Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-07-29
Porter, the Sundny School De-
1aultCr.

Porter, the Sunday school, De-
1aultcr.
Porter, the Sunday School defaulter,
has made a full confession. He has, it
seems, been stealing the funds of the
American Sunday School Union for
niincteea earsI This is the best evidence
liz the world that the Society has care
less agents at its head. How comes it
that this long-faced rascal could, for
nineteen years, steal the funds of the
Society without the knowledge of the
other officers? If they are not equally
culpable, they are at least censurable
for gross carelessness. The money of
this Society is collected, in small sums,
from the churches and Sunday Schools
of the United States. Is it not too bad
that its officers should permit its treas
ury to be robbed for nineteen successive
years by a man "who stood very high in
the church, We have often thought
that the money collected for the "sprcad
of the Gospel"-the American Sunday
School Union, Homo and Foreign Mis-
sions, Colonization Societies, &c, is not
accounted for in the careful and salts
factory name it should he; and we
fear, Gf the truth could be got att that
thereAre other ~rasca1s who stand every
high in the church" who, like Porter,
have been appropriating the funds be-
longing to the treasures of these benev-
olent objects to their own pockets
Porter is not the only rogue who has
invested in the mulberry and silk worm
speculation" The confession of this
defaulter, has, we regret to say, injured
the Sunday School Union to a very
greatextent. The people have lost on
fdcnce in its officers, and are beginning
to think that its large treasury is not
safe in their hands-that the money is
not appropriated or accounted for as it
should be. But, to the confession of
the thief, Porter:
A correspondent Of the Boston Journ-
al. says;
'Mr. Fred W. Porter, the defaulting
agent of the American Sunday School
Union, whose fall made such a sensa
ton a short time since, has at length
made a full and complete confession of
the great wrong he has done. He stood
very high in the Society and in the
Church, and he was almost the last man
who would have been suspected to be
guilty of so foul a deed. In a letter re-
Gently laid before the Board of the Sun
day School Union, he has made a COM
plete confession. He began his wrong
doing nineteen years ago! The plan
was the same that he pursued to the last.
His temptation began with the mulber-
ry and sllk-worm speculation, nineteen
years ago, and under the garb of religion
he has for that long time carried on his
dishonest plans. He allows that at the
start he knew it was wrong; but he
hoped to be able to meet the notes as
they mdtured. But as he was unable
TO do so, he was compelled to renew his
notes and pay a heavy bonus. Thus,
for nineteen years, he has been tread
ing the thorny path of sin, praised for
virtues that he knew he did not possess,
and taking of the sacrament, which, ac-
cording to his own protested faith, was
adding damnation to himself, with each
unworthy reception. He defrauded the
society out of ove $4,000; but the
Philadelphia broker who aided him to
the dishonest gain: promptly paid all
the notes that his name was on, and the
loss was lessened nearly 100000. Mr..
Porter confesses that in the nineteen
years of fraud he has used the name OF
the society to the large amount Of $780,
600, by renewals and reissues. No
wonder he is a sick man-one whom, if
the law does not reach, the grave will
soon cover. Nineteen years of fraud
and crime, and perpetrated in the name
of religion-with despair looking him
in the face-exposure waiting for him
at the corners of each street-with re-
morse knawing at his heart-and the
worm that dies not fastening to his re-
past! Mr.. Porter confession will soon
be made public"