Queerest Rogue in the World.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 424, 24 May 1902, Page 3

Queerest Rogue in the World.

THE STORY OF A REMARKABLE FORGER, One of the most daring rogues the world has ever known is Stoddart, who is now in one of the American Stats gaols. Even when in prison he would manage to force his ay out by some kind of deception. One notable instance of this may lie cited. Stoddart had been sent to a convict camp for forgery. He didn’t like the life there, so lie set about devising a method of freeing himself, Deceived the Governor, With some money he had smuggled into the camp he bribed a warder to furnish him with writing materials, and he wrote a letter which he signed with the name of the Governor’s closest political friend dated on the train on the way to Washington. The letter was in elTect as follows : “ I wish you would release Edward O Stoddart at once, now a convict working in Merrill’s camp. Have nim up to Nashville and give him a good lecture. His people are fine folks up in Massachusetts and my best friends. <* You had better let him have a ciedit of S2OO and see that he goes right home. I have fully investiga:ed the case and it is a proper subject for the action I ask as I will explain, etc, , . How Stoddart was able to imitate the handwriting successfully has rot been discovered. Probably he had tad correspondence with the Governor’s friend. Anyhow as a result he was liberated, but it was not long before he was captured again. Nj sooner was he immured, however, than he began with indefatigable industry to correspond with “all and sundry.’’ ‘lf a will were missing he had it, or the rough draft made by the testator, If there were a mystery in a great crime he had the solution: If a child had been lost for years he could bring it home. Whenever any thing was moving Stoddart took part with secrets of vast importance—to sell,

Society Women His Dupes, It was wnnst in prison coo that he would send out, wonderfully constructed letters, mostly to women. He would watch the newspapers, and if he saw irom the arriiais at hoteis that their husbands were away, he would wrr.e and tell them that he (their husband) Had been arrested on a false charge and must have money, to tie hailed out, and money poured in,

Thei again when he noted a society lauy engaged in pniiantiiropic worn, lie would write her saying that “her words had touched mm wnn great force and truth and that no woman in the world had ever said these things with the force that she had,,” - Then would follow his own story, the naxration being framed on fact or fiction to fit the case. More llattery was then administered in terms that showed him a man of education whose judgment was worth something. The correspondence being opened' thus diplomatically, the .outcome was an appeal , for material aid to support the wealth of sympathy already bestowed, and the reply was rarely adverse. At one time while a prisoner he vtas conducting more than thirty of these correspondences, most o f them with successful results. The ladies of Philadelphia’s best' society took special interest in him, and when he left gaol he had from them a trunk of superior clothing, besides ?200 which they Lad sent him, while from other sources a 3 Califonia he had money in varying sumsj A Wonderful Test.

Hi.‘t facility, in penmanship is something exiraordinary a Once ne was the means ol settling a huge will case out of court. ' The parties disputed uie signature of a witness. One siuc oil wiiitn were handwriting experts nodare i it to be genuine,, and could admit of no possioility oi forgery. Counsel on the other side had once defended Stoddart, so he called him to prove that any signature could be iorgeu.. Ihe other side agreed to a test. S touaart was sent u. - and fiftyseven signatures were passed rapidly beiore him at random for him to copy. The result of his effort was such that the great Mr Fraser, admitted that anyone might have been deceived.. Bo the case was compromisedA Religious Rogue.

Stoddart has played t-ue rogue m religion oftenest. He has i.een a preacher in different parts of America over and over again. Once be was conducting a series o£ revival services, and stayed with a farmer whom he induced to give him an exchange cheque for add dollars. When the farmer’s cheque was presented for payment it had mysteriously increased to 1,250 dollars d. circumstance which led to Stoddart o anest d , T Being arraigned before the Justice ol the Peace, Stoddart demanded t..at the proceedings be opened with prayer, lie prayed for the court, the bank, i.l.e prosecutor, and especially for the persecuted, with such vigour and eloquence that he was liberated till next day in custody of his host. That night he started for the nearest railway, aud never stopped till he was a long way from the country. Only a few weeks later, however, he was sentenced to ,ten years imprisonment for his bes,;.tmg sin.