Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-08-21
MAN WHO STOLE
RELATES STORY
IContinued from First Page.]

/. section. Every move of Shoemaker
has been known, and 1t Is not un-
likely that other employees of the
Pipe Bending Works have been un-
der observation, for the famous de-
tective agency is no respecter of per-
! sons.
| Flees From His Conscience
! Shoemaker left this city, went to
! Mt Gretna and after a short stay
there became fugitive from the JUS
| tice that he felt would sooner or later
| overtake him. For almost two weeks
| he prowled about in daytime and
! slept in barns at night. At one time
he was hiding in the woods while
the detective was watching his every
move from n strip of woodland ad-
! Joining.
| Then, still pursued by his con-
science. the young man prepared n
| statement which he mailed to the
! employers from whom he had stolen
! the money. He returned to his
rooms at S13 North Second street and
was placed under arrest by Detective
Shuler. Then followed one of the
most remarkable confessions that has
ever been secured by the Pinkerton
people. The manuscript copy covers
sixteen closely typed pages, compris-
ing almost 10000 words, and tells of
the life of the young man from the
time of his birth to the present time.
Did Not Fall
Shoemaker is the son of an hon
ored minister of the gospel and was
born at Cressona thirty-eight years
ago. When quite young his family
boy was II years of age he attended
a law school, and later enrolled in
another school of law, but did not
complete his course. He was at one
time employed by Thomas NJ. Reigh-
ter and Company, at Mt Carmel, and
during his stay in their office more
than s1S0.000 passed through his
hands. but the temptation to take
money that was not his never both
cred him.
At the age of "a he secured a po-
sition with the Harrisburg Pipe and
Pipe Bending Company.
Certain He Was Safe
Shoemaker took the money to the
cellar and concealed ii under a piece
of burlap. but said nothing to Mrs.
Conrad of the theft. At the office
the next day there was a great deal
of talk about the missing bills, but
the billing clerk felt confident that
he was not suspected.
Desiring to get Mrs. Conrad out
of the way until the affair blew
over, he went to the cellar and
stripped five bills from the pile. Civ
ing her the money, he told her to
take a trip which had been pre-
viously contemplated, to Philadel-
phia. When asked where he had
gotten the money, he replied that
he had received n raise in salary
but of this Mrs. Conrad seemed
skeptical.
On Saturday Shoemaker's con-
science gave him so much trouble
that he determined to get rid of the
money, but he had no thought of
returning it to his employers. He
drank at several places, and when
considerably under the influence of
| liquor, went home and threw the
bills into the coal bucket, thinking
that he would burn the money in
| the furnace.
Changing his mind. he took a
piece of the burlay, and using 1t for
wrapper, formed a compact pack
age of the bills. He tied the pack
! age securely with twine, and as an
/ afterthought slipped monkey
wrench weighing perhaps a pound
| beneath the cord.
| The bills formed a package slight
! ly larger than an ordinary building
| brick. Taking the package under
his arm, he started for the river.
his uOS IOlOWe0 MIN.
Pinkerton Men Arrive
Above Market street he tossed the
money into the river 1t did not sink
at once, but f1oated a distance of ten
| or twelve feet. The dog leaped after
| the package, and missed it by but
! few feet.
During the week following, Pink
erton detectives were called to Har-
risburg and took over the case. En-
ployes of the Pipe Bending Works
were interviewed. and although
| Shoemaker's vacation was to have
started July so, he was requested
! to appear at the office on the morn
| ing of that day for a further eX-
animation.
Fear Rules Him
Fear ruled his movements from
that time on. He went to Mount
| Gretna and later mailed his confess
sion. The detectives were not at all
certain that the money had been dis
| posed of in the manner described by
Shoemaker, so he was closely
watched.
Upon his return to Harrisburg,
the former clerk was put through
a grilling by the Pinkerton man, and
after eleven hours he freely con-
fessed everything declaring that he
desired to conceal nothing.
Shields Woman
Mrs. Conrad, it is said, was al
most prostrated when she learned
of the confession, and throughout
his statement Shoemaker makes II
plain that she had no part in the
affair. Not only in the confession but
afterwards at the hearing and al
the Jail, the accused man endeav-
cred to shield her in every way
possible.
Moves to Farm
He proved a valuable employe
and was sent to the Wharton Schoo
of Commerce in Philadelphia fol
special instruction covering his du.
ties. Upon his return here he tool
up a night course, and desiring g
quiet place to room he answered ar
advertisement and secured a room
with Mrs. Pearl Conrad, at 10 Nortt
Second street. The pair became in.
innate, and Shoemaker paid liber.
ally for the comforts he received.
A year or so ago, deciding tha
he would like to be a farmer, tn,
young man purchased a farm neal
Shiremanstown. He moved to hi:
farm, Mrs. Conrad accompanying
him. He spent considerable none!
for farm implements and for repairs
but his salary was ample to cove
all expenses. He came to Harrisburg
each day and continued his work a.
usual.
Buys Second Farm
After a time the farm was dis
posed of. and the couple returned t,
this city, but the lure of the lanC
again called to the young man, ant
| he 20