The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-05-12
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The story OF tho career OF John Alex
ander Smith, alias Thompson, lately q
highly popular RECESSION preacher In
Liverpool and It's nesghboFhood but
naw an unmarked inaposteF ard fugi-
tiTe from justice. presents some fea-
lures which distinguished II from the
common record ct the swfnsier.s
career. This rogue appears to have
heen not abowa the mean ard cruel
fraad OF getting cash out OF a poor
widow On promise Of usarriage.
which could NOT be fulfilled, III
there be any truth In the statements
Of 6 woman i'm WhftehaYea who
claims him ~ her husband For this
reason, aggravated hy the fact that
while he was cajcling tie widow and
inducing her 70 sell her household
furniture he was making an equally
pertiaiOus proposal OF marriage 20 d
Liverpool young lady, the police are
very DESTROYS OF aacertaining the
whereabouts of tho ex.preacher. But
John Alexander Smiths crest failing
was not 50 much swindhHg rs q pro-
pensity for huaxing.
l
hia fellGw-msn as an incarnation oE
romantic generosity. and he appears
to have reveled In the temporary de-
light OF playing the part of a Liver
pool Monte Cristo. srnifl, seems 20
have originally introduced hiusself 10
the Liverpool folk a. i Converted
actor,a and this description In the
eyes I'D the many conscientious people
xeyla traNfr 4arskA A@a{Mxrxm IL
stage was no doubt a potent
carefully inquired fhey might have
discovered that he had never been
nj actor. properly SO called. though
lsesides being q soldier and q police
man, and probably many other things,
he had at some time been a theatrical
supernumct~fy. One thing was GER
tain, he Was III illitarate max, for his
speech was ungrammatical, and he
was accustomed to write the first per-
souai pronoun In the form of small
II" But he had n Command OF
language and an earnest style. y
Hence. though the converted actor
was 90 years Of age and of by no
means attractive appearance, he ex-
ercised no small amount Of fascination
over many worthy people.
as may he supposed, John Aiexan.
der Smiths popularity did not grow
less when, come time since, he made
known that he had come into 4 large
fortune, partly through the death OF
his wealthy father and partly under
the viii Of q rich brewer, and that il
was his resolution TO bestow his wealth
upon all sorts and conditions Of men,
women and public institutions. To
this aud that deserving minister of the
gospel he declared bis intention of
paying E100 year. to score of mis-
sions. churches, chapeis and temper
anee associations he sent the welcome
news that they were to he endowed
with sums rising from ESQ to f70o
One day the case of a poor man who
had worked as temperance mission
airy, but WAS now poor and fourseore
years OF age, came under his notice
To biIa Smith at once granted life
annuity of EI2. Still more joyful news
was In store. for Smith announced
that he Ind succeeded in founding a
mission for seauen and had raised
Eli 600 for that purpose, In token of
which he began to engage missionaries
from Dumfries, Whitehayen and Man
chester, Under 2 marriage settle
ment, moreover. which he instructed
his solicitors to draw mp, he undertook
to place EI4,0G0 in the hands of trus-
tees for the benefit of the widow. as
vel rs Of two young ladies whom
he insisted ON befriending. Par
ticulars OF Smiths ingenious nlaehina-
tons and multisariaas forms of
roguery SIRE even now accumaIat.
ing daily So the game of building
castles III the air, and settling them
upon friends and aeqUaiutances, was
played. But obviously this sort of
thing must come 10 an end at last.
John Alexander Smiths wealthy de-
ceased father has been found alive,
and living on his wages at ten shll-
lings week. As TO his generous son,
he has suddenly vanished. and the
Mission honSe In Warwick street,
Liverpool wi1ere bat fortnight since
n poster announced that Rev. J. A.
Smith, ex. Liverpool actor, was 10 lee
ture at = O'Clock precisely: subject,
Love- vii! in ail probability see him
en- 74aafs