Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1857-09-03
Outrageous Case Of Seduction by
Clergyman.

We copy from the Trenton Repubhcan and
Gazette, the following outrageous case of Sc
duction;-
to q state of intense excitement on Friday last
by The circulation of rnmor that Rev. VIVA.
b Sutherland, of that city, had been guilty Of
the crime of seducing the daughter Of a mem
Der of his church, who was just turned Of ff-
teen years Of age. ADMINISTRATION Of the ru
NOR led to the painful conclusion that it was,
in all its enor.nity, too true to be disbeleved.
| It appears that on Wednesday afternoon last,
Sutherland went 10 the house Of the girls faith
err for his intended victim to come to him and
assist some other girls in arranging some books
| in bis library, it having been previously under
stood that several were to meet there for that
purpose The girl not responding to the inyi-
tation, Sutherland sent again, aud this second
| invitation she unfortunately obeyed. On
! reaching Sutherland's house he invited hel
| into the library, when she was surprised to
fud herself the only female present He i'm
mediatey commenced his advances and famili
arities with her, drew her into a chamber and
There succeeded in overcoming her Its very
remarkable that as the young victim OF this
mans seductions was leaving the house,
she encountered Sutherlands wife, who was
Lust at that moment returning home after All
absence of some days. The wife noticed the
flushed and excited appearance Of the girls
countenanee, and asked the cause, why she hao
been crying, Be-, to which evasve answers
were returned, and the outraged child hasten
| ed home to the house of her parents On
| Thursday she related to her mother the partic-
ulars of the shame that had been practced on
her. and the mother Immediately waited upon
one of the deacons of Sutherland's church, and
related the circumstances He Immediately
called in brother deacon, and the two Went
directly to Sutherland's house, where they in
formed him of the charge made against him.
Sutherland admitted that he had taken many
liberties with the child, but denied the charge
of seduction. His whole conduct and manner,
however was such as to convince the two that
he was guilty, and they informed him at once
that all further intercourse with him, as pas
tor Of their Church, was at an end
In the meantime, the father of the girl was
made acquainted with the atrocous crime,
which had been perpetrated on the virtue oil
b child. His evaporation became un control
liable, and arming himself for the purpose OF
making summary vengeance on the destroy
er, he started in pursuit of him. But an inti-
nation to Sutherland that his life was in dan
ger, enabled him to escape over the back fence
of his garden. only few minutes in advance
Of his justly indignant pursurer, asa M
This clerical hypocrite is about thirty years
of age and has been in charge of church at
Burlington, since last year He went. there
from Lodi, near jersey City-but where he
has now gone, no one can tell The victim of
his act is barely fifteen years of age and has
borne an unbemished character. Her family
also are of unimpeached standing, and enjoy
the respect and esteem Of all who knew them.
This scandulous act of Sutherland is not the
first which has been laid at his door during his
ministry in Burlington On the 2lst Of July,
but little over month ago, hired girl in
his family, named Teresa Gilbert, about twen-
ty-three years of age, made oath before Alder
man Brown of that city, that she went to re-
side in his family either in April or May last;
that the very first day she was there, all the
family but Sutherland being in the country on
~ VISIT he invited her into the parlor, there to
sit down on the sofa beside him and read a
chapter from the bible to him; that he took
the book away from her and commenced hand
ling her person, when she got up and went out
In the yard, saying that she was going away,
and that to induce her to stay he promised her
gold rings and a new silk dress, all of which
she refused to receive that few weeks after
this, Sutherland came into the room where she
was combng her hair and commenced brush
ing 1t for her, but she Knocked the brush back
in her hand, and at the same moment his wife
came into the room, when she sent Teresa of
an errand, on returning from which the wife
looked as if she had been crying; that on an
other occasion, when his wife had gone out to
tea, he went into Teresas chamber, where she
was then, lay down on her bed and also asked
her to lay down also; that she refused and
threatened to raise an ALARM that he then
jumped up and told her to leave the house,
which she refused to do until she saw his wife,
to whom she related his conduct to her, but
she refused to listen to anything in relation to
her husband. and he coming in at the time,
and learning what Teresa had been telling his
wife, he took hold of Teresas arm, threw her
part way down stairs, then followed and kick
ed her several times, bat that he desisted Oh
being told by his wife not to do So
These charges were investigated by the
proper officers Of the church, but were dismiss
ed as not being entitled to credence The de-
yelopments Of the past week have wrought
great change with respect to their truth
We learn from gentleman of Burlington
that the excitement there was very great on
Saturday night, and that there was a strong
talk of tarring and feathering Sutherland, if
they could find him. s4
3
Seizure of a Fast Staan,hoat