The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-05-01
Murder and SrductiOn-t Reverend
Scoundrei DepO>ed.

An Ecclesiastical Council of the Baptist
Church, consisting OF several clerical and
number of lay delegates from the churches,
convened at Saugerties, Rev. G. c. Baldwin,
was moderator, and Rev. K. Jerry, secretary,
on Wednesday last, and Jeposed Rev. j. r.
Johnson from the gospel ministry and MEM
bership of the church. He was pastor of the
Baptist congregation there for several years.
On the 4th day of last August, himself, wife
and two small children took sail up the
creek, aad before their return she and the
Youngest child were drowned. He stated
that having landed on the shore TO pick up
some berries, they again embarked, his vile
stepping in the beat with the youngest child
in her arms--;bat he pushed the boat from
the shore and stepped in himself, when she
stumbled and tell overheard, and in endeavor-
ing to save her, he too fell into the water,
aud after some struggling there, they became
separateJ-that he finally reached bottom
where he could stand, and then discovered
his wife some eight feet from him in deep
water and the infant further off He ran for
help to the nearest house, over half a mile
distant, and returned in about thirty minutes,
when she was found dead and floating near
the shore. Gieat sympathy was manifested
for him on account OF this affection.
A ier the death OF his vile certain int ma
cies with young oman in the village,
caused considerable talk, and it was then
discovered that last summer before his wife's
decease, they had visited Saratoga Springs
together. a congregational warfare of Cos
sip and rumor, Islander, and criminal accusa-
ton broke out; but committee appointed to
investigate them, pronounced the pastor an
"innocent and much injured man." Ii after
wards vas learned that he had formerly been
pastor Of a Baptist church in Henderson
county, and that while there he had been on
too intimate terms with one or two young
women, which facts were communicated TO
him here and an investigation called for in
Henderson, and at which he vas inv ted to be
present. The testimony was conclusive
against him. The Saugerties Telegraph
saws:
In the afternoon we were present, when
one Rev. Mr.. Huges, of Lancinburgh, inform
ed the council, that q few months the young
woman referred to from this village attended
the seminary in that place and that one day
during the absence of Mr. Hatch, the Princi-
pal, she requested OF his daughter, the pre-
ceptress, to be absent, saying that a Mr..
Johnson, who was then at the seminary,
wished to accompany her to Troy, where he
had left two cousins who were DESTROYS of
seeing her. Miss Hatch refused to let her 90,
but she left without permission and did not
return until the next day. She was brought
to account by the Principal who enquired
where she had staid az all night, but she said
she did not know. Inquiry was made imme-
diately in Troy but without avail, and the
truth was finally obtained by strata. en-
The young woman was induced 10 believe
that she had been detected and acknowledge
ed that they had lodged together at the Man
sion House in Troy, where illicit intercourse
had transpired between them. She was dis
missed from the seminary and returned home.
The council, after recording their decision
that the changes of gross RIGHTEOUSNESS, wo.
iu depravity and consummate hypocracy had
been sustained, passed the following decree:
ReSosred, That by the authority Of the
Great Head ofthe Church. we do now solemn
ly declare J. R. Johnson deposed from the
office oil the Christian ministry on the ground
OF said charges.-[A Albany (N. " Atlas. s,