Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-11-11
The Much Lauded Prohibition
Worker, Evangelist and
Lecturer, Under Arrest
WANTED HERE SINCE FEBRUARY
Now in Jail at orillia. Canada, Where
He Fled Hoping to Escape prosecu-
tion-Defrauded Mrs. Caroline Strain
of lie Grand, Out of s1ooo-some-
thing of His Past Career.

Marshall county has developed an
| other Marson In the person of Rev
A. j. Wheeler, of New York, a leading
| lecturer and national worker in the
] prohibition party, who was made much
| of by local prohibition workers during
| the campaign Of 1902, when he was
| brought to this city to debate with
who posed as a republican. Wheeler is
under arrest at Orillia, Canada, await
| ing the arrival of Sheriff I. ]. Shoe
maker. who is today in Washington. d.
c. arranging the matter of extradition.
| Wheeler has been wanted since Febru-
airy for defrauding Mrs. Caroline
| Strain. of LeGrand out of $1,000.
! No case has ever come up in Mar
shall county where so much consistent
twork has been done in attempting to
| effect the capture of a criminal Coun-
| W Attorney Northup has been using
every means at his command to bring
the reverend gentleman to justice, and
| has a stack OF correspondence number
| ing in all between 1900 and 5000 let
| tiers, from all parts of the country.
| Nearly every state in the union has
| been flooded with photographs of
! Wheeler, and time after time Sheriff
Shoemaker thought his bird in a posi-
/ ton where all that remained was to
! put II into a cage. Wheeler always
managed to escape. and a few weeks
/ ago was located at Orillia, Canada, a
! town about ninety miles north of Tor
4 onto. where he has been conducting re-
/ yival meetings under the name of DR..
! Judllins.
Arrest Finally Accomplished.
4 Wheeler's arrest was finally accom-
,lished thru the crown attorney Of
Toronto, he having been fur
.lished with copies of the evidence in
reduced before the August grand jury,
stable G. Dreyer, of Orillia. was given
he warrant, and took Wheeler into
.ustody. His hearing was set far
enough ahead 10 enable Sheriff Shoe
maker to reach Orillia with the extra
dition papers.
The Only Possible glitch"
LIE Only pCSSiUlS AitSu III Lie pro-
ceedings, feared all along. was Wheel
ers extradition. A clause in the treaty
of 1901 was found by County Attorney
Northup. however, which made obtain
+ ing money under false pretenses an ex-
traditable offense. providing the sum
was large enough Governor Cummins
was appealed to ON behalf OF the state,
but 1t became necessary for the sheriff
to go to Washington to look after. the
international end of the extradition
papers. II will be Friday or Saturday
before Sheriff Shoemaker can reach
Orillia.
Story Of The Crime.
The story of Wheeler's crma Is an
interesting one and clearly shows the
deep dyed criminal instincts of the
man, who sought as his prey de-
crepit woman who had little money,
of which he had learned thru his re-
lgious" work in I1eGrard. Mrs. Caro-
line Strain, past 20 years of age, wife
of Samuel A. Strain. of LeGrand. was
his victim. and to her he recited the
wonderful opportunities Of the Ovona
Company, of Omaha, cancer cure
concern. OF which he was president. He
had a chance. so he said. to get con-
troll of another block of stock. provid-
ing he could raise $1,000. He already
owned 900 shares. he said, and he SO
completely took the old couple into his
confidence that with the 800 shares as
security he was given the $1,000, which
he pocketed. Mrs. Strain, in whose
name the money had been banked.
learned afterward that the Ovona Com
tn
doing any business even tho 1t had
been incorporated and maintained an
Office in q little shack of building on
North Ninth street Hon.. n. Joseph
Brown was secretary and treasurer OF
the concern.
He Was Such Dear Man.
Rev. Wheeler was such a dear man.
He was working for the upbuilding OF
humanity, he was most earnest ad-
yocate of prohibition, he wanted to
save souls and had been engaged In
evangelistic work for many, many
years. He was going to come to Lee
Grand to live. for he liked the town.
and expected to move his family there
in order that his two daughters might
enter Palmer College. Wheeler was ut, ;"
with an upper case 81" in the minds of
Mr.. and Mrs. Strain. who had no hesi-
fancy whatever In giving him the
money A letter written to the aged
couple from Reinbeck, shortly before
the money was paid over, shows the
stripe Of the reverend gentleman. The
letter Is as follows:
Confidential.
"Reinbeck, Iowa, Feb. 5th. 1908.
my dear Bro. & Sister: / shall see
you now in few days l trust. l have
thought much of those pleasant hours
spent together last month | should
have written before bat knew that ]
was coming and could say more in 5
minutes than / could write in an hour
and have so much writing to do any
way. But / have an opportunity to use
81 900 to great advantage next week
and talking with you two when there
last month understood you to say that
you had little more than that amount
In some bank drawing only 4 per cent
interest and it occurred to me that j
might help you as well as myself at
tl,;, t;,,,a invested 81 00O I'm the