The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1886-05-23

1llElls5y, however, that MIR. Smith
'las too i'll 10 be seen. She also stated that
she was not his daughter orSlis wife, and
when the reporter was ebDat TO ask her if
she felt at liberty 10 state what relation she
was to the man, bsfore he had time to get
his question formulated she said abruptly,
81 suppose you're about to ask me if /
know who l am" He assured the young
lady that he had 10 doubt Of her knowi-
edge of that fact Learning nothing there,
the newspaper rlan wended his way to the
residence of the Rev. Cornelius Brett, pas
tor of the Bergen Reformed Church, near
Bergen Square The reverend gentleman
was not at home, but his wife stepped to
the door and said ''If it's about this Smith
matter, can tell you as much rs Mr.. Brett
can" The reporter informed her that that
was his mission, and be was invited into
the parlor. 8 You know" ssid Mrs Brett,
" that MIR. Brett is a member of the Domes-
tic Missions Board, and as such is bound
to secrecy. The Synod Of our Church will
meet at New Brunswick in June. when the
full state of affairs will be sifted, and no
doubt made public. She further stated
that although the fact that John r. Smith
is short in his accounts in vary
large amount has been known on
the inside for some time, it
was a general surprise to those
people that it has been made public. She
said that Mr.. Smith had been the Treasurer
of the Board for about twenty years, was
very unostentatious liver and one of the
most highly respected and consistent gen.
tlemen IN the community. Smith is q
man of about so years of age, and has a
wife but no children. Ills wife has been
an invalid Ter many Years and he is said
to have always been not only strictly tenn
perate, but most attentive and affec-
tionate husband. He was n member of
the congregation CT the Rev Cornelius
Brett's father when Cornelius was Ii tie
boy. He is native Jerseyman, although
he lived on Staten Island Tor number #
years. From azother reliable source i.
was learned hat although Smith is 1eem-
lngiy very honorable gentleman, this is
not bis first or only breach of trust. For
a number of years he was Secretary and
Treasurer of the defunct Star Fire Insu-
rance Company of New York, and it was
so the gentleman above referred to told
the reporter he had been credihly aud re
liably infofmed-By reason of heavy de-
falcation Ey Smith that the com
pany was forced to suspend. THIS
same gentleman informed The re-
porter that he had known Smith for many
years, having been one of lis SUNDAY
School scholars xhen a hoy i do,F't setl
what he could have donewith the money! |
said this gentleman "Ie has always |
lived moderately, and know he told me |
once that he had small interest il a leei- |
innate mining and smelling concern run
by the Wood boys (Smith's nephews) in |
the West. Whether or not this concern is |
IN existence yet do not know; but even |
if it was a failure | cannot conceive that |
Smith could have sunk SCI, coo or $50, COO |
the amount he is said TO have taken of |
these two concerns-in concern in which |
he had but a small interest" It is said |
that Smiths defalcation may seriously |
cripple the fnapees of the Board of which |
he WIS the Treasurer, and when he could |
keep the shortage 10 longer cret he |
went to the Rev. Mr.. Brett aud begged |
lin on his knees to save him from the dis |
grace that must follow his disclosure. The |
New Jersey members of the Board are |
Rev. Cornelius Brett and Rev. Paul D. Van |
Cleef, of this city; Mr.. Garrett r. WI |
nants, of Bergen Point, and ex Senator
William H. Kirk, Rev. DR.. Waters and MIR.
s. IL. w, heath, of Newark. The officers |
are President, S. II. w. Heath; Vice
President, Rev. Paul d. Van Cleef; Finan-
ciai Secretary, Rev. David L. Waters; Cor
responding Secretary, Rev. Jacob West,
and Treasurer pro tenn, John S. Bussing,
who was made Treasurer when Smith was
removed. Rev. Mr.. Brett was elected to a
position in the Board some time ago to fill
a vacancy caused by the death of one of
the members.