The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1902-09-12
PIOUS OLD FRAUD
Such Appears to be ssRev" Sar.
gent.

Such Appears to be "Rcv" Sar.
Aberdeen News.
The News is in receipt of commu-
nication indicating that the "Rev."
Mr.. Sargent, who spent some time in
Aberdeen earlier the present year,
and who married Mrs. M. J. Proud
here, is fraud of the first water,
a fact which has been pretty we'll
fixed in the minds of Aberdeen peo-
pie for some time. After the hostili-
ties between the British and the Beers
were called Off, he represented him
self as Boer minister of Los Angeles,
CAL, and that he had been at work
since the war began raising money for
the benefit of the Beers. The war hav-
ing ended, he said that he was on his
way back to Los Angeles to resume
his pastoral work, and to live in the
handsome home he had there. He
stated that his brother was Judge
of high court in California and that
he (the reverend was possessed of
great wealth; that he was only work.
ing in the ministry because of his
conviction that he was doing the
will of the Lord. These were some
of the things he told the News when
he first arrived in town, and he ask
ed to be directed to some honest,
Christian woman who would make a
good housekeeper for him at his pa
latial home in California. His be-
loved wife having recently died, he
wanted Trustworthy woman to take
charge of the place and make it a
good home for him. The News could
give him no information of any such
person.
He remained in the city for some
time and married Mrs. Proud after
short acquaintance. 1t was announced
| that they would go to California as
soon as the bride could arrange mat
tiers regarding her property interests,
which are quite large. The couple
lived here for while and then the
reverend" was fired" from the abode
of his wife. He hung around for some
time and followed her to different
places to which she went on business
errands, trying to induce her to re-
lent in her determination to have
nothing more to do with him.
Letters from Los Angeles stated
that he was wholly unknown there,
had no church, no home and no
brother there, and newspaper in
North Dakota, commenting on the
marriage asked what had become of
the woman who was in that state
with him only short time before,
and intimated that there was other
questions that might be asked.
Sargent, or whatever his name is.
disappeared from here several weeks
ago, taking some Of his brides be-
longings with him, including q lot of
her clothing, and nothing OF his
whereabouts was known until the let
ter referred to above was received
by the news last night from w. B.
Sherrard, superintendent OF the chill
dren's home at Sioux Falls. 1t ap-
pears that the war racket having
played out, the fellow has gone out
now to raise money for the orphans
of the Boer soldiers. In his letter
Mr.. Sherrard says:
"There appeared in our city papers
some months ago news item from
Aberdeen stating that Rev. Some
body from South Africa had married
lady there( in Aberdeen) and that
they were going to remove to Cali
fornia to live. Now, there is q man
travelling over the country lecturing
in churches and taking collections
for the orphan children of South AT
rica, and have every reason to be-
lieve he is q fraud. He gives his
name at times as the Rev. Mr.. Sar-
gent and at other places he is Rev.
Mr.. Ferguson. He came here about
two years ago and when l called him
to account he cancelled his appoint
ments and left the state, but is back
again and operating west of Mitchell.
When here he had an eastern lady
With him as his wife who was very
much under his control. Personally
he is very coarse, voluptuous look
ing man. would like to be able to
run him down.
There is probably no question about
the identity of the man operating
west of Mitchell and there can be
no doubt thst Superintendent Sher-
rard would do the public good SER
vice by running him out of the bpsi-
ness of gathering money which tho
orphans of South Africa will never
see.
Following are the delegates selected
at the city caucuses last evening to
attend the county convention Satur.
day: