New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-10
TO ROBCHURCH AND RECTOR
EVIDENCE THAT THIS WAS THE PLAN
OF THE REV. MIR. NEILS BUTLER

IN LEAGUE WITH a CRIMINAL NAMhD 'hf>Hh'
WHO HAS SENSATIONAL RECORD-KNocK-
OUT DROPS FOR THE RECTOR - De
SIGNS on THE RICH vEsTMENTs
AND COMMUNION VESSEL or
THE CHURCH OF ST. ED
WARD THE MARTYR.
The police OF the Central Office have In their
custody man who they say is most danger
GUS criminal He Is William Hgbe, twenty six
years DID, negro, who for the last year has
been employed as butler by the Rev Edward
Wallace Neil. rector Of the Episcopal Church
Of st. Edward the Martyr, at Flfth-ave. and
One-hundred- and -ninth-st.. and living at No. If
East One-hundred- and -ninth-st Higbies
rest was due TO a mere chance. Detective Ser
geants Evanhoe and Kelly. of Acting Captain
McCluskys staff. were passing the rector's house
the other day when they saw the negro. who
was recognized by them at once as an ex-con-
vict. enter Mr. Neirs house The detectives then
called Mr.. Neil and Informed him. greatly to
his surprise. that he harboring one OF the
most dangerous criminals in the city. When
they proposed to Take an examination of the
buffers effects. Mr. Neil readily agreed. and
while HigbIe was absent from the house on
Wednesday the detectives searched his belong
dence to show that he had entered into plot
to rob the rector and the church. and they also
found strong evidence that n scheme had been
proposed 10 stupefy. II no. kill. Mr.. Nell by the
administration OF Knockout drops, In order that
the robbery OF the premises might be accom-
plished more easily.
IN LEAGUE WITH A CLEVER CROOK
In n bag in the room were found pieces of evil
,sbt oh ,1 ha xt-ifh
operations Of one William F. Clark. alias Wood
ruff. alias Maltbc. alias Lieutenant Colt Of the
22d Regiment an ex-conviot and notorious
criminal. whose operations in the past have been
OF the most sensational nature. Back in lSSS
Clark posing as a gay young guardsman. had
made love % n pretty and wealthy young woman
OF this city. While cutting n wide swath, he was
engaged In swindlinC those who came In MS
way and Louis De Bcbian then agent for the
French line OF steamers became a victim TO the
tune Of 500 by means Of a forged check. For
this Clark was arrested and sent - the Elmira
Reformatory on being released from the Re-
gormatory Clark went back 10 his old ways. and
was arrested In the latter part Of 1894 for swim
ding the sixth National Bank out of SlTD
by a clever forgery a sentence to n term In
Sing Sing followed conviction FOR this crime.
Clark was discharged less than year ago.
having earned certain commutation for good
behavior while In prison.
UCbie became acquainted with Clark while
both men were IN Sing Sing during Clarks last
term. Hlgbic convicted in lN32 Of robbery
In the first degree FOR assaulting man at
Bleeckcr and Elizabeth SITS. and robblng him of Il
large sum of money. I'm company with one John
Sargent For this crime each of the defendants
received n sentence Of I'VE years. The acquaint-
ance thus formed in prison was renewed after
both Clark and HlgbIe had been set free. as the
story shows
AN INCRIMTNATING VAIISE.
When the detectives searched Higbe's room
they found plenty Of evidence 10 connect him
With Clark and everything there seemed 70 show
that the negro butler intended soon to leave his
employer. for nearly all Of his personal belong
,ngs were packed and ready FOR Instant removal
But the most valuable part Of the property FOUND
was n vallse which had belonged 10 Clark and
which the negro had In his possession for saie
keeping.
II annoars that Clark Is now in the Tombs,
having been arrested on August - last for pass
ing n forged check on the Riverside Bank. THIS
CITY Immediately after his arrest, clark wrote
70 his pal the negro. and asked him 70 go 20 II
certain barber shop and secure vals' ne '''"'N'
had loft there. This the negro did. In thiS Dag
was found among other bits or lncrimiha'hB
o,d.,co a tYo-ounce bottle Of knockout drops.
with two prescriptions for compouhdIhs H.
~, odro,r,s,oring the contents Of this bottle. it
would have been easy to stupety the h''. vi 10
Eeu go that the robbery OF the house could be
readily committed. In the room was a'7o 'o''''
this letter from Clark 70 iiigbie:
t.r,ora pil: got your letter o. X cannot
n r 'ienu 1 hot sorry was that you can't do as !
,tn VIZ Could YOU get SIS send as much as r Eou
can Those drops in the bag are inc 5"!'r Tr so,re
eau. ~, doses inc.osc ,ou an order tor sotl'
from any druggist iUu o yo, 80. how valua BILE
=, T'h, incloscd prescription contains tni a.,
doses When YOU get tnii Gn ,n sr}ng ,5 bring it
Sogn If You cannot get 81 brihs uoMm "tI, ~ mo
can You know. old man. WHAT " " L'piNK
r,,. ,o,,or wos dated September g. 1894. and
..a ,..,,,o, from his cell I'm the Tombs. Acting
,,,t NcCmsky interprets the letter To mean
NAT clark is sorry that IIigble has not uSsa W
,ha ln"ckout drops upon Mr. Nell and that ne
,yisbos Uigbie to get all the money lor III" '"''
is possbe, TO use in his defence
AFTER RICH CHURCH FURNISHINGS.
The correspondence between the TWO ct'''-
,,oIs and the conversations had between them
before Clark's arrest In August S'ei"'' ~ ''''
,ho, ,ho,r MAN was 10 loot the rectors mousse
and the church Itself OF the costly chalice ana
o,her oi.,.s Of the communion service ana the
,n ,.as,pents a portion of which, lnciudlhe
the chalice had been presented 10 the ci cnul.',
Inv F,lbridee r. Gerry In memory OF MS ur''aS.u i
daughter Lillian The Church OF 81 Edwatd
Tho Martyr IS one OF the most rituallStlc ot 'hc
Episcopal faith. and It's altar furnishings n us
vcstments and its sacramental seiHi1e i,a r'n
eannnIr no excellcd In beauty and value
by those of any church in the city,
The proceeds to be obtained by ,am' 'me
disposal of the gold. silver ana Jew
", ,,o eervIce and the gold embroidery
on ,hs yestmen,s would amount to no mean
smr, 7, was these that the thieves wanted, ana
Uiebie had furnished to Clark carefully mace
man ~ the church and the rectors house con
,ainipy tre exact location Of the valuable artl-
ces , ,, ,.,o, h,,
From n letter found in the valise. written ny
Higbie to Clark which bore no dhte' Il pI pm -
,.nr.,,,.i cor robbing the apartments of Samuel
Spiegel who lives at No. ~ East one-huhdreu-
and -ninth-st only few doors from the rec
tory. The letter reads:
expect from he1-say he Is diamond broker,
name is on the door or not He Is not marrlea po,