Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-07-07
A REyEREND sWINDLER.
Arrest OF Minister for RObbing an
Insuramce Company.


From the Buffalo Commercial, June 10.
About three weeks since man known as
Rev. j. D. Hairis, employed as sub-agent
by Mr.. H. ]. Ball, general agentin this city
for the Manhattan Life Insurance Company
of New York, TO make collections through
the country, called on Mr.. Ball and made
the following statement:
II had in my possession about the sum
of 81, 248 90 in cash, money collected du-
ring the month of May, on policies and
renewals assuring the lives Of r. w.
Cheney, It. II. Cheney, 81. L. Crocker,
Yorkshire, Cattaraugus county and others;
said policies and renewals issued by the
Manhattan Life Insurance Company, and
sent me for collection, The said amount OF
money or thereabouts was placed by me in
handkerchief on the afternoon of Mon
day, the 31st Of May, 1862 and secreted
about my person; thatI was at the time OF
placing the money about my person, board
ing with one Elm Cook, o hotel-keeper at
Pike, Wyoming county; that I retired on
the night of the first day Of July, in the
customary manner, about quarter to 10
o'clock, and that shortly after retiring |
went to sleep, and have no further recollec-
ton until some time during the night |
was awakened by some unusual
noise, and saw two men in
my room, the light having been left burn
ing One of the men, simultaneously
upon opening my eyes, sprang upon me
and seized me by the throat with his right
hand. and my left arm with his left; the
other seized me by the right arm and
threw his weight upon my lower limbs,
holding there with yice-like grip, and ap-
piled sponge to my nostrils saturated
with choloroform or ether, said TO be ehlo-
roform, which produced o helpless and
laneuid feeling, and subsequently became
unconscious from its effects. That before
becoming insensensible from its effects, /
was conscious of being robbed of all the
money in my possession contained ia the
handkerchief which was tied about my
body under my arms, the handkerchief
having been cut and the money extracted
therefrom
sWhen became sensible / aslying in q
helpless condition upon the bed, and re-
mained SO seemingly for q considerable
length of time. AS soon as | was enabled
to move, rolled off the bed and on the
floor, and attempted to articulate, but was
unable to speak word. | then arose and
walked toward the door of my room, went
out into the hall as far ae the stairway, and
called upon Mr. Cook, but have no recol-
lection of him responding until | went
down with the light when met him at OF
near the foot of the stairs. Shortly after
ward returned to my room and dressed,
when an examination was made In the
premises, but without finding either the
money or any trace Of the robbers"
Not crediting the above story, and being
convinced that Mr.. Harris had not been
robbed, Mr.. Ball placed the matter in the
hands of Messrs. Albro & Byne, proprie-
tors of the Central Detective Agency
They very soon became satisfied that Mr..
Harris knew more of the pretended rob-
berry than he was willing to disclose, and
after getting a detailed statement from
Mr.. Harris of his transactions, Mr.. Albro
followed on his trail, and found that con-
siderable portions of money claimed by
him to have been lost at the time of the
pretended robbery, and collected in the
month of May, had actually been collected
as long ago as January, February and
March last II
Mr.. Harris was arrested on Monday last
at Batavia on four separate charges for EN-,
bezzlement Yesterday he was examined
on two ofthese charges before Justice Cow
den, of Batavia, and held for trial The
examination on tho other two charges was
postponed.
Another warrant is in the hands of an
officer for Mr.. Harris Oh a charge of en-
bezzlement committed in Wyoming county
at the time of the pretended robbery.