The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-10-04
RELIGIOUS swINDLING.

The greatest piece of Protestant i'm posi-
ton which has come to the surface for some
time has just been exposed. 1t appears
that certain set of men, called " City
Missionaries" finding funds slow in coming
in, determined to manipulate q certain
parsonage, named Allen-otherwise, The
wickedest man in New York" and through
him to arouse the dormant sympathies of
the Evangelicals, SO as to bleed freely in
greenbacks. The scheme worked charm
ingly for a time, but the press, particularly
the Catholic journals, undertook to inves-
tigate the matter, and the result is a most
shameful tissue of scheming, falsehood, and
imposition has been laid bare. Even the
New York Times, at first the advocate of
the movement, thus holds up to reprobation
tho lnercenary reverend swindlers
The whole movement originated several
months ago in the efforts of the colporteurs
of a certain mission to ameliOra5e the con-
dition of sailors and fallen women of the
| Fourth Ward. House to house visits were
made by the missionaries for O considerable
length of time, but without accomplishing
all that was desired. AT length 1T ards de-
cided that an unusual and sensational method
should be taken to arouse Water street, and
w ulcE SlIccG was aCCOTuluSlJ suEouScu.
Allen was selected as the victim at whom
the shafts of religion should be specially
leveled, and they were, therefore, directed
toward him. Two articles appeared in a
certain magazine, calling attention to Allen
as " the wlckedest man in New York" and
in q short time he was the most notorious
character in the country. The aim of the
articles in question was evidently to shame
John Allen into change of life, and thus
: to obtain foothold among his vile neigh
, bors and companions in ain. The stroke
was bold one, but 1t utterly failed In ita
however, was, that thousands OF religious
} ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and others-throDged
his house daily, either from o motive OF
, curiosity, or of inducing John to abandon
t his wicked life and become o religious man
This he sternly refused to do, threatening
3 who might come there out of doors. The
9 rush OF visitors of the better class to his
house entirely destroyed his business, and
/ for weeks he did not make a dollar of profit
in his usual way. Finding that Allen could
not be coerced into reformation, and
fearing that the game could be lost, hisereti-
;, gious shepherds made a proposition to him to
9 h're hts house for one month-to October lst-
L Tor daily prayer meetings, and such ar.
rangement was, after some discussion, per-
: fected. For the use of the rooms it Il
kno'cn a check for $3.50 ards passed to lie,
{ last 'ceek by party controlling the move.
L ment, and the house is now in legal posses
sion of the drawer of thescheck. Aliens
s prayers, songs, and exhortations, will
D which he interested the praying dupes who
e gathered in his house, were assuredly
$ bogus, and after being continued for two OF
/ three days, they were abandoned, and
, thereafter, in drunken obliviousness OIL
s cunning reticence, "the wickedest man
g passed his time, avoiding visitors, ant
talking only when compelled to do SO
8 What he proposes to do hereafter will b,
t learned in the course of this article. 81
, much for Aliens falsely reputed conversion