Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1914-11-02
ROB churches OF
Sacred Vessels,
Clue TO Theft
Continued From First Page.

Nohtiuueu from flfSl rage.
and the Rt. Rev. Bishop Ninsman
proceeded to the altar. As Bishop
Kinsman approached he noticed the
silverware was missing and turning
to Mr.. Holmead he said: 1.-THE al
tar is not dressed. Where is the sill
ver?" Mr.. Holmead and some assis-
tants then started to search for it,
They looked through the sacristy and
about the church, but nowhere was
it to be found. After vainly search
ing everywhere about the premises,
it was concluded the communion set
had been stolen.
Service Delayed.
But then the problem of continuing
the services confronted the clergy
men. Bishop Kinsman finally solved
the matter when he resolved to press
his own private communion set into
service. A messenger was dispatch
ed to BishOpstead and he returned
with the set. The choir continued to
sing over and over the professional
until everything was in readiness for
the next step in the ceremonies of the
morning. The solemn service was
later held.
Last Wednesday evening a strange
man was seen about St. Johns Church.
He was trying all of the doors and
finally he let himself into the build
ing by opening the door to the sac
risty with a key While in the church
he had a light burning. He remained
inside for some time then, extinguish-
ed the light, came out through the
sacristy door which he locked and
then hurried away. Who he was no
one seems to know. What he was do
ing there is as mysterious as is his
identity.
Yesterday after the robbery it was
thought the church had been left
open, especially after the door to the
sacristy had been found unlocked. The
sexton, however. declared the church
was secured locked and that the door
to the sacristy had been locked after
the early morning services This leads
to the belief that the thief entered
through the sacristy door to which he
had a key and this would point to the
strange man who was seen there last
Wednesday night. The locks on all
the church doors, it was said, yester-
day, are old, and it has been a long
time since they were changed. How
many people have keys to the church
and Just who are all the holders of
such keys, is not known.
This is not the first tin the
church has been entered. The boxes
in which the members drop their Of
ferings for the poor have been broken
open and robbed several times. the
most recent robbery Of this kind hav-
ing occurred few weeks ago
The robbery at st. Andrews also
occurred prior to the IL o'clock SER
vices. but the entire communion set
was not removed, the rObber secur-
ing only the tankard valued at 500
and the paten. These were a gift
to the church years ago, but none
of teh members could recall from
/ whom
The tankard and paten were on the
oredence table on one side Of the
altar yesterday morning. The thiei
had to enter the church through
the main entrance; walk the entir,
length of the building to get to tn,
I altar and then retrace their step,
along the same route TO get out Il
the street again. Between the tim,
the early services were over and tn.
! entrance of the rector for the II
| o'clock ceremonies, an official of the
Sunday school was in his Office in
| the basement of the church. But he
| heard no unusual noises upstairs in
the church proper and he could not
recollect having heard anyone walk
\ ing there during the morning.
The robbery was discovered when
Mr.. Trapnell began the services. They
were not Inconvenience, however. for
the chalice and pyx were intact. ant
the absence of the paten did not in.
terfere with or retard the CARRYING
out of the communion service. The
church had not been locked and the
thief had easy access to the interior.
The communion service of Ole
| Swedes Church was stolen from the
edifice by a British soldier during The
| Revolutionary War In reachinl
through a window to remove the sill
yer pieces, the soldier badly gasheC
his hand. The communion servic,
had been presented to the church by
/ Queen Christina of Sweden. The sol
der carried the silver pieces to Phil
adelphia, where an English Officer
learned Of the theft and he took tn,
service from the soldier and returned
| IL to the church.