Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-08-28

cidentally disclosed the combination to
any one--that no one has been near you
when you opened the safer
The only person who has ever been
near ME when / opened the aafe, with
the exception Of the officials is the gen
tleman who substituted for our pastor
this summer"
"How did he happen to be near you2"
He came here to leave valuable
ring that was his for safe-keeping."
You opened the safe in his presence,
and he unsuccessfully tried to open it
after your
Eyes. = in absolute astonishment.
Describe his personal appearance"
Mr.. Campbell did So
That is al for the present, remarked
the officer.
-Four days elapsed, during which the
detective seemed to give the tease no
consideration, devoting his time to con-
versation with this, that and the other
one, on any subject except the burglary.
Then he went to Mr.. Campbell.
!" Your description" he said, "of the
gentleman who substituted for your pas
tor, this summer, tailed so nicely with
the description of burglar who has
operated in the West, that I at once
made up my mind that the two were
Identical"
Mr.. Campbell gave start.
Leaving you, / called on Mr.. Pen
nell, and learned the name Of the clergy
man by whose recommendation Mr..
Smith came here. To this minister /
Immediately wrote. The reply is"-
reading letter:
"eC-, New York, October 2, 1S-
"tDEAR SIR-In answer to yours, just at
hand, would say: know no one by the name
of Thomas Smith; never had student; never
wrote to Brother Penneu. The evening before
/ left home, last July, young man, in all re-
spects like the one you describe, called on me
and asked innumerable quesGions css'as ,asi;ng
Brother Pennell-so manYand SO stIdnge tna1
I wondered at them. intended TO write
Brother P. about this man, but neglected II
50 long that deenla Il pest n9t (. g1 @ MliIe az
prsyonted the imposition which has been prac-
ticed upon an esteemed co-worker and his
people Yours Tespecttuly,
Mr.. Campbell was too much astonished
to speak.
sProbably this man Smith-or what
ever his narae may be-learning that
your bank did an immense business, re-
solved to burglarize it long ago, con
tinued the officer. ssJust how he CHANGED
to adopt the clerical role 1 cannot say;
but, having determined upon it, he could
easily find the name of some one who was
your pastors classmate at the Theologi-
cal Seminary by consulting the cata-
logues of the institution for various
years. Fortune favored him in selecting
1r. Blake. He had never corresponded
with Mr.. Pennell, but was thoroughly
versed in his ways. This circumstance
enabled Smith to write to your pastor,
with no fear of detection by reason of
the penmanship The time Of writing
was also opportune, as Mr.. Blake was on
the point Of leaving home, and Mr..
Pennell could not write to him concern
ing the ould-be-substitute
spTbo NAV ~
been worth something the ruse by
which he gained knowledge of your
combination When you opened the
safe he learned the number that you
used. and his unsuccessful attempt to
open it after you was mere blind
Of course, to obtain an entrance to the
building was an easy matter for him. I
shall this very day 60 in pursuit of him,
and my advice is, say nothing of what
have told you to any one except the
directors, more than that l have obtained
a clew to the perpetrator of the deed,
until you hear from me-"
Early in December he received tele-
gram from the detective at New York,
which contained the single word "Come. y
He went to that city, where he found
Thomas Smith alias various other names,
in custody, who made full confession,
quite substantiating the officers suppo-
sitions-and restored all that he had
taken from the bank. save hundred dol
lars or so.
When Mr.. Campbell returned to Brook
vile with the stolen property, every one
was astonished; they were more aston
ished on learning the true character of
Clay preacher"
SSst text should have been, 4
and took ye in, = face
npe Of the church mem