The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1906-08-02
SEEKS PEACE in
A PRISON CELL
Fugitive E1-MayOr BeIcher Gives HiR-
self Up. =
HAUNTED THE wANDERER A YEAR.
Paterson IN. j. Official whe Disappeared
With $4,000 Says Hs Has Been In
Every State 10 the Union and Ia Canada,
bat Has Been Wrecked Physically by His
Couscieuce-A "Year Of He'll"

Paterson, N. J., (SpeciaD .-Ex-M Mayor
William Belcher, who absconded a year
ago, having taken $4,000 from the Man
chester Building and Loan Association,
and from various friends and institu-
tions, and who has been missing ever
since, appeared at the county jail Mon
day morning and gave himself up to
the jailer. Belcher said that he was
tired of being a fugitive and wanted
to face the punishment, if any might be
meted out to him
Mayor Bclcher had changed little in
his year of wandering. except that his
hair had become grayer 1T has been Il
year of hell Belcher said to Sheriff
Bregen. Il don't care to talk about
what | did after | left Paterson | did
not leave the country, though. except
for short trip in Canada. When /
found | was not followed there l re-
turned to the States ] Travelled as far
West as California. | did not stay long
in any one place.
Il have been in Boston and the White
Mountains" he said. Only once I left
the country for a short trip to Canada
! have been i'll pretty nearly every state
i'll the Union since | went away. | have
not seen face | knew since | left Pat
erson. l am glad TO be here, although
| am prisoner"
What have you done with the
money you got" he was asked.
That is the subject of which | am
not willing 10 speak at this time" re-
piled Belcher. If 100000 is gone some
one else must have got it and blamed it
on me; but I shall impicatc no one in
what | did. shall stand alone. The
stories that ! am going to implicatc sew
eral officers III the city government are
false. There were many times when
was absent when | would have welcomed
arrest"
Il was not dogged by detectives, but
never got over the haunting feeling
that ii | settled down anywhere some
one would turn up Oh my trail. I
couldn't keep moving on 4 rolling
stone, as you know, gathers no moss,
as my health began to give out.
Il went TO Bartlett. y. H., and lived
at hotel there. hoping TO recover. My
nerves got worse, so / determined when
my year of wandering was up to sur
render myself
When the news spread that he had
returned the Jail was beseiged with call
crs who were personal friends of the
former chief executive OF the city. Law
yer William J. Barbour, of Haledon.
who was one OF his closest personal
friends, was the first man called for by
Belcher. After several hours conversa-
ton he left, but refused 10 divulge any
thing. His only words were: "Mr.
Belcher has returned and will take his
>aledicine like man, just as l main
taiQed he would do"
k.ater i'll the morning several CITY of
hclals who had held office under Bel
cheCSisited the Jail They all held short
conNsrsationS with him, but none would
utter ~sfsword of what Belcher said or
what he Proposed to do
Mayor John Johnson was an early
caller, and he had a long talk with
Belcher. Belcher may apply for trial in
special sessions before Judge Francis
Scott Friday afternoon. He has not
yet engaged counsel, but there is a strong
rumor that State Senator Wood Mckee
VIII pC SitSdSOu ~ QClCilu MIN.
Belcher had between 5000 and SIo,-
900 when he went away, one year ago,
and when asked for his valuablcS he
handed over gold-fllcd watch and
SI7.4o in cash. He went direct to Can
ada after leaving Paterson and then
travelled all the way from there to Stock
ton, Cal, and about a month ago he ar
rived i'll Barnegat. n. H. His wife left
Paterson at about that time. and it is
said she visited her husband there. She
arrived back in town in the early part
of last week
A dozen indictments have been found
against Belcher. in which he is accused
of embezzling $4,000. The Manchester
Building and Loan Association. of
which he was president, was forced to
go into bankruptcy.