Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-01-09
SCANDAL In THE ENGLISH CHURCH;
A Clerical Bigamist.

stANDAL IN THE ENGLISH CHURCH:
A Clerical Bigamist.
4 case il at present before one of the Eng
lish criminal courts that excites great attention
throughout the country. The London Times of
December IL, in the course of an editorial
thus states the circumstances:
Mr.. Bonwell. formerly of Brasepose COL
lege. Oxford, IL incumbent of St. Phillips,
Stepney, where be generally resides rooms at
tsched to the schoolroom being fitted up for his
use. He is a married man, with one child and
his wife. at the time of the commission of the
alleged offence, kept a school in another part
of London, where Mr.. Bonwell occasionally
visited her. The lady implicated in the case
WAS the daughter of clergyman named Yorath
living at Newport, in Monmouthshire Last
year, Miss Yorath then on a visit to Marrate
became acquoin:ed with Mr.. Bonwell, who. it
is asserted, gave himself out as a widower, and
soon became the accepted suitor of Miss Yo-
rath In December, the lady left Margate. in
order, rs her friends thought, To return to
Newport, but, instead of doing So she re-
manned, it is said, fortnight in London in
lodgings hired for her by Mr.. Bonwell. There
is no necessity for following the steps of the
history; but in May last she paid a second visit
TO Margate and Miss Ames, the friend with
whom she had been staying, perceived that
she was pregnant. Indeed, if the evidence is
to be believed, there can be no doubt that Mr.
Bonwell seduced the lady under promise of
marriage.
Shortly after the fortnight in London, Mr.
BonWell visited Newport, and there, according
to the evidence Of the lady's brother and other
persons, was guilty of the grosscst misrepre-
sentations. He presented himself as Miss
Yorath s accepted suitor and then and at sub
sequent visits was introduced in this character
10 all the friends Of the family. Not only did
he declare himseU a widower, but said that
his friend the Bishop of Oxford would perform
the xiSh hal
Hugh Williams, Chancellor of Llandaf, to
assist after the fashion which had prevailed
OF late. The marriage was fixed for June last
but before that time 1t began to be rumored
that Mr.. BOnwell was a married man. Mr.
Lewis 1orath, the brother, broke off the match
In August it came to the bishops ears that Mr..
Bonwell had passed himself off as a single man
to family In the country. and had prevailed
on lady to marry him. The public will be a
little startled at hearing that this conduct was
thought by the Bishop worthy only Of severe
reprlmand, and that Mr.. Bonwell was sent
back from London House to teach morality to
his flock. But within a few days his lordship
received two anonymous letters, which caused
him to place the matter in the hands of the
police, and 1T was discovered that a child had
been born In the school-house at st. Phillips,
Stepney, and buried under suspicious circum-
stances.
1T is beyond a doubt that Miss Yorath was
suddenly taken with the pains of labor while
visiting Mr. Bonwell; that she gave birth to a
male child; and that, after remaining twelve
days at the school house. she was taken, with
the child, to hotel On the other side of Lon
don bridge. Here the child died, and was car
rled away and buried by an undertaken in a
cottn with another body. The child was ex-
humed, and coroner 3 jury returned a verdict
that it died Of inanition and in EXPRESS terms
censured the conduct Of the Rev. Jas Bonwell
i These facts being proved in evidence, the
commission has decided that there are grounds
for further inquiry into Mr. Bonwell's con-
duct"
TEACHING DEACOs.-A gentleman who re-
sides In the town of ElmOre, Mequango county.
Is, IA he describes himself, very OHSartalu in
politics, and besides that, is the most ousartoju
practical joker we have heard of Of late Here
Is one of his jokes:
The gentleman was in his store one Sunday
morning preparing for the duties of the day
wen the deacon entered. An unfortunate mack
OF cards was lying on the counter and the Il, n
con, as In duty bound, demonstrated with the
Joker on bis villsinOus practice The latter adj
mitted that it was mt least an idle waste of t;mo
and taking the cards in his hand moralized on
the subject just as well and warmly as the dea
con- Vt the same time he allowed few cards
10 fall here and there on the counter they living
very much in the shape of tricks, and looking
as If the two had been taking hand
At this Juncture another member of the
church came in. (the post office was in the storel
and all at once the joker placed his finger on a
couple OF cards on the counter, excaminc
- Now, deacon, tell you this won't do. The
queen always takes Jack, and ten the nine and
s. down, and if you don attend you will never
learn the game That Jack is good card. NV
Queen takes it. besides one on count for game :
why, neighbor. exclaimed the Mortified
deacon. what on earth do ycn mean by all
that - "
Exactly what ssy. " was the reply. the
Queen takes the Jack and it's mine-you might
have trumped with it and saved it long ago:
NO" this Jack with low and the game puts me
out:
AT this moment the gentleman from Meouan-
go COT ny turned round, pretended for the frst
momCn' t. notice the brother deacon who had
entered. looked confused. dropped the cards
and vanished
Of course the deacon was caupbt nIaving
cards on Sunday. lie was cited to appear be
fore the church for his backsliding. and a. the
evidence was complete. would have been con-
Vicied and severely punished, in spite Of all
his protestationS of ignorance had not our ac-
quaIntance OF the town of Elmore made his an
pearance In the nick of time, as a witness in
iavor of the deacon, told a round unvarnished
tale, and procured for him an acauittal.
1t IL said to this day the deacon has an in
creasing horror Of cards and though he feel.
conviction that the Queen will take the
Jack, and the Jack can take the deacon. vet
De has an utter aversion to giving his =. high
low Jack
CAN TRAVEL LIKE PIzEN-The electric tsle