Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-07-30 00:00:00

SEDUCTION BY A MINISTER.

In the early part of the mon'h of June, facts were put
in our possession tending to prove almost beyond a doubt
that a minister of a Cumberland Presbyterian Church, of
Allegheny City, was guilty of having seduced a young
girl from Missru i, who had been placed under his care
by a parent to educate. We therefore published the bare
fact, leaving out all names, however. A day or two after
the reverend gentleman called upon us, and entered into a
long and detailed statement, endeavouring to establish his
innocence of the charge ; but as the explanation was not
deemed sufficient by us to warrant a contradiction, we
declined complying with his request to recall what had
been previously stated.
Since that time, corroborative testimony of guilt has
almost daily been pouring in, but we have refrained from
making an expose, or even furth -I. mention of the matter,
both for the sake of the girl and her relations, and also the
pastor and his congregatio-, hoping that it would be
arranged and justice done without the necessity fur such a
proceeding. Bit as the case will undergo investigatson by
the Prestestery of Allegheny of the Cumberland Piesby-
terian Church which meets tc-day, July 8, at or near
Freeport, Armstrong County, for the purpose of trying
their suspected brother, and deciding upon his guilt or
innocence, and as affidavits were yeste-day male before
Alder man Steele, of this city, by the persons who- saw the
two in the same bed together, on board the steam-boat
lowa, we feel called upon no longer to shrink from laying
before the public the facts in our possession, and the names
of all the parties concerned.
The injured girl's name is Sallie Henderson, aged about
sixteen years, and her father (J. C. Henderson), with the
remainder of his family, are now residing in Lexington.
Mo., but were formerly of this city. The Rev. T. J.
Simpson is the minister, and he has been pastor of the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church, in Allegheny City, for a
number of years. In fact, he built it uo. lie also holds
several other responsible positions in the C. P. Church.
S. is considered to be an eloquent preacher and good
theologian, but has always borne a reputation fir indis-
creetness in associating with the ladies, and it is said he
promised to marry several of then), but as yet he remains
a bachelor of some thirty years. .

Miss Henderson was 'placed under his guardianship by
her parents to educate, he kindly offering to defray the
expenses of tuition. She has been attending the Waynes-
burg '(Ps.) Female College a lent time, but Mr. Simp-
son went nut for her in the month of May, to go with him
to pay a visit to her relations, as ho had to attend the
meeting of the Gearral Assembly, at St. Louis, Mo. The
gentleman went to Capt. Devenny, of the Arctic, at this
port, two d rys before she was advertised to start out, and
represented where he was going, and asked the privilege of
coming on board at that time, a 3 staying at the Monooga-
hela-house was very expensive. The request was granted.
Mr. S. t ild the clerk to register the name of the Rev. Simp-
son and lady, which was done, and the c uple occupied
one state rows two nights before the boat left the
wharf. Before leaving—on some pretence, we forget
what—Mr. S. got an ither state room, and had a young
lady quartered with Miss Henderson. Of course nothing
wrorg was suspected, as it was believed that they were
lawful man and wife. At Cinchmatti they shipped on
board another boat for St. Louis, and we heard no more
of them until the Rev. Simpson applies at the St. Louis
wharf, to Mr. Daniel Moore, clerk of the steamer lowa,
and engages passage for himself, Miss Henderson, and
Revs. Hudson and Miller, of Waynesburg, to coma to
this place. •
The suspicions of Captain Moore and his brother, the
first clerk, became aroused by several actions on the
part of Mr. Simpson and his young lady. For instance,
they would be nearly always out of sight—he in her
state-room, or she in his—except at meal times,
and when in the cabin would carry on very foolishly
and indiscreetly. Having been told by the chambermaid
that Mr. Simpson had been alone in Miss Henderson's
state-roon several times, the captain and clerk determined
to satisfy themselves if any improper connection existed
between them. Accordingly the steward ordered that two
little girls occupying the next state-room to Miss Hender-
son's should he removed. He then had a gimlet hole bored
in the balkhi al, by which a view could be obtained of
every hing in the lady's apartment. That night;
about ten or eleven o'clock, he went into the adjoining
room, and on looking through the hole some three or
four minutes, was enabled to distinguish, by the
light shed from a lamp burning in the cabin, that two
persons were occupying the lower berth, as three feet
were distinctly visible, and also an arm thrown from
the far side over the top of the covering, with a gold
chain-button clasping the waist. The steward then
went and informed the captain and cletka and Rev.
Hudson of what he had seen, and all soon became con-
vinced of the truth of the statement by ocular demon-
stration. Captain Moore then knocked at the state-room
door, and demanded admittance. There was no answer
for a few moments, when Miss Henderson cried out,
" Yes, Captain, I will open the door, if you will wait a
mcment." Mr. Simpson was found lying on the bed,
with his pantaloons on, and endeavoured to make a
transparent defence, by pleading that the lady would not
allow hie' to leave her, as sae was afraid to stay tre her-
self. The captain seas indignant, and ordered the two to
get ready to be put on shore immediately. However,
Rev. Hudson had a conversation with Mr. Simpson, and
afterwafds prevailed upon the captain to take them to
Wheelin, where all four (Rev. Simpson, Miss Henderson,
and It.vs Hu :son & Miller) left the boat and pursued
their way to Waynesburg Female College, where the girl
was left, but front which, we believe, she has been since
expelled.
To the ab ire statement of things which occurred on the
lowa, Captain Moore and his brother, the first clerk,
Daniel Moore, together with 0. C. Bunting, the second
clerk, and L. F. Oberlin, the steward, have qualified them-
lves before Alderman Steele, which affidavits will he
offered as evPeace against Mr. Simpson in the Presbytery.
He was notified to attend at the squire's office, bat did
not go.
Tt e issue of the trial of Mr. Simpson, by the Presbytery
of Alle;hencl, will ba looked for with painful interest. It
is meat probable that be will be expelled from the church.
—Pittsburgh Journal, July 8.

THE CONFLAGRATIONS IN RHENISH PRUSSIA.—The
Treves Gazette, wick reference to the conflagrations, de-
c'ares that it will cease to report the constantly increasing
rumours of new conflagrations, because it only tended to
pare': se the efforts to carry assistance to the places which
have already suffered. Letters threatening incendiarism
are now sail to be found in Treves itself. The evil appa-
rently is a real m )ral epidemic, and indicates something
wrong in the state of public opinion among the lower
orders in that part of Rhenish Prussia.
MUNIFICENT GIFT TO THE INHABITANTS OF HALIFAX, BY
FRANK CROSSLEY, FSQ , M.P.— In the liberal spirit mani-
fested by Mr. William Brown, of Liverpool, in his noble
gift for the intellectual improvement of the people of that
town, Mr. Frank Crossley, the respected member for
Halifax, has presented to that borough the splendid park
at Belle Vu', which has lessen laid out with his accustomed
taste by Sir Joseph Paxton. At the last meeting of the
Town Council of Halifax, a letter was read from Mr.
Croisley, in which be offered to convey to the corporation,
for the use of the inhabitants for ev,r,
.the before-named
park. on the condition that that body should expend three
hundred guineas pea annum in maintaining the buildings,
bridges, statues, trees, shrubs, walks, seats, and fountains,
ant in providing. also, an adequate staff of gardeners and
keepers. The Towo CJuneil unanimously accepted the
munificent offer, and the general purposes committee were
directed to make suitable arrangements for the public
opening of the park on the 14th of August next, when
a popular demonstration will mark the occasion. Although
Halifax is situated in a delightful district, and much beau-
tiful scenery surrounds it, the Belle Vue Park will be a
great acquisition to the town, and be the means, as in other
crowded manufacturing places where public parks are laid
out, of adding to the rational enjoyments of the people and
the improvement of their taste.
EAST INDIA RAILWAYS.—There has been printed, in the
shape of a return to parliament, a copy of the memorandum
laid before the Court of Directors of the East Comoany,
upon rei;ways in Indio, sanctioned and projected. 3,648
miles of rai!way have been sanctioned, and are in course
of construction, for which the estimated amount of capital
required is £30,231,000. The total amount of capital
issued with the sanction of the compenv, at varying rates
of interest, is £20,314,300. The land for the railways has
been given by government, the value of which may be es-
titnated at more than 41,000,000. The lines now in construc-
tion have been chosen for commercial quite as much as for
military arid political objects, and the accommodation of the
cot ton-predecing and agricultural districts has been specially
attended to, will a view to the development of their re-
sources, and to the brieg'ngof their produce into communi-
cation will the sea Tne guage fixed upon for railways in'
India is five feet six inches, as being the width best calcu-
lated to secure all the advantages compatible with economy.
The cost of the two lines which have been completed is as
follows, viz., the Eist Indian line, fro at Calcutta to Ra-
neegunge, about £12,000 per mile. The distance is 121
miles, being ten miles longer than the London and Bir-
mingham Railway, and having occupi d one year less is
its construction. The other line, from Madras to Arcot, is
65 miles in length, cost about £5,500 per mile, and was
open for traffic within three years of its commencement.
The traffic on both lines is stated to be very sasisfactory, the
receipts on the former, from 31st December, 1854, to 31st
December, 1856, being £57,312 12s. 3d., out of which the
expenses were £28,743 4s. 7d,, leaving ft net profit of
£23,549 7s, Bd.