The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-08
A Cadaverous Jew Whose Re-
pentanee Was Not Sincere.
SUCCESS AsAsTREeT EXPORTER
His Career AZ q Petty Thief and
BURGLAR Weli-knOwn All Over
the Coast. hut Time and Again
He Succeeded I'm Making His
Blum at Repentance GO0d-He In
Henry Hemprich is little. lean. cadav-

Henry Hemprich is a little, lean, cadav-
erous looking Jew.
According to the police he is pretty
smooth when Ii comes 10 working the
church people. After record brilliant in
spots aiong this line, Hemprich. it is al
legged, fell In with a band of street evan
gelists of Tacoma. and there exhibited
marked traits as a gospel orator. He was
arrested yesterday on the charge OF having
stolen two watches and a number OF 9TH
er articles from his co-laborers in the
cause of the NaZarene.
Detective Concannon, of Tacoma, came
over Monday to search for three men,
William Smith. Jack Kelly and Henry
Hemprich, who were wanted on the
charge of burglary. Detectives Corbett
and Powers searched the city for the
three men and found the last Of them
yesterday. Smith was arrested in the
afternoon and booked as fugitive. Hemp
rich, looking innocent and meek as a lamb.
fell into the net the officers had spread
for him about o'clock yesterday. He ac-
companied Ccncannon. together with
Smith and Kelly, to Tacoma last night.
Hemprich's career as a petty thief and
burglar is well known to the police of ev-
cry city On the Pacific coast His picture
ornaments nearly every rogues' gallery
from Victoria to Los Angeles. About
year ago he was released from Folsom.
Cal, prison, after ishing a sentence OF
ten years.
During the latter period of his incar-
ceration at that excellent institution,
Hemprich Is said to have become convert
ed to the teachings of the Christian
church. The good people of that part of
California were greatly pleased with the
results of saving grace. as illustrated in
the Hemprich person. They pointed with
pride" the political platform builders
say, to Hemprich as a man who having
suffered and repented of the deeds done
in the flesh, had emerged from the fire
purged OF sin. He was taken into the
homes Of the people and provided with
employment OF one kind and another.
But work and Henry had long since part
ed company. There was something in
Henry's constitution that put a positive
inhibition on manual labor. Gradually the
good people of Folsom began to miss sun
dry articles from their homes. Henry lost
one job after another, and was finally
lodged in Jail on a criminal charge.
After emerging from this little affair
Henry Hemprich with repentance and con-
fession written all over his face. came
north. He showed up strong and healthy
In Seattle last spring. His famous act,
"a repentant sinner" was done over again
in this city. But he go; into trouble again.
and was arrested on the charge of petit
larceny. He was sent up for ninety days,
and toward the end of his term began to
show new symptoms of having made his
peace with the powers above. His tale
was believed by the police. He evinced
such feverish desire for work that the
city detectives actually provided him with
employment. But again Henry missed con-
nections with job, and finally the police
threw him over.
Then Henry etar Nv, ho laotn,,t far ,,axx,
fields to conquer. went TO Tacoma. Why
he chose that city as his last resort does
not appear by the record. At any rate
he went to Tacoma and there jumped into
the arms Of fame by joining the "Ecelesia"
band of street missionaries Henrys fervor
knew no bounds. His exhortations were
the loudest and most eloquent. His pray
ers brought tears to the eyes OF more than
one sinner OF the Sums. Henry found him
self occupying almost the center of the
stage il such an application can be made
10 the band OF gospel singers founded by
Rev. n II. Hartman. of Tacoma.
Again the gospel workers were worked.
Henry was taken 10 the home of c. r.
Ainsworth. of No. rs South street They
got him Job. but Henry's fatal repug-
nance to manual labor again led to his
downfall. Air. Ainsworth missed two
shirts. a silver watch and a razor A. L.
Wood, a neighbour lost a gold-filled watch
and other articles. By some strange CO..
incidence both suspected Henry Hemprch.
They rushed to the police station 10 swear
out a warrant and Detective Concannon,
armed with that instrument of the law
made Henry prisoner ara yesterday took
him TO the city jail of Tacoma
One of the detectives called Hemprich
out of the Jail yesterday afternoon and
questioned him about the missing articles
that were taken from the Ainsworth home.
Henry's face assumed a look OF injured but
still surviving innocence. He said: II
don't know anything about that AS the
jail door shut after Hemprich. the detective
said: ''Good-hy. Henry. for five years.