St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-04-09
VOLUME 43---NUMBER 1928.

| knowledge of Trinity church affairs led
Samuel Il. Peters, who is in business in
Trinity building, to suggest William
sons name to the police, as he taught a
class in the Trinity Sunday-schOOl in
1869, and appealed to Peters when he
got caught in a similar trick in London
several years ago. Superintendent
Gayler came to the same conclusion by
finding Williamson's name on the file
kept at the New York post office of
those wishing letters addressed to them
forwarded to certain points, William
sons writing corresponding with the
addresses on the postal cards which
were annoying DR.. Dix. WilliamsOn's
letters were to be forwarded to Windsor
hotel, where he was registered as from
Pittsburg, Pa. He had gone to Balti-
more, however, but his trunk furnished
the clue to his whereabouts. Proceed
ing to Baltimore, Gayler and two detec-
tives finally traced it to the house of
relatives where Williamson was stop
ping. One of the detectives stole into
the house on the pretext that he was an
express agent looking after a trunk
wrongly delivered, and, after seeing
their game was freed. The arrest was
quietly made, and the culprit confessed
on the spot that he was ''GeutIeman Jo.n
He said it was all practical joke, and
he has humbly begged the pardon of
Dr. Dix, who is disposed, however, to
let the law take its course.
Williamson, who is sickly- looking,
bald-headed man of about 40 years,
with the manners and language of one
who has travelled and mixed in good So
clety, has had quite career. Born
and brought up at Baltimore, the testi-
mony of his mother, who now lives at
Plttsburg with married daughter,
shows that he was always flighty, and
has been more so since he recovered
from severe attack of typhoid fever in
1879. A mania for playing tricks has
been his special characteristic. Will
hanson was, however, linguist enough
to be selected as Mason and SlideIrs
attache when they went to Europe in
the rebel interest at the beginning of
the war, which gave him entrance to
high circles abroad. AS colonel in the
confederate service, he afterward tried
to organize cavalry regiment at Balti-
mOIe, but his attempt to betray his as
sociates compelled him to clear out to
save his neck. Williamson has made
six trips to Europe, since his Mason and
Slidell experience, several times as a
travelling companion, for which position
his knowledge of places of historical in
terest and natural beauty well adapted
him. Twice at least, however, he has
got into trouble abroad. Once he LETT
Genoa owing $4,000, which he had spent
on magnificently furnished apartments
where he had all sorts of musical
mechanism hidden away in pieces OF
furniture. The sofa the visitor occu-
pied would give out lugubrious German
airs; the fOot-stools, when pressed, live
ly French melodies; the chairs some
Tyrolean air and, when wine was pour
ed into his glass decanters, the strains
of "The Beautiful Blue Danuben CUR
gled out. He figured in the same gor-
geOusness at London near the close of
the war, representing himself as mem
ber of Virginia's blue-b -blOoded Fairfax
family. Good English Society recog-
nized him, and he is said to have been
engaged to the daughter of a respecta-
BILE family. But the dashing young
rebel ran his race after several months,
winding up with years confinement
at CarIyle's model prison at Pentonville
for trying the trick he has played on
DIR. Dix on Jew named Lowenthal.
The experience of this strange trick
ster has been as various on this side of
the ocean, ranging from cowhiding at
st. Louis for his attempt to make vic
tim of one of its wealthest beauties, to
the reputation of being considerable of
poet, which he enjoys at Pittsburg,
his later home. Mem bership iu a prom
inent Episcopal church there ias sent
him as delegate to church assemblies
at Philadelphia and elsewhere, and at
home his general knowledge of the
world, his lavish generosity in making
gifts and his poetic endeavors have Civ
en- him good social standing. Five
books have been published mt Pittsburg
from his pen, ranging from dramas in
blank verse to dramas for his childish
admirers. Williamsons family friends
and DIR. Dix charitably agree in think
ing him demented, and it is the easy
explanation of career to which his at
tack on DR.. Dix will probably add the
closing chapter,-at least for the time
being.