro-
motcr OF the Panama development Com
pany. who IL under sentence Of fifteen
months imprisonment in Los Angeles for
using the mails In operating his Panama
land scheme"
Inspector Swain had worked on the
Panama land frauds back in 1871 and
he was familiar with the physical char
acteristics as we'll as the mental twists
of Or. Lyman. whose reputation az
promoter and turfman extends from
the Pacific coast to London and Paris
The inspector borrowed a photograph OF
the doctor from the Rogues Gallery and
took IL down 20 the offices at Us Broad
street
ITS him" said several OF the stenog-
raphers laconically, though ungramma-
tically.
To this confirmation was added the
/ admission OF Louis Thonet. manager OF
}. II. Putnam & CO.. who after an hours
questioning confessed that he had helped
DR.. Lyman escape from "A prison hos
pital in Oakland. Cal, In September,
I 1911 while the doctor was waiting t'ial
on the Panama land fraud charge
/ Thonet admitted that he had served
eighteen months for his part in the
escape.
With this admission the Federal au-
! thorities issued q warrant lat. yesterday
! afternoon for Or. John Grant Lyman.
alias John H. Putnam. charging him
with using the malls to defraund IN
vestors in the oil stocks he dealt in here
About 6 O'Clock inspectors swain and
McQuillan arrested Thonet and placed
him In the Greenwich street police sta
| tion over night. Assistant United states
Attorney stanton said Thonet would be
arraigned before United states tommis-
sioner Houghton as soon "a possible.
The disclosure of the identity OF Put
nam and the arrest Of his manager form
/ the climax to II thrilling easy money
story. The whirling action in the yarn
is intensified by the speed with winch
pr Lyman lifted about from one part
OF III, country to another TO AVOID the
police. post Office inspectors and others
seeking his capture.
1 With the Los Angeles conviction hang
ing over his head and "A warrant out for
/ his arrest for another mail fraud scheme
in Boston. Or Lyman slipped back into
this city, assumed the name OF John IL.
Putnam and took offices at 6S Broad
street. opposite the quarters OF an agency
which does investigating work Tor the
New York Stock Exchange. He lived
/ for time IN the Prince Goorgr Hotel
where Capt. William g. Ofilcy OF til" De-
/ partment Of Justice lives and never 80
/ much as shaved of his mOustache lie
: continued to maintain his reputation aS
"A Beau Brummel. changing his Clothes
! three times a day and Oftener II he could
spare the time from his work of taxing
! in the money OF those anxious to buy
Ohio oil and standard oil of California
stock ON the easy payment plan.
Dr. Lyman came back to TINS city
, last December Six weeks ago 'iorham
Tufts a seCui!tN broker o' Los Angeles
also made his appearance here ana went
10 live at the Hotel NcAlpin. Mr.. Tu'tS
| had acted as surety On the S@O,uno pal'
J bond nut W. by Dr. Lyman to obtain his
freedom pending his appeal from Inc
/ mail fraud conviction in san Francisco.
4 II" hired Pinkerton detectives, VINO re-
ported that Or. Lyman was abroad Bd'
. the bondsman mad little confidence IN
/ these reports and his Increased activity
/ was rewarded bY several MUM"
/ g..mpses of the promoter
The rema rkdhle ilrt aDou' pr'
/ LYMAN" said M TUT Yesterday. rs
I that erybody fe'! foy him in spite ot
/ his close resemblance 10 j. Rp"s va,
/ Iin0tOrd Why, when he was cohN'c'e"
he had the Judge and everybody e'se III
7 In. court room shedding tears
DR. Lyman was born AT Phelps y. !"
and after taking his medical degree here
took "A post graduate course in Germany
4 lie forsoOk the praCtiC" OF medicine
howeyer. for the field of stock promo
ton. From 1898 to 1901 h" was mem,
her of tho stock brokerage arm ~
Joshl, Brown n 60. OF 81 BROADWAY.
I He promoted the lnte1natona! H'il'
I Compduy and became member oI nv
stock ENchang". lie so'd MS sen' y"
.Ae exchange vude! pressure '' ''""'
AIRY, 1901,
/ From that time on his reputation as
g, nro,notcr became more lurid. lie was
Threatened with criminal proceedings III
I Omaha and a warrant WAS Issucu '"'
him I'm Nevada for his promotion OK the
! Gr.cnwstcr toppcr Company ana the
K,,llfroy Rush Mining Company, through
which he Is said 10 have made S3oo,""o
in thirty days.
when he was arrested ia September
1871. fnI. the Panama land frauds ne
broL, away from deputy marshal
and in the chase that cnsued fell ana
broke his ankle. lie was sent To hoS-
uital IN Oakland. cal, where he became
/ acauainted with Thonct one OF the or
der,ies. Thonct helped To arrange the
details Of the subsequent escape IN wh''h
Dr. LYMAN was VIII Sked away IN an
automobile equipped with rifles and re-
yolycrs to aid in holding off pursuera'
, LYMAN was recaptured near I.ak"vi"w,
ore, anl sentenced to eighteen months
for breaking Jail.
+ After his subsequent conviction on the
mail fraud charge "A moving picture com
many offered him "a handsome salary TO
play the part Of Get Rich QWck Wdliih0-
ford,
Lyman is divorced, In June. 1871, he
| went to London. and several months after
the outbreak OF the war returned here
with "A Mrs L,ickett. said to he the wife
Of an English officer now fighting In the
| trenches Dr. Lyman. II Is said. took
his companion to the home of Ellen Peek,
the notorious confidence queen, In Nyack,
where q child was born to the English