Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-02-12
AN EVIL SPIRIT.
Rev. L. w Barr Blames it For
His Downfall.
Many of the Peculiar Things In His
Escapade Explained Others Remain
Deep Mysteries Full Details of the
REGULATIONS For Which he is Now In
Trouble Case.

REGULATIONS For Which he is Now In
Trouble Interesting Case.
The following Interesting story
in relation to the strange downfall
and disappearance of Rev L. w.
Barr has been sent out from Fair
mont. Ii will be read with great
interest here:
The financial transactions of Rev.
L w. Barr formerly pastor of the
Presbyterian Church of this place,
have made people here and elsewhere
losers by sums of money aggrega-
ting $4,000. Bars grandmother,
so years old and VINO is critically i'll
at this time, will be out anywhere
from $4,000 to $4,000 Barr's de
talcation consist of bad debts, run
ning into hundreds of dollars, forged
notes, altered bank checks and pecu-
lations OF. all kinds.
Rev. Mr.. Barr, when a child, was
adopted by farmer by the name of
Howard, OF West Liberty, Pa, and
was educated BY him. He was Civ
en- an education fitting him for the
ministry, being graduated from the
Waynesburg College and also the
Theological Institute, of Pittsburg.
Barr assumed active ministerial du-
ties about Is years ago. He was
called to the passionate of the local
Presbyterian Church in 1898, and by
his efforts the congregation was in
creased, the chureh property was re-
paired and many improvements
made and new ideas introduced. He
created a sensation here and else
where by the attitude he assumed
against burlesque shows visiting
here
DEVOTED PASTOR.
For the first four years he served
as pastor here and he was well liked
but later the congregation dwindled
and the money tor the pastors sal
arv was not forth coming.
The first OF Bars illegal actions
brought to the attention of the
church was the over checking of his
account at the bank Then the name
of L. A. Clayton, retired lumber
dealer and prominent member of the
church, was forged to a note of $500.
1t seems that Clayton voluntarily
became surety on this note, but when
the note came cue he refused to
again sign it, but duplicate note
turned up at the Bank OF Fairmont
with Clayton's name signed to it.
Barr was arraigned before the trus
tees of the church for this and he
claimed that he went away about
the time the note came due and that
he had left it with a party in town
to have Mr.. Clayton sign, and as the
note was turned over to him with
Clayton's signature he supposed it
was all right. After this he was
asked on his return by the church to
resign, which he refused to do, and
church fight was the result.
About this time Barr purchased
farm at West Alexander, Pa, and
SldI ttu W IdlSc DlOuQtb GdtblC dnd
chickens and fruits, although he re
tanned his residence here. Many of
the products OF this farm took first
prizes at the Wheeling fairs.
TROUBLE WITH HER ACCOUNTS.
About this time his grandmother,
Mrs. Margaret White, came to live
with him, and her estate, consisting
of notes, property and negotiable pa
per of the total value of about $50,
900, was turned over to Barr to care
for. He handled her bank book, and
not long ago, when Mrs. White,
needing some money and Barr being
away went to the bank to draw a
part of the 5000 which she was sup
posed to have to her credit, she
found that she did not have 80
cents Barr had forged her name to
checks or various amounts.
When Barr returned he said there
was some mistake and that he would
see about it. He took the bank book,
presumably to the bank, and had it
balanced so 1t showed the proper
credet. 1t has turned out that the
book was never taken to the bank,
but that he fixed it himself Fig
ures was changed and in other ways
his grandmother was led to believe
that she had sums in the different
banks An account was kept with
all four of the hanks here and they
will be loosers in various sums rang
ing from $500 to $4,000, and Wheel
ing banks are also losers of small
amounts.
BARR HAS DISAPPEARED.
Since Rarr was forced out of the
church he has been travelling over
the State as an evangelist. About a
week ago he came home to visit his
grandmother who was thought to be
dying. He stayed day or two and
u = 4 4 = 4. \