Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-12-15
KATHRYN GREDE.

year was the director VI scHooio anu
teacher in his native city, and year
later became the minister of his par
sh. In 1886 he came to this country
and located in st. Louis, where he
married the wife who died in this city
two years ago, and who came with
him from Vienna, Austria. In 1883 he
became the superintendent of the Ger
man Protestant Orphan Asylum In
ST. Louis, remaining only short time,
when he took charge at st. Jacobs, III.
On July IA, 1890, he accepted the call
of Emmanuel Church, in Paramount,
Cincinnati. Three years later he &C
cepted the posiLlon of superintendent
of the Altenheim, where he remained
until 1895, when he was elected to the
superintendency of the noble lnstitu-
ton which he so contaminated by his
conduct
At the time of this appointment
many rumors were rife. His secrecy
concerning his life in Europe at the
Austrian capital and other places Gre
ated suspicion. Many suspected him
of being a DR.. Jeykll and Mr.. Hyde.
His suavity of manner and his calm
bearing, and a knack of making
friends, secured him constituency
that fought against his opponents.
Finally three representative German
ministers, Rev. DR.. Eisenlohr, Rev.
Haefner and Rev. Vos, of Camp WASH
| ington, made it their business to in
| quire into his antecedents. A CORE
spondence with the authorities at
Heldsdorf, Siebenbuergen and Vienna
| followed. From all sources informa-
| ton was drawn and the result was
astounding. 1t was shown that Foith
| had robbed the "Kranken Kasse" (sick
| fund.- Of his native city, swindled nu-
merous widows and orphans, commit
| ted bigamy and killed his wife and fled
to Vienna. Here all trace of him had
| been lost and in the interval the wit
nesses that might have brought him to
| prison for life or the gallows had died
and extradition would have been use
| less.
All this damning evidence of rec
| OTQ Vi was DClOlC thO u uo
tees of the asylum, of which board the
| late Charles F. Muth was then the
president Mr.. Muth was Foith's
friend, and to him he appealed to save
him from his enemies. Again that
suavity, that, persuasive eloquence
which had made him master of the
situation before, won the day for him.
| Some of the other trustees shared Mr..
Muth's confidence in the villain, and
the result was that the charges were
construed to be the malicious and I'M
truthful utterances of personal en-
emies. This decision was received with
indignation by Foith's accusers, and
almost resulted in a split among tho
! German Protestant ministers of Gin
| cinnati.
When two months ago Foith was re-
elected rumors again prevailed, which
were traced to domestic in the insti-
tuition. Another domestic, also cogniz-
ant of the terrible facts, threatened to
expose him. Foith heard of this and
called the woman into his office and
threatened her with immediate dis
missal if she breathed word. The
girl, however, would not be intimi-
dated, and then Foith, coward-like,
went to his knees and begged for
mercy, promising reformation.
Foith must have felt the tolls clos
ing around him, for since then his
usual GOODNESS seemed to have desert
ed him, for he had been very nervous
and distracted.
Yet the marvel will still remain how
Foith, surrounded as he was by walls
that had ears and under eyes of so
many, could go so long without detec-
ton. The solution is found in that
fact that he was past master in the
art of deception.