The Osceola times., 1882-08-05
A BOGUS SUICIDE.
How Jersey Minister Neatly Arranged
and Executed the Deception.
Philadelphia Times.

Philadelphia Times
The mystery surrounding the disap
pearance of the Rev. ID. M. De Hughes
late pastor OF the Ashbury Methodist
Church at West6eld. n. j., who was re
ported TO have committed sucicide by
jumping off a Camden ferryboat on the
night of Monday, August 80, 1880, has
been solved at last. When the inhabi
tants of the little town of Westfield
which is located about three miles west
of Riverton, in Burlington county, read
in the Philadelphia morning papers oi
Tuesday, August 81, of the alleged
drowning of the Rev. Mr.. De Hughes
tbs entire neighborhood was shocked
beyond measure and the supposed
gossip tor all the folks within radius
agreeable minister had not been located
at Westfeld many months he succeeded
hy his pleasant manners in winning
the good will of nearly all with whom
he came in contact and when his friends
were apprised of his untimely fate they
were indeed grieved.
The story of the suicide" is briefly
thus A icai-looking gentleman, pre-
sumed to be the Rev. Mr.. De Hughes,
boarded the ferry boat Delaware, while
it was lying at the foot of Delaware
street, Camden, about 10 o'clock on the
night in question. He walked to the
bow of the boat and took seat near the
guards outside OF the gentleman cabin.
A colored man and two white men were
the only passengers that occupied seats
near him, and they noticed that he was
nervous and acted altogether in a strange
manner. Several times ht covered his
face with handkerchief and muttered
few unnlelligible sentences. When
the boat left the Camden side the white
men withdrew into the cabin. Neither
of the two men left on the bow ex-
changed word, and when the boat was
about crossing the bar, abreast of Ridg.
way Park, the man in black walked up
to the negro and peered into bis face.
Thereupon the colored man went into
the cabin and informed some of the
other passengers that "the fellow out
side there meant to do away with him
self" Returning hastily to the deck, it
was found that the mysterious stranger
had disappeared AS the night was dark
those that peered over the guards were
unable to distinguish the form of a
man struggling in the water. The
deck hands hastily ran through the cab
ins and not finding the object of their
search shouted Man overheard" and
cried to the pilots TO stop the boat. The
man in the wheel house, however, re.
fused to slacken the speed of the boat
and she continued on her way to Phil
adelphia. Though no one heard any
splash when the supposed suicide
plunged into the dark waves, every
body jumped at the conclusion that the
stranger had sought a watery grave to
end his earthly troubles.
When the boat was about entering
its dock on this side Of the river note
book, a card and two unsealed letters
were found lying on wheelbarron near
where the man sat They were taken in
charge by Collector Bender. The note
book had printed in It the name Rev,
ID. NJ. De Hughes" In this were found
letters. One of them was addressed to
Mrs. u. NJ. De Hughes, while the other
bore the superscriptioH of George Lloyd,
CinnamnseD, n. j.. The card bore the
the name of Alice Watkinson, whose
connection with the minister's disap'
pearance is related further on. On the
back of this card was written the .ol-
lowing: THE resources Of nature are
at His comaand and He can never
promise more than He is able to per
form. The entire power of heaven
would be called to us and aid us. There
is possibility of our meeting every re-
Gurement of God through Christ. BY
His aid we can meet every condition and
claim" This was in De Hughes hand
writing.
On the day following this occurrence a
Times reporter visited Westfield, and
after through investigation sufficient
facts were learned to warrant the pub.
LEGATION of an article setting forth that
the Westfield preacher had played the
drowning dodge like DIR. John Buchanan
of bogus medical college fame, in order
to desert his wife, and not until yester-
day was ascertained that the Times was
right in its coDjectures.
What became Of De Hughes after he
left the bow of the boat can only be sur
missed. He may have jumped over,
board and swan ashore or was picked
up by confederate with 4 small boat
The most probable thing is that he
mounted the guards and then jumped
to the top of the cabin and lay in the
shadow of smokestak until the boat
reached the dock, when he might have
escaped unseen by climbing down the
pilings on either side Of the dock and
got away on an adjoining dock.
George B. Lloyd, to whom De Hughes
addressed one of the letters found in the
boat was a confidential friend of the
preachers and when told at the time
that probably the affair was nothing les'
than another Buchanan ruse, he grew
very indignant and stoutly defended hi
missing friend. Not long ago Mr.. Lloyd
who now drives stage between River
ton and Westfield, received lette
bearing the postmark "Waynsville
Ohio" 1t contained message from hi
old friend, the pastor, who assured
him that it gave him great pleasure
to inform Mr.. Lloyd that the on,
whom he supposed dead was alive ant
doing well by practicing law at Waynes
vile. The ex-preacher besought Nh
Lloyd to kindly convey to all the neigh
bors his best wishes and that if any o
them got as far as Waynesville he woul,
treat them right.
1t is believed at West field that tn
atable minister has been followed to hi
Western home by the woman Alic
Watkinson, for she Immediately lef
Camden WHARF sho az that TINA l;yoJ