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

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City Who stood in high,
er esteem or acknowl-
SS edged fewer enemies
N, than the Rev DR.. Nor,
MN gan Dix, rector Of Trim.
ity church: Yet he was
T l singled out for an ap
parently aimless perse-
tlS cution, which was car.
Y S\ Hed on with such mali
cious ingenuity that the
venerable clergyman
reduced to despair and the po-
lice we're At their wits end before a
happy suggestion enabled them to lay
hand upon Gentleman Joe"
10 this day those who were instru.
i mental In the capture Of this scouu-
drel are uncertain whether his extra.
ordinary ingenuity in harvesting DR..
DIX Rassa nadman's prank Or whctli-
erit was part Of deep design to ez.
4 tort money. He was convicted Of at
tempt to hlackmail and sentenced to
serve a term In Sing Sing, where he
died Yet, from the manner Of his
persecution, II appeared that money
was not the main object he had Mt
heart. In carrying on his campaign
Z against the rector he spent consider.
J able sums and involved himself in al.
most as much annoyance as his vic.
tim; blackmail alone could have been
sought with a minimum Of labor and
q the publicity which his behavior
brought about
in tho month Of February, 1880, al.
most every large manufacturing con.
Germ In the West received a postal
card; puEporting to come from DR.. Dix,
stating that the writer desired to
make large purchases for the supply
Of certain charitable institutions un-
der his control, and requesting the
4 fullest information regarding prices.
During the same month all the prln.
cipal boarding schools and female
seminaries In America received let.
tiers. signed with the rector''s name,
asking terms with a view to the plac.
ing Of three little girls with them.
During the ensuing week hundreds
( of9letters and circulars, together with
samples OF dry, goods. were delivered
at the rectory; communications We're
received from innumerahle boarding
schools, Offering special terms with q
view to securing the wards Of the dis
tinguished clergyman; members Of
faculties, educators and commercial
travellers called hourly at DR.. DiX's.
home in order to expatiate upon the
advantages Of their various instltu-
tons or firms, Agents travelled from
many western towns and college in
slrlctorp came from, all over the
country In order to set forth the ad.
Yantages of contracting for their
goods or putting the little girls to
school in the seminaries which they
represented and DIR. Dix was kept
busy explaining that hoax had been
perpetrated.
The matter soon became public and
the police took up the matter. 1t was
found that all these communications
we're in the same handwriting, and
that the sender had even procured
paper engraved with the address OF
the rector, 1t was thought that some
clue to his identity might be obtained
through the medium Of the engrayer,
but the hoaxer had covered his tracks
thoroughly The order had been re-
ceiYea through a messenger boy, and
another boy had called and paid the
bill. Neither of these boys could be
located. S@
Aweek or so later, when the matter
was beginning TO fall into oblivion,
several bishops and a number Of the
leading clergymen of the Episcopal
church received letters, apparently
from DR.. Dix, demanding to lbe in
formed why his letters had been ig.
nored. As a result Dr. Dix began to
be the recipient Of numerous replies,
some apologetic, some angry, and all
insisting that no previous communica-
ton had come to hand. This necessi-
lated an immense amount Of CORE
spondence on the rector's part, and
he had just begun to complete his
task Of explaining that no such com-
munication had ever been sent out by
him when circulars, letters, and
agents from the various Bible socie-
ties began to arrive at the rcctory in
response to postal cards requesting in
formation as to. The price Of books for
Trinity Sunday school.
The amusing feature of these com
municatioRs was that, although the
fullest publicity had BEEN given to
these various hoaxes, the communica-
tions we're artfully worded, reference
being made to the .hosxes that he'd
previously occurred and assurance
being given that these letters we're
genuine, SO that the recipients were
always deceived. 8
ON February q the rector's tor.
mentor sent him his first commmica'
ton. 1t took the form OF postal
card, which briefly informed DR.. Dix
that on the following Monday he
would receive visits frca the "old
clothes ladies'" OF Chatham s"l Bax.