Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1869-03-20

A SurrosRD MunpkRkp MAN TuRxs Or
CANT. Il. gcdlfey Rskrer, . resident Of Trs
| mont, shis County, snd engaged In tbs
mining of coal at Douaidson, With Messrs
Thomas Smith and John Albrighton, Sr.,
left his home st an early hour, TO keep .
business appointment N the collicry. He
did not reach the collisy, snd after several
days had elapsed without anything being
heard Of him, Il was suspected that he had
| been murdered on the rood. Large rewards
were offered for any information Of the fate
Of Capt. Rehrer the police were Get 10 work
md his partners were arrested on suspicion
Of being concerned In his disappearance
They were subsequently, discharged from
custody, there being insufficient evidence to
hold them. Time went on and still nothing
was discovered In reference to the fate ol
Capt Rehersr. The community will re-
member the operations of the detective
Carpenter, In connections with this case, and
and the arrest of Mr.. David Lonison, oi
Donaldson. on charge of being concerned
in the supposed murder Capt. Rehrer's
immediate family was plunged into the
deepest distress Mr.. Louiisou wss driven
into .osnkruptcy, and Messrs. Smith aud
Albrighton were forced by public opinion
The affair was buried in the deepest mys
terry until Inauguration day of last week,
March 4, when all the facts connected with
Capt. Rehrers disappearsnce, were revealed
to Mr.. George w. Cole of Tamaqua, by the
Captain himself. Mr.. Cole we might state,
is well acquainted with Capt. Rehrcr. Well,
he was standing on q side walk in Washing.
ton, hooking at the line forming for the
procession, when he observed soldier in q
detachment of the Marine Corps, wearing
the chevron of q sergeant. He recognized
him at once as Rehrer. Impulsively Mr..
Cole rushed to Rehrer, and much to the
astonishment of the commissioned officer in
command and to Rehrer's own surprise,
who denied that he was himself, he seized
him by the collar fer the purpose of drag.
ging him to private room in hotel close
by snd having an explanation of his actions.
The officer in command of the detachment
soon understood from Mr.. Cole tho state of
the case, and consented that Rehrer should
accompany Mr. Cole to q private room.
That having been done, Rehrcr confessed TO
MIR. Cole that the motive for his dccamping
in the mysterious manner he had done. was
the fact that he was heavily indebted TO his
father, father.in n-law, and others, aud that
he saw no prospect of extricating himself
from his peneuniary liabilities. He said
that he FIRST went to Trevorton, where lie
worked as laborcr. From there he went
to Batimore, where he was employed at a
similar occupation. One day seeing in the
streets of that city citizen of Schuylkill
County, he because fearful of being recog
nizcd and left suddenly without even wait
ing to receive his wages. From Baltimore
be went to Philadelphia, and eniisted in the
Marine Corps, anticipating that he would
soon lie sent on shipboard to some foreign
station. In this he was mistaken, for his
command was sent to Washington, where it
has since been statiened.
These are briefly, the facts as told by
Rehrer himself. ar aware of tho annoyance,
distress and expense which have resulted
from his conduct which we presume he is,
and appreciating them, his feelings of re
morse and eoTrow Are not 60 be cuvieI.
We might state in connectioa with this
matter, tha. when Gov. Geary was applied
to offer u reward for information which
would lead to the discovery of the fate of
Capt. Rehrsr, he said that lie would do so,
but it was his opinicn from all of the cir.
as far a. they had come to his
that he was alive. The sequel
proves his opinion to have been correct.
Aesers. Smith and Albrighton, Sr., are
now engaged 10 mining operations at Ply
mouth Luzerne County, and a ~ doing well.
Miners Journal, o. last rHk.