The record-union., 1895-11-20
AN ALLEGED CLERICAL IMPOSTER.
He Passed Worthless Checks on Busi-
ness Men.
Flying From San Francisco, He Was
Captured in This City Last
Evening.

A man who claims to be a preacher,
/ but who is wanted in San Francisco to
answer several charges of swindhng,
was arrested in this city last night by
Captain Lees and Detective Cody, and
will be taken to the Bay this morning
| The San Francisco detectives were
put onto" the man last evening by +
NJ. Woodson and one of his employees,
VIII F. Schmidt, who identified him by
a description published in a San Fran
cisco paper yesterday. The man called
at Woodson's printing office early on
Monday and ordered some cards printed
| bearing the name and address of REV.
P. H. Schwitz, 223 Scott street, San
Francisco, and III Massachusetts ave-
rue, Indianapolis, Ind"
The man paid for the cards and was
to call for them at o'clock in the
afternoon, but failed to do So When
Mr. WoodsOn read about his operations
in San Francisco, with a personal de
SCriptiOn of him, he and an empIoye,
| Will f. Schmidt, set out to look for him,
and finally encountered him on the
street. They had already notified Cap
tain Lees and Detective Cody, who were
! in easy call, and the San Francisco off =
GERS soon had Mr.. Schwitz in custody.
They found in his room at down
| town hotel some of the bank literature
that he had been making such free use
of at the Bay.
Schwitz is also said to be wanted for
frauds committed against the railroad
company. His plan has been to serure
nalf-rate transportation as a clergy
man and then selling his tickets to
others.
The Call gives the following particu-
lars of the alleged clergyman's opera
tiOns in San Francisco.
"A man about 30 years of age.
dressed in the garb of a clergyman,
went to live at 636 Waller street. He
said his name was Rev. T. H. Schwitz,
and that he was a minister of the Cos
| pei, but was not attached to any church
! just then. His conduct led the other Oc-
cupants Of the house to believe that he
was a piOus and good man, and they
all hoped he would soon be settled in
Il church where he would have the op-
pOrtunity of attracting a large congre-
cation.
'On Saturday afternoon after the
hanks had closed the reverend gentle
man called at the grocery of John
| Tiedemann, corner of Haight and Fill
| more streets. He talked blandly about
! the fine weather for a few minutes,
and then asked Tiedemann to oblige
| him by caShing q check for $40 as he
! required some ready money and the
| banks We're closed. He handed Tiede-
mar his card, which bore the name and
| address, Rev. +. II. Schwitz, 636 Wal
! Ter street" Tiedemann unhesitatingly
pave him the so. Between then and
! Sunday night Rev. Mr.. SchWitz had
visited ten other grOcerymen in that To-
Cality and had cashed a SO check with
/ each after presenting his card and MAX
! ing the same explanation.
Yesterday morning the grOcerymen
/ came one after the other to police head
quarters and each made the same com
plaint. They had presented their checks
to the bank for payment, and in each
/ instance it was marked no account
"A police officer was sent to $50 Wal
I Ter street with instructions to bring the
reverend gentleman to police head
quarters so that he would have the op-
portunity of explaining his peculiar ac-
tiOns The officer did not find him. The
| people at 636 Waller street said that
| the dear clergyman had unexpectedly
| driven off in a hack with his trunk
early in the morning without saying
where he was going or what had called
him away so suddenly.
The police are trying to locate him,
but the presumption is that he has left
! the city. He is about 30 years of age.
| having a light complexion with small
light mustache. He was dressed in
black and wore his vest very open. dis
playing a liberal amount of shirt front
| He wore a silk hat and carried cane
| He never appeared to be in a hurry but
| always walked in a slow and dignified
| manner"