The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-02

ana the Key, Mr.. Lewis suffered the deep
mortincation of having innocently been
dragged into a fraudulent transaction.
From that day until Parrish was arrested
ne ola not cease in doing his utmost for
his detection.
The Sandwich Bank. being a member
OF the American Bankers Association
placed the matter in its hands, and it in
turn placed 1T in the professional care
of the detectives.
Then began a long and not a hopeful
chase. The Rev. Mark Thompson had dis
appeared and the name vanished from
Ministerial circles. But the detectives
We're sure he would remain in the min
istry' and in that channel they looked for
MN. thorough inquiry was put on foot
with the result of learning that the hunt
ca man was born in keWanee ILL., and
nad been admitted to the bar in Iowa;
that ne mad been newspaper reporter
had practiced law, had been prosecuting
attorney at Wichita Kan. and a little
more than ten years ago had become a
minister or the Congregational Church He
had been rolling stone" and was pos
sessed by an uneasiness that kept him
moving from place TO place.
FROM church to church and from one
rehslods society to another the detectives
went, without encouraging results Sew
eral times they received a Tip" that the
rev. Mark Thompson was al such a place.
5NA''c NiAACA HACA d name. OH would
detective, shadow the innocent object
OF suspicion, inquire into his past. and
learn that ne was not Mark Thomson.
Ihen would come a report from some
other place, or from two or more other
places, and the detectives would hurry to
suit.
There are many perfectly honest and
upright ministers in half dozen states
VINO unknowingly have been under the
searching eye of a detective during the
last three years
Mark Thompson could not be found.
Days became weeks, weeks became
Inontns' ana the months piled into years
But the patience of the successful detec-
tive Is without limit and he never rests
CleWs were sought and the search con-
tlnued. Other cases were being attended
to, but as the several detectives went back
and forth from one end of the land to The
other, were at scores of hotels in as many
towns, met criminals, brother detectives
old and casual acquaintance, they never
ceased making inquiries after Mark
Thompson, or, rather the man who had
been known by that name
Finally, in October, 1897, the detectives.
through the remarkable instincts of their
profession, were satisfied that they had at
least touched the trail of the man they
were after. A forged draft for $500 came
into their hands.
That draft was written by the Rev.
| Mark Thompson" said the keen eyed de-
| tective expert into whose hands it came.
It was compared with the Sandwich
| forgery, and the comparison showed that
the two had apparently been made by the
same hand.
The $500 forged draft had been offered
to a WATERFOWL CWis.) bank by young,
well-appearing. nervous, clerical-looking
man, who had stated that he was the
Rev. Edward f. Aiken. The draft was
refused, and shortly afterward a similar
instrument was offered by the same man
| to bank at Elkhorn, Wis, and was not
| cashed.
"Where is the Rev. Edward E, Aiken %
asked the detective, but he had as COM
pletely disappeared as had the Rev Mark
/ Thompson. Yet the search was continued,
| but the combined, Revs. Thompson and
! Aiken moved about as rapidly as did the
! detectives, and though clew after clew
was exhausted, the hunted forger was not
found.
Then came-only few weeks ago-the
| result Of patience and knowledge of the
| fact that Criminals, as a rule, continue
| their tricks" Thompson-Aik continued
his hypocrisy and forgery, and inviting
ly made a clew that has led to his imprls-
| onment for the Sandwich forgery
Another forgery came into the hands of
| the detectives. II was a letter purporting
to be written by James Lee Barton, treas
! urer of the American board of commits
sioners for foreign affairs, recommending
the Rev. DR.. George r. Parrish to the
deacon of a Congregational Church at
! Wanwatosa, Wis.
The letter was dated at Chicago, and
the writer said while he was "loitering' in
that city he had heard of the Wanwatosa
vacancy and FASTENED to recommend his
friend.
Mr. Parrish, whom have known from
his boyhood.' the letter stated, was edu-
Gated for the bar, is a broad minded schol-
! ar and a national orator-in fact one of
the ablest speakers TO whom / have ever
listened while in social and executive quail
tiles he eXcels, being, in short. just such
an all around man as TO fit him for SER
vice in such a field as yours"
Mr.. Parrish was not called to Wanwa-
tosa, but, unfortunately for him, the dea-
con to whom the letter had been sent met
James Lee Barton shortly after its receipt
and expressed his regret at not having
been able to comply with his request
Mr.. Barton was more than surprised He
said he had never written such letter
and had not been in Chicago for a year.
Then the forged letter went into the hands
| of the detectives.
This was written by the forger Of the
! Sandwich and WATERFOWL drafts" said the
'detective who had passed his judgment
on the second instrument the moment he
! looked at it, For years the handwriting
of these drafts had been retained in his
memory.
| That Parrish would likely keep that
| name until the discovery of his recent
forgery was made known, occurred to the
detectives, and on that conclusion they
acted. Records of the names of ministers
in charge Of Congregational churches In
every state were examined, when, 10 and
! 49, -. -
First Congregational Church of Marshall
town, Ia. was the name, REV. DR..
George Parrish"
To Marshalltown the detectives went.
where they made quiet. searching inqui-
ries as to Mr.. Parrish, holding him under