The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-14
Ex-PREACHER's HARD LUCK.
Mr.. Ferrer Martyrs Unfortunate Ex-
periences Here and Elsewhere.

periences Here and Elsewhere.
There were further and interesting de-
velopments in the.case Of the alleged min
lister who recently left Savannah under
most peculiar circumstances as was stated
in yesterdays Morning News.
The man and his wife came to Savan-
nah from Baltimore about three weeks ago
under contract for a two weeks engage
ment at speciality artists at Gildea's AL
hsmbra. They, together with their child,
boarded a the Alhambra about a week be-
fore their engagement opened. which was
yesterday night two weeks ago The act
was not a success and they were given
their discharge at once. Mr.. Gildea said
yesterday hat he thought neither the man
nor his wife had ever been on the Stage
before, that their work was amateurish in
the extreme and that he had to ring
down the curtain on them before the act
was finished.
From the Alhambra it seems the Plant
ers' Hotel was the next stopping place.
An account of their experience at this
hotel was told in yesterdays account.
So far no other hotel or boarding house
has been heard from, but il IS quite likely
that there are other victims, as both the
man and his wife spent fully ten days
in the city after their election from the
Planters
To a gentleman in the city the man con-
ffded the story of his misfortunes, which
show that he was the victim of circum-
stances, and that his acts, while, to say
the least, shady were the result of the
grim necessity of securing an existence
for himself and family rather than de-
llDerately to live easily by dishonesty.
The story is a most pathetic one and
might well excite the sympathies of even
those who have suffered most heavily
from his Misrepresentation.
Up to last March the man was a reg
ularly ordained minister of the gospel,
and had also quite a good reputation as
lecturer, being indorsed by some of the
best known men in this field, among them
John Temple Graves of this state In
March, according to the story, he with
drew from the ministry because he felt
that he was not sufficiently in sympathy
with his work, and consequently could no,
put into it the zeal and effort that he felt
1t should receive. He had with him while
IN Savannah his withdrawal card. show
ing that his story was true, and show
ing further, by the wording of the card,
that he had been both previous 90 his res
was issued, in good standing, both as a
minister and man.
1t was after leaving the church that
mis- bitter experiences began. He had hop
ed to support himself and family by lee
turing, but, he saws he found the book
ing agencies of all of the theaters and
amusement courses closed 90 him. and in
vain search for an opening, he drifted
from city 10 city, until, while in Balti-
rkr,
face, he accepted as a last resort the
offer of an agency to take an engage
ment at Gildea's place, and came here or
| tickets furnished him by the proprietor
of the hall.
The man has prominent relatives, but il
seems that family disagreements prevent
him from appealing to them.
The career, as far as is known, of the
man and his wife, after leaving the Plant.
er's Hotel, was told in yesterdays Morn.
ing News. This account evidently reach.
ed Jacksonville. for yesterday Afternoon
Secretary Johnson of the Y. NJ. C. A. re-
ceived the following telegram from the
Huval Hotel at Jacksonville: Did the
preacher imposter go under the name Of
Ferrer Martyr? Answer quick Mr.
Johnson replied at once that such was
| the name.
! From the telegram it is quite probable
i that after leaving savannah Martyr wen
to Jacksonville The desire for an early
reply would lead to the belief that he wa.
stopping at the hotel from which the mes
sage came and that the proprietor wished
| to know at once in order to take som,
steps about the matter. II is quite posi-
| Bile that there will be an interesting Sc
quel to the story and none will be NOR,
interested in the denouement than the per
| sons who knew him here and whose sym
pathy he gained, in many cases, by hi.
evident good breeding, and the equally pal
pable fact that he was playing in excep
| tionally hard luck