St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-05
A DESIGNING Dominic.
How Perfdious New Hampshire ParsoE
Won Rich Widow fora
Wife,
Stole $4,000 of Her Money and Bonds
Sold Her Furniture and Skipped
to Boston.
The Reverend Gentleman Arrested
and Scared Into Returning
His Ill Gotten Pelf.
n Good Preacher and a Good Prayer.
Maker, But Apparently
Moral Wreck.
A Parsons Perfidy.

AParsOn's Perfidy.
Special to the Globe
BOSTON, April 4.-Rev. William Ham
mOnd, pastor of the Free-wiII BAPTIST
church at Franklin Falls. N. H., has got
INTO queer scrape. His story is an inter-
esting one. He was formerly Roman
Catholic, and entered the priesthood. A
few years ago he renOunced that religion
and became an evangelical clergyman. Last
September he was installed in Franklin
Falls and his ministry has been
quite successful. Among the MEM
Ders OF his chnrch was a widow of
DR.. Harrison w. Rockway. and it was not
long before it was noticed that the parson
took more than an ordinary interest in her.
NO one was surprised when later on iU was
announced that they were engaged. and
some three weeks ago they were married.
upon the marriage license the minister's
age was given as 80 and hers at 45. Within
few days after the marriage Rev. Mr..
Hammond went to his bride, and by some
preteXt, as she says, got her to sign her
name to blank page in bank book of the
Franklin bank, where she
HAD ON DEPOSIT 50, 900.
On Wednesday of this week he presented
the book at the bank, with the woman's
order signed in proper form, and was given
the $4,000 in checks on a Boston bank.
Having secured this his next step was to
take possession of a 81, 900 bond belonging
to his wife without her knowledge. to-
gether with sum of money in her purse.
He then went to merchant in the village
and told him that he and his wife were go
ing to start for Europe at once. and that
they were anxious to sell their house
hold furniture. The price was agreed
upon, and the money was paid to
the parSOn. That evening he
went home and pretended to be highly of
Tended with his bride, telling her that he
should not pass the night in her company,
but he should go to the hotel to sleep, and
then took his departure. Thursday morn
ing Mrs. Hammond went to her purse for
some money, and finding it empty. went to
| the bank to draw portion of her deposit.
There she was told that it had all been
drawn by her husband. Finding that some
thing was evidently wrong, she at once
consulted counsel. 1t was ascertaned that
he had taken the early morning train for
Boston and
OFFICERS WE'RE NOTIFIED
to watch the bank upon which the checks
had been drawn by the Franklin bank. The
step was taken just in time, for as the
| officer detailed for the work stepped I'D to
: the bank counter women presented the
checks to be cashed. The money was not
paid. The woman was followed to the
house of Mrs. DR.. Eddy, the well-known
| high prietesS of the Christian scientists, the
principal branch of the mind-cure organi-
zation in this town. Thursday afternoon
Assistant District Attorney Adams and In
| spectOr Richardson drove to Westchester
park. where they left the carriage and
walked to the vicinity of Mrs. Eddy's
residence. After they had been there
about ten minutes. Rev. Mr.. Hammond and
young lady came out of the house and
were walking briskly down the avenue,
when Inspector Richardson tapped him
| lightly on the shoulder, and said he would
like to speak to him. He was then invited
to walk 10 Westchester park, where the in
spector informed him that he was under
arrest for robbing his wife. why" said
| the parson, ''she made over all her prop
erty to me after marriage" He said that
he had for some time been trying to have
his wife move from Franklin Falls to either
| Philadelphia or Boston, where he intended
| to go into the drug business. He said that
his wife was
ADDICTED TO DRINK,
and had seven barrels of rum in the cellar
some time before he discovered it. He left
| Boston in company with Inspector Richard
son on the o'clock train. When they ar
rived at Franklin Falls the parson tried to
persuade the officers to allow him to see his
wife, which they refused to do, as she gave
orders not to let him come to the
house, as she was afraid he would
harm her. The reverend gentleman
then requested to be allowed
They told him that unless he gave up the
SfaIaO fr0parfv ha IEOuId ha lOcl-od nm
Rev. Mr. Hammond apparently did not
like the idea of passing the night in cell,
| for he told the officers that the money was
in safe belonging to Mr.. Page, a deacon
of his church. 1t was nearly midnight
when the officers reached Mr.. Pages resi-
dence, and on being told the object of their
visit he opened the safe. In one of the
pigeon holes was found
A SEALED ENVELOPE,
which crntained the 81, 900 bond and the
So. 900 in bills belonging to the parsons
wife. The reverend gentleman was then
allowed to remain at the deacon's house in
charge of an officer. Mrs. Hammond, in
| speaking of her husbands doings, said that
a few days after they were married she
suspected something was wrong, as the par
| son was endeavoring to have her sell all
| her property.
| He is my third husband" she said. "and
| when married him thought was getting
prize, as he was an ordained minister. He
| is coed preacher, good prayer-maker and
q good family man all through"
At this point one of the officers remarked
that Baptist ministers 'were about as bad
as policemen"
''Yes, guess they are,'' replied Mrs. Ham
| mond. HE wanted me to move to Philad ell
! phia. but as that city was so far away did
not agree to that proposition. He then
| spoke about going to Boston, to which place
1 was willing to co.
Mrs. Hammond appeared to be very bitter
against her husband, and the friends of both
are now endeavoring to effect reconcilia-
| ton. The wife is worth about $50, 900.
/