The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-05-17
The Preacher Murderer.

ItY, WDeTe ue mas just oeon
one of the most atrocious crimes on re-
cord. Displaying precious ''gift of CAB
while youth, he was made coiporteur
for distributing and selling books and
tracts, and for his zeal in this occupation
be vas two or three years ago converted
into a Methodist preacher, and placed 10
charge of primitive congregatlen among
the hills of Warren county. lie posses
ses Lut a limited education, is destitute
of refinement, aud has evidently but
slight knowledge of human nature. Ills
ignorance of science may at once be IN
ferred from the fact OF his using arsenic
as the means of committing bis crime
Poisoning With that drug is now almost
certain to be discovered, for Its symptoms
easily excite suspicion, and when suspl-
ciou is once aroused, the cause OF DEATH
by chemical tests, may be readily ascer-
tanned Stephens, who was lately execu'
ted in n York, in his profound ignorance,
made the same mistake as Harden, and 1t
cost him his life.
Notwithstanding the deficiencies We
have just mentioned. Harden is consider.
ed quite good looking young man. and
having on hand large stock of lDpu-
dence, be soon became popular among his
copgrep alton, and was idolized by the un-
married fe "a ales Of his flock. With thes
circumstances in his favor, he appears to
have let himself loose awong the female
lambs. and for some tine be led with them
a rowing aud pleasant life Foolish
Young girls 'set their caps for the hand
some parson. and he coquetted among
them at bis leisure. Atlast. overstePpiDg
the bounds of prudence, be attempted
what Bruins, who understood such nat
ters, calls the '.ilIicit rove, with an aulla-
bic and copfding young girl named Dor
land, the daugh hter of a well-to do farmer
in the neighborhood, After secnrioe
this Young wonan's affections, the rever-
end sensuaIist became di,inciined TO mat
rimony, ha wing, in the neaDt!me, became
Ieunnored With a few new faces, and
particularly with that of a certain Miss
Smith. Miss Dorland urged Harden tc
fulfill his promise aud marry her, especial
IL as scandel concerning them had be-
come rife in the vicinity. The letter:
that passed between them while this mat
ter was in controversy. shows that Har-
den Was q cold blooded. brutal, lying
scamp, and inferior to the woman whose
heart be was trampling upon in every
ennohluz attribute of humanity.
At last the conduct of Harden reached
the Methodist conference, and when he
found that be was to be hauled over the
Goals, after q great dea! OF squirming
lodging and prevarication, be felt com
pelled to offer his victim tie consolation
of marriage. Immediately after the
marriage was celebrated, Harden com
menced treating his bride With coldnes'
and studied contempt aud neglect, while
in the company of others, which is iht
most cruel Of ali treatment to IoVlng
wife. Not being prepared to 20 to house
keeping, they visited short time among
their relatives, and at Hardens sollita
ton, in few weeks, they went to board
at Mr.. Rsmsay's. While this pcrsor
and his wife were both sick, so as TO bf
unshIe to observe bis movements, Harder
Iprocured the arsenic at Easton, PeuRsyl
yaDia, and commenced administering i
10 his wife, in some remedies tha: he was
giving her Tor bad cold, with whicE
rhe was sfileted Day by day, this mons
ter gradually administered the fatal drug
to this confding woman, until her life
was wasted away. While standing by
her dying bedside, be heard his poor
Young wife, 10 tesceching tones, cxclai a
water ouly glass of water, an
burning np, and be offered her not even
this relief! He declined to send for
physician, but still With deadly pur
pose gave her the burning poison. and
when the damp OF death was upon heT
fair brow, be then even refused 10 send
for her parents, that they might console
her in tbe mortal agony of ber dying
hour. Thus this reverend murderer
severed the ties that only three months
before had bound him in wedlock to 9
woe an that loved hiu to destruction.
Suspicion was excited-Harden neg
lected to attend his wifes funeral
corouers jury was called, and the mur
derer went before it, and adding perjury
to his other crime, swore that his wife
when dJing, confessed that she had
poisoned herselfi This idea was secuted
and Harden, finding danger thickening
around him, ged Some months after
be wac reeaptured. He has now beer
tried and justly sentenced to te hung or
the 2sth day of next June.
A great many people, and some o.
our contemporaries. seem to infer from
this ease, that the whole clergy of ouI
country are tending rapidly to utter de.
prayity and uuhridled licentiousness
and that the very namo of /" Reverend
has become synonymous With that oi
seusualst and seducer But we see no
reason to change the views we have al.
ways held towards clergymen and that
is, that they are liable to all the failings
short comiDgs aud vices of hun manity
generally; and are in no respect one
whit better than other men. And il
} they, as class, are worse than the ma