New-York tribune., 1916-02-12
Head of Putnam & Co.,
He FleeS with $40O,-
900 Harvest.
ROGUES' QUEEN,
so, BETRAYS HIM
Swindler Believed To Be
on Way to Europe-His
Man Friday Taken.

Two women employees OF the broker
age firm Of John II. Putnam & Co, OF
+ 6s Broad Street. rsided by postoflice
inspectors on Thursday, looked at r
4 picture from the Rogues Gallery yes
terday and without hesitation said.
"Yes: that's Putnam. head OF the frm.
! Who'd think it,"
; il was Putnam. all right Also IT
was Dr. !. Grant Lyman. alias Joshua
Brown. alias Or. !. G. Lorimer. the
clevcrcst and most arable international
swindlcr that has roamed about ;his
country in many years.
After the young women left the Of
fec OF the postoffice inspectors. whittier
+ they had been brought 20 identify their
eet-rich-quick boss. Louis Thonet, his
Man Friday. who admitted that he did
time with him in an Oregon jail. waived
+ looking at the Bertillon picture and
admitted that Putnam and Doe Ly-
man vcrc one and the same person.
f Thonct gave plenty of information
about his boss. and for his pains was
taken 20 tho police station ard will
probably be held today in $4,000 bail.
4 Get -Rich-Quick Career.
"Doc" Lvmans career for all mis- two
score years and ten was so full o. ad-
venture and i'll doing the inspectors
declared that they scarce knew where
% start the narrative.
Beginning at the end. ss they eH-
pressed It, he closed up his office last
week. gave orders TO pay of the help
and is nov believed to be on his way to
Liverpool on the White Star liner Baltic
with about 100000 OF easy money,
picked up in three or four months from
people who thought we'll Of his sttrac-
tive and promising literature. His
fraudulent bait went through the mails.
and for this the hand Of the law
reached out for him. but just too late
20 get him.
LYMAN has always been getaway
man; sometimes BY sheer frankness he
has cajoled his pursuers and keepers.
and on several occasions he has used
a gun to make good his escape.
over in the corridors OF the Fedora
Building Yesterday wealthy orange
grove owner from Los Angeles admitted
that he had been on the trail OF Ly-
man for SIX months. but couldn't get
him. His name is Gorhsm Tufts.
Mr. Tufts had put up part Of Ly-
mans bail Of $4,000 when he appealed
from the sentence Of eighteen months
that had been imposed upon him IN
Los Angeles early in 1912.
T've been up at the McAlpin for the
last six months, looking for Lyman.
said Mr.. Tufts. "and I'm going to get
him If have 10 stay here for 1--WE
years. never knew the fellow until
he was arrested in Los Angeles. His
letters I'm answer 10 the District At
torney appealed 70 me and many
others. and !. in measure. was re-
sponsible for starting the subscription
10 his bond I'm interested in the
money put up b. others; my own loss
is nothing. / think he ought 10 be ap-
pretended. but. at the same time the
poor devil, I feel sorry for him
Sorrow His Trade Stock.
It was this very faculty OF making
folk feel sorry and his ability 70 IN
spire trust. the inspectors said, that
enabled him 20 pursue his frauds and
escape detection.
Twice did the man from Los Angeles
see Lyman. and twice did he get away.
"He wss some fellow. this DR.. Ly-
man." said the Californian. Nv hen We
went on his bond in Los Angeles he
changed his clothes SIX times day,
and moving picture company out
there actually made him an enormous
offer 70 enact p ten-reel performance,
of real Get Rich Quick Wallingtord.
Lyman spurned the offer. Money
could be made easier
After the raid Of the Putnam Offices
on Thursday By Inspectors McQuillan
and Mayhem. Inspector William u.
Swan. of the Postofice Department.
thought the description OF Putnam
fttod that Of "Doc" Lyman. Within
two hours he proved the Identification.
The old story Of "thieves falling OUT
led Nh Tufts 10 make the journey here
20 find Lyman.
j II chanc,d that Lyman sought the
counsel OF the aged confidence queen
Ellen Peck. Of Nyack. y. !. She is now
eighty. Lyman confded TO her many
things. among them ms affairs IN tho
+ West.
Somehow the ancient woman Of
Nyack felt that she was double-crossed
and in pique she wrote 10 Mr.. Tufts.
She knew about Lyman. but Putnam
e. Co" was not in her ken. II the Doe
had confded that much he would have
been taken by the tender-hesrted West
erner months ago perhaps.
Or. J. Grant Lyman was born near
Phelps, y. Y. about fifty years ago.
/ He studied chemistry and had smat-
tering Of medicine. In youth his mind
ran TO scheming, and venturng as an
car specialist he devised golden ear
drum which would almost make the
( blind 10 see.
The West beckoned, and he answered
the call. arriving in san Francisco IN
1908. Here he devised the Panama De-
yelopment Company where lots IN the
tropics could be bought Tor song and
the buyer made wealthy for life
Fraudulent use Of the mails was ms
Continued on page ,. column