Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-08-06

LntrGi
'.It is only me, Towns, +" responded Allen,
opening the door and stepping to the TIRES
hold in his night rig, bitter cold as il was.
Il heard you humming old Coronation,
and had TO get up and come d0wn. /
could not stand it, with that old tune buz-
zing in my cars Old Coronation will al
ways fetch me at any season of the year,
and ut any time of the day OF night"
On the third day of July last, as DR.. j. M.
Ward, well known Christian philanihro-
pist, was passing Aliens saloon, ut about 10
o'clock in the morning, he found him sit
ting near the door, with copy of i'uck-
arcfs Monfhiy for July in his hand, intent
ly studying our sketch of him. On accost-
ing Allen he was kindly greeted in return !;
and, after some conversation about the
sketch, DIR. Ward spoke to him, as is his
custom on every fit occasion, about his
souls welfare and the salvation of his child
ren.
In response to this Allen called out,
"Chester, come here" and his son came
to his side
Now, Chester" said he, sing Nearer,
my God, to Thee, for the Doctor"
And thcreupon Allen himself led off and
father and son sang.
Nearer, my God. I. The,
Neire- to thee,
k.n though it be cross
hat raiseih me;
Still A my song shall be,
Nearer. my Gsd t, thee.
Ne arer 10 Thee"
And there that strange man sat in his
dance house, ON that third day of July, with
the door open to the street, and his little son
standing by his side, and led the child in
song through the whole five verses of that
hymn, in as devotional and reverent a
manner, DIR. Ward says, as he ever wit
messed.
Allen is solicitous that little Chester should
not have his mind poisoned by anything
yereing ON inlidelity. On one occasion,
when visitors were present, an infidel came
into the dancing saloon, about eleven o'clock
at night, and began to ventilate his belief
or rather his unbeief. He was surprised at
being at once taken up by Allen and demol-
ished. The unbeliever was no match for
the Wickedest Man in theology, philosophy
or common sense. He soon retired, rather
crest fallcn and after the door had closed
on him Allen turned to sosie of those pres
ent and cxclaimetlain tones of grief and bit
terness
''My God. gentlemen, to think ofa mans
coming into my house and uttering such SEN
liments as those. Why, | wouldn't have
had my family heard that man for anything
And Chester, especially"
Here, seeing the looks of establishment on
some of the visitors faces, he exclaimed
II know what you're thinking Of You
think that Chester hears worse than that.
But he don't. lie hears me swear and he
hears the girls, when they get mad or drunk
and they can talk bad enough when they get
a-gong, God knows: but don't care for
that. That isn't anything. That don't Kill. |
But to have Chester get the notion that the
Bible isn't true, or to have him hear any
man deny the existence Of God, OF attempt
to make God anything less than God-why, |
damn it TO hell, gentlemen, | wouldn't have
such notions as those put into Chesters head
for all the world !"
Was there ever another such man as this |
Water street dance. house |
keeper
Another singular fact about this nan is |
bis passion for law and order. The law, in |
his opinion. must he respected and oJeyed |
The Hon. Thomas G.. Acton, President of |
The Board of Metropolitan Police, says, that |
during The riots OF S3 he swore Allen in as |
l special policeman, and that he was a per- |
feet lion ON the side of the authorities all |
through those Irighful times. So trustwor-
thy and true-heuued was he, so implicitly |
could his word be relied'upon, that Mi. Ac-
on swore in every man that Allen sint to
him for that purpose, without asking any
questions, SO sure was he of his Judgment |
md loyalty. And in not single instance
lid Mr.. Acton find that his confidence in the
nan had been misplaced.
Among the most recent "distinguishedr
Visitors to Mr.. Aliens abode were several
arge drputaiions from the Democratic Ma
ional Convention, when that institution was
atcly tlourishing in Fourteenth street. One
company of country delegates, numbering
hiriy, went down to 10. 30i Water street
lnder the escort of Captain Thorne, of the
Fourth Precinct and we are informed that
IN one evening as many us sixty delegates
we're present at one time, filling both bar
oom and dancing saloon, and protruding
ipon the stoop and sidewalk. They had ali
cad our account of the Wickedest Man, and
we're anxious to see him. He was courteous
md cordial, as he always is TO visitors. One
VI the delegates remarked:
Il suppose this is about she worst section
# the city, Mr.. Allen, from all accounts 2"
70 which Allen quietly replied:
swell, yes, it has had that reputation
nut just now it is completely eclipsed by
Street."
This retort was received with applause,
nd the delegates hailed "The Wickedest'
IS "a man and a brother.
~ 10 uoCiCoS iOi ulI} WIZ ~ utlt1UnI 10 COLI
end with Allen in wordy war or rhetorical
fence
When in one of his 'happiest moods he
las an abundance of shafts which no armor
an Withstand. He is keen Judge of hu-
nan nature, and takes exquisite delight in
oasting a prete'ltiOuS greenhorn or a CON
etted Ass, whom he never fails to recognize
n sight.
When one of those fellows comes in
ere," he says, +" just quietly draw him
way from his base SO far he can't get back,
nd then go at him and break his heart with
little wholesome talk !"
We should like to give specimens of that
little wholesome talk" but fear that tae
tomach of polite society is not yet quite
trong enough for such concentrated alment ;
Many people, after reading that part of
ur sketch which appeared in "Packard's ,
lonthly for July, have said to us: -
Your Wickedest Man in New York does ,
ot seem to be such very wicked fellow j.,
tier all; on the contrary, according to your
ccount OF him, he seems to he rather good
ort of man."
The Wickedest Van himself as we have ,
lready stated, took different view of our
rticle, and was heart-strickcn by it, and /,
he'd tears over it.
1t would seem, therefore, that there is a !
oint here which needs clearing up, and we
'ill, therefore, clear it up.
According to our view of the matter, the ,
re- eminent wickedness of John Allen !;
omes from his wilful perversion OF his own
riginal excellence of character, the prosti-
ltlon of extraordinary talents to base uses, ,
nd the persistent violation of divine laws, !
le truth and binding force of which he ,
learly perceives and steadfastly believes.
There is plentiful supply of men in New !
'ork who are far more vile, beastly and re-
ulsiye than this Wickedest Man. In point i,
fact he is not repulsive; he does not i'm i