Minister Charged With Making Off With Cash

Ohio, 1919
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PASTOR MISSING.

Paulding County Minister of Gospel Charged With Making Off With Cash.

A dispatch says: Rev. F. G. Moore, pastor of the United Brethren Church, at Oakwood, has left for parts unknown with a heartbroken and sadly disillusioned bride and a trail of bad checks behind.

Shortly after marrying Miss Grace Gettal, one of Oakwood's highly respected young women, he left this part of the country taking with him hundred of dollars of church, salvation army and other funds. Officers and representatives of the Salvation army are trying to locate him.

He victimized several merchants at Defiance by giving them bad checks. At Lima he made his get-away in an auto which he also obtained by giving a bad check in payment. Representing himself as pastor of the church, it was an easy matter for him to pass checks.

Stating that he had been a Y. M. C. A. worker at Camp Perry, Moore came to Oakwood about nine weeks ago. He was placed in the pulpit where his good appearance and glib tongue made him pleasing to all. He was placed in charge of collecting funds for the Salvation army and church benevolences were also put under his care.

Taking leave of his wife, the reverend gentleman told her that he going to Defiance to purchase a car. The young wife is prostrated. She has already paid off some of her husband's creditors.

--The Van Wert Daily Bulletin, Van Wert, Ohio, September 1, 1919, page 3.



REV. MR. MOORE SOME COLLECTOR

Makes Getaway From Bride With $600 Cash, Salvation Army and Church Funds.

ALSO "BORROWED" CAR

(Special to The News.)

DEFIANCE. O., AUG. 30.—Officers and a representative of the Salvation Army are making efforts to ascertain the whereabouts of Rev. F. G. Moore, who has been serving as pastor of the United Brethren church at Oakwood, a little village west of Defiance, who, after having been married to Miss Grace Gettal, one of Oakwood's highly respected young women, suddenly left for ports unknown after appropriating hundreds of dollars of church funds and left several creditors behind him. He then came to Defiance, where he victimized different merchants by making purchases, giving in return worthless checks. At Lima he made his getaway in an auto, which he secured by giving another bad check.

As the officers begin unwinding the tangled trail of Rev. Mr. Moore they find that his record involves him deeper and deeper in wrongdoing and that from evidence in hand he will have a long explanation in front of him when he faces the bar of justice.

A representative of the firm of Dean & Dean, automobile salesmen of Lima, has arrived in Oakwood, accompanied by Fred F. Harris, on the trail of the missing minister and from the evidence they produced another chapter is furnished to the sordid tale.

Gone to Lima.

Shortly before his flight Moore went to Lima, where he purchased from Dean & Dean (on trial) a Buick second-hand car. He was to pay $450 for it. After trying it out he came to Lima, and paid by check, which was endorsed by Fred Harris, of Lima, and drawn on the Oakwood Deposit bank. This car was sold by him, later, either in Defiance or Fort Wayne. The check was worthless, there being no funds in the bank to his credit.

When he finally fled from Oakwood he secured a taxi driver in Defiance to take him to Lima and he made his appearance at Dean & Dean's business place. He stated that he had been on a business trip and said that he was wanting to go to Oakwood immediately and asked for the loan of a car to make the trip. At that time the auto salesman had not found out that the check was bogus and eager to accommodate the gentleman loaned him a fine roadster.

Harris, who endorsed the check, is also anxious to have an accounting with Moore as he had to stand good for the cheek.

It appears that just before he took his departure from Oakwood he went to a Defiance store and saying he was pastor of an Oakwood church and wanted to buy a suit. He was shown several and finally selected a $37 outfit for which he gave a check on the Oakwood bank. He also visited another Defiance store and made several purchases on his good looks.

Officers confidently expect to land Moore within a short time as a description of the car he took has been sent to all garages and should he endeavor to sell it he will have left another trail for the officers to follow.

Posed as "Y." Worker.

Moore arrived in Oakwood about nine weeks ago, and from his story he was supposed to have been a Y. M. C. A. worker in the proving grounds at Camp Perry. Of pleasing address and nimble tongue he made a good appearance in the pulpit and was placed in charge of the work of collecting funds for the Salvation Army. Benevolences of the church were also placed in his hands and it is alleged that several sums were borrowed from members of the church. From sums paid into the hands of Moore during his pastorate at Oakwood he had in his possession about $600.

When the reverend gentleman took leave of his wife he did not tell her that he would be gone permanently, but stated that he was going to Defiance to purchase a car. Mrs. Moore, who is prostrated over the turn of affairs, has paid off some of her husband's creditors.

A man answering Moore's description was last seen on his way to the B. & O. depot in this city. He carried a new suitcase.

--The Fort Wayne News and Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Indiana, August 30, 1919, page 1.