Litchfield enquirer., 1845-02-06

rRiAL oF RIsHop nNnERDoNK.

\
SvO. pamphlet Of 3S3 pages. We are precluded
by the copy right from making extended extracts
from this publication; besides which, portion of
the evidence is ret well adapted to the columns of
public Journal. As, however, il seems necessa-
ry that the Community should understand distinct
~ whs. are the charges Of which the Bishop has
bee;l found guilty by large majority Of his col
leagues, we append them here:
ARTICLE 1.-The said Bishops presenting as
aforesaid, do hereby present and allege, that the
said Benjamin T. onderdonk, on or about the first
day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and thirty-seven, being then Bishop
Of said Church Of New York, was engaged in q
tour Of official duty, and was proceeding TO the
town of Syracuse, in Onondaga county, in said Die
ocese of New York, for the purpose, among other
matters, of ordaining the Rev. Clement M. Butler
to the Priesthood that on hisway to, and near the
said town of Syracuse, the said Clement NJ. But
Ter, together with his wife, met him in carriage,
for the purpose Of conducting him, the said Benia-
| min I. SOnderdOnk, to the said town
| The said Benjamin T. Onderdonk entered the
said carriage, and took his seat on the back seat
thereof, by the side of the said lady; that they
tTo alone occupied that seat, the said Clement NJ
Butler and person driving, occupying the front
seat that thereupon afterwards the said Benjamin
T. Onderdonax impurely and unchastely put his
around the body of the s1id lady, and in an i'm
proper and unbecoming manner pressed the said
lady towards hfn that the said lady endeavored TO
Benjamin T. Onderdonk to just sense Of his du-
ty in that behalf that the night came on before
the said parties reached the end Of the journey !;
| and that after it became dark, the said Benjamin
T. Onderdonk renewed his said improper conduct.
and impurely and unchastely did pass his hand
down and along the person and the legs of the said
lady: and did otherwise behave toward her in so
indecent manner, that she. the said wife Of the
said Clement Butler was obliged to claim the pro-
lection Of her husband; and thereupon she left
her seat in the said carriage, and rode upon the
front seat thereof for the rest of the Journey in
doing which she was obliged to sit upon her hus-
bands lap; and that owing to, and in consequence
of, the said conduct of the said Benjamin T. On
derdonk, the said lady became seriously sick, and
her health was so much affected as permanently to
injure her constitution ;allwhich said actings on
the part of the said Benjamin #. Onderdonk, the
said Bishops presenting do charge as being in vio-
lation Of his duty as Bishop, and contrary to his
conservation VOW in that behalf, and to the great
scandal Of The Church of Christ.
ARTICLE II Tho said Bishops presenting do
further present and allege, that the said Benjamin
T. Onderdonk, Bishop as aforesaid, at the same
time and place mentioned in thelast specification,
was under the influence Of, and improperly excited
by, vinous or spirtous 1iqnors drunk by him, the
said BENJAMIN T. Onderdonk. contrary to his duty
as Bishop, and his conservation VOW in that behalf,
and to the scandal and injury Of the said church.
Article 'V.-The said Bishops presenting, do
IuTtHeE pEeScIt uCtWCCt
of May and July, in the year of our Lord onethou-
sand eight hundred and forty zone to wit : on or
about Sunday the 18th day OF June, in the said
last mentioned year, the said BenjalninT. Onder-
donk. then being Bishop as aforesaid, visited st.
James Church, Hamilton Square, New York city;
that soon after the services of the church were
ended, and on the day last aforesaid. he left the
said Church in carriage in company with Miss
Helen NJ Rudderow, a young lady, to proceed as
guest to the house Of her brother, John Rudderow.
Esq. that while riding in said carriage BY the
side Of the said young lady, he, the said benjamin
r. Onderdonk, impnrely and unchastely thrust his
hand beneath her dress upon the bosom of said
| Helen M. Rudderow, TO her great alarm and con-
sternafion, and nvolation Of the proper duty of
Bishop, and in breach Of the conservation VOW of
the said Benjamin T. Onderdonk, to the great scam
dial and injury of the Church of Christ.
ARTICLE VI.-The said Presenting Bishope do
further present and say, that on the same day
mentioned inthe last specification, the said Ben.
jamin T. 0nderdonk, Bishop as aforesaid, was re-
ceived at the house of the said John Rudderow, in
the parlor thereof, by Jane O. Rudderow; and that
| thereupon, the said BENJAMIN T. Onderdonk, i'm
purely and unchastely thrust his hand into the DO.
som of the said Jane o. Rndderov, and upon being
repealed, took other indecent and .unbecaming lib
critics with the said lady, in violation of his duty
as Bishop, and his conservation VOW in that be-
half, and TO the great scandal and disgrace Of his
said Office.
| ARTICLE yH.-And the said Bishops present
ing, do further present and alege, that on or about
| Sunday, the 18th day of July, in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-two,
the said Benjamin r. OndeTdonlS, then being Bish-
op IS aforesaid held confirmation at Zion Church,
Long Island, in the Diocese Of New York that
after the services were ended, the said Benjamin T.
Onderdonk returned to the house of the Rev. Hem
ry M. Beare, where he was guest, in the carriage
Of the said Henry NJ. Beare, in company with Mrs.
Charlotte Beare, the wife Of the said Henry that
| the said Benjamin T. Onderdonk and Charlotte
Beare occupied the back seat Of the said carriage,
and the other persons in the samewere situated
as TO have their backs tewards.the Bishop and the
said Charlotte; that thersnpen the said Beniamin
T.. Onderdonk impirely and unchastely put his
arm around the body of the said Charlotte Beare,
drew her towards himself. and at The same, time
felt her bosom in an indecent and improper. man.
ner so as to scandalize the feelings Of the said
dy, and cause her to remove herself from, him, as
far as the side Of the carriage would permit, to
avoid his rudeness; in violation Of his duty as
Bishop, and his conservation vow in that behalf,
and to the disgrace Of his said Office.
| ARTICLE VIIk-And the said Presenting Nsh-
ops do farther present and allege, that in the afer
noon Of the said seventeenth day Of July, u the
! year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
forty.two, the said Benjamin t. Onderdonk held q
confirmation at Whitestone Chapel, onLong Island
aforesaid, and alter the services went to spend the
evening at the residence Of Joseph L. Franklin,
Esquire, on said island; that about nine o'clock at
/ night, the Bishop was returning home to the
house Of the said Henry nj. Beare. BY the said
Charlotte Beare, the wife of the said Henry M.
.Beare. she being constrained BY circumstance to
ride with thessame Bishop against her own desire,
and she and the. said Bishop sitting alone on the
back seht; that while thus eatheir way. the said
BENJAMIN IT.. Ondes<lonk again insulted the said
Charlotte Beare the grossest manner, by impnse-
" and Gnchastely putting one arm around her
body, while he thrust his other hand beneath her
dress, upon her naked bosom !. that upon the same
EhAine renellad The. said Renamin q. Onderdoni