The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-01-15
A REVEREND RASCAL.
Arrest Ofa Well-KnOwn German Minis
ter for FOrgery--Lange alias Miller.

NIA AWA GVA eAAAaNo AAAAANAn
Many English-speakingas well as Ger
man citizens, says the Cleveland Herald,
will remember very well Rev. DR.. Lange,
who preached not long ago on the cor
ner of Erie and Ohio streets, and some
will remember him to their sorrow. He
lost the confidence of a great number Of
his parishoners before he left Cleveland,
and late developments are Of character
still more likely to prove beyond per-
adventure that he is first-class fraud
and villain.
The story Of the so-called minister so
far as known is substantially as follows:
He came to this city in October, 1870,
after long correspondence between
himself and the trustees of the church
and became the pastor of the little flock
which he subsequently partially Aeeced.
Soon after his passionate commenced it
was rumored that he was not minister
of the Gospel at all and could not show
any diploma from Leipsic College Ger
many of which he represented himself
to be graduate. For the sake of set
ting the matter at rest Lange was inter
viewed upon the subject, and as he re-
fused to exhibit diploma, one of the
gentlemen on the Board of Trustees hav-
ing his suspicious aroused sent letter
to the faculty of the college, the answer
to which confirmed their suspicious. 1t
read to the effect that no such man as
Rev. DIR. Julius Heinrich Adolf Lange
had ever graduated from the college,
and that the person answering to that
name ought to be set down as an i'm
poster.
Various rascalities came to light and a
majority of the church members were
convinced that the pastor was by no
means what he had asserted and pro-
tested himself to be. He defrauded a
widow woman out of several hundred
dollars and succeeded in getting into
debt in various sums at a number of
places.
A photograph was sent to Leipsic and
after while word came by mail thatthe
mans name was Miller instead of Lange
and that he was guilty of crime com
mitted in Germany-that the arm of the
law would reach across the Atlantic and
overtake him.
Lange, alias Miller concluded his Ia
bors at the church in this city in May,
1874, and soon after went to Muscatine,
Iowa, where we has followed by officials
and arrested few weeks since. This
last occurrence in the little drama is ex
planned by thefoIlowing, whichappeared
in the Cincinnati Gazette of December23
Muscatine had q genuine sensation,
Tuesday. Officers arrived there last
week from New York and arrested Rev
DR.. Lange, pastor of the Lutheran
Church, on charged of forgery committed
in Germany, and took him to New Yorl
where he was inearcerated in the Tombs
The local papers kept the arrest a secre
till Monday. A letter has been received
from the doctor asserting his innocence
and asking for aremittance of $500. Tn,
faithful and oonfding flock at once re
mitted a draft to New York for the abov
sum, payable, however, to the order o
Mr.. Fred. Huttig, of this city, VIII
started Immediately to inquire into tn
facts of his pastors completely witt
crime.
There is reason to believe that tn
crime which the pretended divine
wanted to account for in Dresden i
something greater than forgery, beeaus
great pains have been taken to folloV
him and make his arrest, and the use Q
the most powerful secret machinery wa
resorted to in following out the clue al
forded by the photograph. Variou
things are limited but no one speak
definitely Of the crime Lange left hi
wife, whom he married in this city, q
Museatine, Iowa, but has had frequer
communication with her by letter. ]
is said that she refuses to say anythin
about the contents.o Of the letters. Tn
man is still in the Tombs, in New Yorh
OF was at last accounts, butwill be take
to Germany soon and the mystery Of hi
crime viii undoubtedly come TO light
trial In the time intervening, huI
dreds in this city who have been watch
ing the career Of the Rev. DR.. Lang
viii remain pretty thoroughly satisfie
that he is even worse than they had SUI
posed him while he poured forth Chris
tian sentiments and eloquence.