The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-27 00:00:00

BLACK-MA ILING.

On Broadway, below Fourteenth-street, stood a
church that was one of the most fashionable in
the city. The congregation was wealthy and large,
the minister eloquent and popular. The belles of
the city, with the young and the fashionable,
crowded the church when the pastor filled the pul-
pit. In the full flush of his popularity, when a pew
could not be hired at any price, when any salary
would have been paid to him that he demanded, the
minister disappeared. Quite late on Saturday night
the vestry received a letter from the rector, dated
off Sandy Hook. The letter tendered the rector's
resignation, and announced that he had sailed
that day at noon in one of the Cunard steamers
for Europe. The parish were surprised and alarmed.
The whole affair was a painful mystery. Here was
a minister, settled over a flourishing and liberal
charge, with a fine church and parsonage, a church
crowded with the elite of the city, with a salary equal
to any demands he might make, with the best sing-
ing in the city, and all the popular applianc3s, who
had suddenly resigned, and privately left the coun-
try, to go no one knew where. The story is a ro-
mance. The explanation came after the minister
had completed his European tour. At midnight the
door bell of his parsonage was violently rung. Going
to the window, the minister saw a man standing on
his door stone, and he demanded his business. He
came with a message, he said, from a dying woman.
Hastily dressing himself, the good man came to the
door and received the message. Just around the
block was a poor woman, and she was dying. Her
only treasure was a babe. She could not die in
peace unless her babe was baptised. If his rever-
ence would come to her dying pillow, and adminis-
ter that sacrament, the blessing of a poor dying
woman would be his reward. It was much to ask,
and at midnight too, but his great Master, who
loved the poor, would not have denied such a re-
quest as this. His humane and religious sympathies
were aroused, and the minister followed the mes-
senger. Common prudence would have said, " Take
a policeman with you. Call up a friend, and get
him to bear part in the ceremony." But, dream-
ing of no peril, he went on his way to do, as he
thought, his Master's will. He was soon in a disso-
lute region, in a street notorious for its uncleanness.
The messenger knocked at a heavy gate that
closed up a narrow, dark alley. It opened im-
mediately, and slammed behind the parties like a
prison door. Through a long, narrow, and un-
wholesome entry, that seemed to be an alley way
covered, the parties took their way. They passed
up a narrow staircase, broken and rickety.
Dark-featured and villainous-looking men seemed
to crowd the place. With his sacred vestments on
his arm, and his book of service in his hand, the
minister was ushered into a dark and unwholesome-
looking room. The door was closed behind him
and locked. A dim candle on the table revealed
the outline of a dozen persons, male and female, of
the most abandoned and desperate class. His in-
quiry for the sick woman, and the child to be bap-
tized, was greeted by shouts of laughter. He knew
he was a victim. He demanded the reason for this
outrage. He was informed that his friends Who
had invited him there wanted money. His stand-
ing and character were well known. He was in
one of the most notorious houses in New York ;
his midnight visit to that place was well known, and
could easily be proved. If he paid one thousand
dollars, all would be well. If not, his ruin was cer-
tain. Instead of defying the villains, calling on the
police, or confiding in his congregation, he thought
he could hush the matter up. He might have
known that it would all come out, and that every
dollar he paid would be used as evidence against
him, or as means to extort more. But he was tho-
roughly frightened ; would not have the thing
known for the world ; his hand was in the lion's
mouth, and he must draw it out as easily as he
could ; so he gave his obligation to pay the money
promptly at noon the next day, which he did. Of
course new demands were made from time to time.
He was dogged in the streets. Suspicious-looking
men stopped to speak with him on the corners.
Notorious men rang his door bell. Mysterious
notes, from ignorant, low-bred, and vicious persons,
—as the spelling and language showed,—came to his
hands, and into the hands of his family. The poor man
was nearly distracted. He paid away his own money,
and borrowed till his reputation suffered. The threat
of exposure hung over him like an ominous sword held
by a hair. In a moment of desperation he decided
to leave the country, which he did, to the astonish-
ment and regret of his friends. On his return from
Europe, the rector settled in Massachusetts, over a
small rural parish. He was soon tracked to .his
country home. Black-mailing was renewed. his
old terror came upon him. Again he acceded to the
extortion. The police of New York at length came
to his relief. In searching for other game they came
upon proof that this minister was in the hands of
black-mailers. Letters were found containing in-
formation of his whereabouts, how to terrify him,
what stuns to demand, and what time his salary was
due. He was relieved from his pursuers. The large
sums he had paid were not refunded. His spirits
were broken, and he has never recovered his posi-
tion. I saw him not long since in Canada. He
holds a subordinate position, and is preaching to a
small parish. He will die a victim of black-mailing.
—A4; Slaishino and tSIic(CIQIO in New York."