The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-01-27

without being able to throw the slight
est light upon the subject. One OF
them, however, belonging TO differ
cnt denomination, happened TO, men
tion casually that a few days pre-.
viou&ly he had seen in the city man
calling himself Williamson, who had
once been teacher in Trinity church
Sunday school, and had been dismiss
cd by the trustees on account Of de
grading conduct.
This seemed to supply a positive
motive, and the detectives were not
willing to let even SO remote a posi-
hility of discovering tho culprit cs-
cape thorn. 1t happens that every per-
son who writes to the pustofflce desir-
ing to have his address, changed has
Lis handwriting fled by the depart
mcnt, and, since almost everyone at
some tine or other changes his resi-
dence, the writing of practically every
citizen OF New York City is thus on
file at the postolllce. The superin-
tcndent at once began 10 investigate
his books in order to ascertain wheth-
er Wiiliamsons peculiarly neat hand
writing was TO be found. Surely
enough, a postal card was discovered
in the same handwriting as Gentle
man Joe's," but signed by William
son, and requesting that his CORE.
spondenca should be forwarded q the
Windsor Hotel.
The detectives hurried 10 the Wind.
sor hotel and found that Williamson
had registered there on February II,
and had that day left for baltimore,
iHstructing the clerk 10 forward all his
letters 10 Barnums hotel in that city.
The detectives hurried south upon the
train and traced the man from one
place to another until finally they ar
rested Williamson in a Baltimore
boarding house.
williamson was brought back to
New York and placed upon trial on
tho charge of bIackmail. He pleaded
guilty, admitted that he was the au.
thor Of all the trouble, hut declared
that his only motive was the desire to
have some fun at the expense Of the
rector. Investigation of Williamson's
antecedents revealed the fact that he
suffered from peculiar form of alb
normal mentality which led him to the
commission Of acts having as their
end the obtaining Of notoriety. He
had devCteS many years Of his life TO
the commission of petty crimes, Who'll
~ unpr0ftable-in fact the total sum
OF his thefts would not have paid a
single weeks board bill-but causing
trouble to his victims. He had traY-
elad extensively abroad and had serv-
ed a years Imprisonment in London
for having committed a series of of.
fences there precisely similar to those
in New York having sent out false
Invitations and business propositions
IA the name of prominent linancier,
hiring room opposite his house in
order to witness the fun. He had also
lived In Turkey and entered into all
the customs and vices OF Oriental life.
The only misdemeanors in America
that were brought home to him were
the theft of small articles of little
value from stationer's shop on
Broadway, whose proprietor was an
intimate friend Of his, and the swim
ding of ieweIry firms out Of small
suns of money Williamson had writ.
ten a quantity of poetry and was the
author of a play which had met with
favorable comment, although It was
subsequently alleged that this was the
work OF a nun in a convent in New