Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-01-04
two ROGUES JAILED AT LAST
Joseph Bellah and Wife, For
merly of Wilmington.
SHREWD AND SLEEK SWINDLERS
The Rev. w. H. Johnson One
of Their Victims.
Their Surprising Career of Fraud-The
Exploits That Finally Led to Their Ar
rest--fsellah "Pleads the Baby Act" aud
Puts the Blame on His wife.
Boston Herald, Dec. slst.

Boston Herald, Dec. s1st.
Joseph Bellah, a Boston business
man, was arrested last night in North
Woburn, charged with obtaining money
under false pretcnces.
Bellah is wanted by the police in vari-
Gus sections of the country for uttering
checks on banks in which he has an in
sufficient balance to meet his obliga-
tions.
Since autumn the prisoner has occu-
pied room No. 724 in the Exchange
Building in this city. His sign and cards
set forth that he is at the head of the
Landorf Real Estate Company He also
did something in the insurance business.
Mr.. Bellah, with his wife and his
mother-in-law, whose name is Mrs.
Mary b. Evans, and two sens, j.
Warner, aged 18 years, and Robert,
aged 10 years, went to North Wohurn
about the middle of last October and
leased furnished house ON Main street
from Mrs. Prentice Barnard, for $40 per
month. The Bellahs claimed to have
come from New York and expressed
the desire to purchase the property if
desirable terms could be arranged, The
family appeared to be highly respecta-
BILE and Mrs. Barnard felt pleased with
her tenants.
According to the police the Bcllahs
did not go to North Woburn from New
York direct, for the reason that the
family had resided in Cambridgeport,
and while there swIndled the Rev.
William II. johnson out of $40 by a
worthless check, drawn on the Camden
National Bank of Camden, N. j., which
wassigned by "Joseph Bellah." This
little transaction came about in pecul-
lar way, and the Rev. Mr.. johnson was
in North Woburn yesterday afternoon
to see if he couldn't adjust his loss
While in town he called on Justice
johnson of the Fourth district court of
Eastern Middlesex and told him that he
believed Bellah to be swindler. The
clergyman also showed what he con-
sidered evidence of the mans guilt.
MIR. JOHNSON THE VICTIM.
Mr.. johnson came to the Cambridge
port pastorate from church in Will
mington, Del. In that city he was ac-
quainted with family named Bellah,
but not the one whose name figures in
this connection. But Mr.. Bellah of the
Landorf Real Estate Company was also
formerly resident of the city of Will
mington, and he knew the clergyman
by sight
According to the police, Mr.. and Mrs.
Bellah concocted scheme to defraud
the divine. Mrs. Bellah and her son
called on the Johnsons while Mr.. John
son was out, and gave the impression to
Mrs. Johnson that she was the Mrs.
Bellah who was SO well and favorably
known down in Wilmington. She
wanted to see Mr.. johnson, as she
wanted him to identify her at some
bank where she could get one of her
husbands checks cashed. She left
promising to call the next day at 2
O'clock; this was the 10th of October.
She called the next day and explained
her position to Mr.. johnson, stating that
her husband was unavoidably delayed
in New York and that as she was out
of funds she wished to cash check. 1t
was o'clock when she called, and of
course the banks were closed. The
! clergyman took pity on her, and as he
was going out OF town that evening to
lecture in Salem: and would not return
until the next day, he gave her $40 in
money and took the check.
The boy called at the house the next
day after this transaction, but as Mr.,
johnson was not in he did not state his
errand, and on the following day, the
18th, Mr.. johnson received a letter
which was signed by the boy, requesting
him not to deposit the check until he
had heard from him, as he feared, owing
to communication which they had
received from his father, that there might
be some confusion, and in case there
was liable to be any trouble with the
check he would bring the money himself
and take it up.
BECAME SUSPICIOUS.
The minister at once became sus-
picious, and he wrote to a business
friend in Wilmington, DEL, Alfred d.
Warner by name, in regard to the stand
ing of Joseph Bellah. The answer
which he received confirmed his sus-
picions. The gentleman to whom he
wrote had been swindled out of $1,000
himself by Joseph, and he found out
enough of the history of the man to
convince him that he was carrying on a
swindling game in Boston and vicinity.
1t appears from this letter that Joseph
Bellah was a member of the Bellah
family of Wilmington, highly re-
spectacle family, but he was the "black
sheep" 1t was said that he had filched
$4,000 from his aged mother, at vari-
Gus times, and that the recent failure of
his brother, in business in Wilmington,
Is due nearly altogether TO Joseph.
He found that 8ellah's wife had been
an ally in his system of exiting" checks,
and that they had worked their son,
who is a fine-looking fellow, into the
nefarious business. Mr.. Warner fur
ther stated that Bellah or his wife had
been kiting checks in West Chester, Pa,
Cincinnati, Cleveland and Detroit, and
that the authorities were on the lookout
for him in those cities. His wife was
Miss Evans, and she was not considered
one OF the Select" while in Wilmington.
MIR. johnson next sent his check to a
Camden bank for collection, and it was
returned, as he expected it would be,
with the statement that there had not
been adoposit to Joseph Bellah's credit
for two years, and that his balance in
the bank during that time was 10 cents,
Now comes a peculiar phase of the
case. George g. Barker of Whining
ton, Del, is the guest of L. Gerry
Barker, his brother, lumber merchant
of Woburn. Last Wednesday Mr..
BRrker's son, LIE Baron, had occasion to
visit Woburn in company with another
young man, named Belcher, to deliver
some goods. They called at the Belluh
residence and Barker went TO the door.
1t was opened by J. Warner Bellah, Il
son, who was former classmate of
Barker in the Friends school in Will
mington. The recognition was mutual.
Barker told his father of the circum-