The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-08-02

\
principal passages:
HIS RECEPTION OF VISITORS.
"eince the appearance of the sketch in the July
| number of this magazine Mr.. Allen has been run
| down with visitors especially clergymen, who, he
says, invariably ask for the Wickedest Man in
New York, to which inquiry be promptly responds
as being the identical individual referred to-
" His reception Of his clerical visitors is some.
| times exquistely Characteristic.
=" am glsd to see you, gentlemen he says.
| Walk in. Sit down. Make yourselves at home.
| Have a copy of the Little Wanderers Friend? We
! have to do good deal of missionary work down
| here, and find the Little Wanderers Friend q
good thing in that line. Take it home with you
and read 1t. Lots of good stuff in it. Good music
| too. like to have clergymen come here. Iwant
| TO do all the good l can and don't know any
class of men who'd be more benefited by asso-
cation with me than clergymen. So come often,
| gentlemen, and stay late.'
HIS OPINION OF RELIGIOUS PAPERS.
"Allen also frequently plays off his Observer
/ and Independent on his clerical visitors; gets
them into theological discussions and twists and
harnesses them In all manner Of good natured ways,
always taking care to keep himself master of the
situation under all circumstances.
zone curious development of Aliens character
| was manifested in his anxiety to know how the
religious papers would treat his case as set forth
| ia our sketch. His tenacity of connection with
the religious press is in truth most singular aud
significant fact-fsr more significant than he him.
| self has any idea of.
80 What possible interest can you take in rei.
| gious papers!i we once asked him. why do
! you read the Observer and Independent
oh, he replied, I'm liberal in my views. and
impartial In my tastes And as to reading, why,
cad anything, from Tom Paine to the Bible. Be-
| sides. must have my theology and my whisky
| Straight don't want either Of 'em watered
or sdulterated. The Observer and Independent
are cut nd-ouiers-one on one side and tother
| on tOther. They strike out from the shoulder
and get in q lick under the ear every time. When
the Observer gets bold of one OF your loose, milk
and water Christians, or some fellow with an IN
sound, new.fangled theology, it shakes him just
one of Kit Burnss pups shakes rat and then the
IDdeI endent gets mad and pitches in, and shakes
the Observer just as Kit shakes the pup when he
gets mad. That's my style. like lively Cos.
pei and q muscular religion. go in for the
church militant, and pride myself on being high
private in the same army in which the Observer
and Independent are field marshal. I'm content
to carry. the knapsack and let them wear the
plumes."
FoNDNEss FOR MUSIC.
T" An additional and pointed illustration Of Al
lens foDdness for sacred music was recently given
to Us by Sergeant George y. Towns, of the Fourth
Precinct Metropolitan Police. In the winter Of
1864, when the sergeant, then patrol-msn was
walking his beat with his comrade, Frederick Gil.
bert, they stopped, about three o'clock in the
morning, TO kick their heels on Aliens stoop. II
was bitter cold, and, to keep their hearts warm,
they began TO hum some hearts stirring oly HYMNS
After while they struck into old Coronation:
IAN hail TO the p wer Of Jesus name,
ct angels PROSTATE fall,
Aud crowa him Lord of ALL
As they concluded the hymn a noise was heard
inside of Aliens barroom, and Mr.. Towns ex.
claimed:
" Hush, Gilbert there's some one in there!
90 II is only me, Towns responded Allen,
opening the door and stepping to the threshold in
his night rig, bitter cold it was. Il heard you
humming old Coronation" and had to get up
and Il "a a.
old tune buzzing In my ears. Old Coronation "
will always fetch me at any season of the year.
and at any time of the day or night"
-" On the third day Of July last, as DR.. ]. NJ.
Ward, a well known Christian philanthropist was
passing Aliens saloon, at about 10 O'Clock in the
morning, he found him sitting near the door with
a copy of Packard's Monthly for July in his hand,
intently 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 saliva.
ton Of his children.
" In response to this Allen called out:
a. Chester, come here and his son came to his
side.
"'Now, Chester said he, sing Nearer, my
God, TO Thee" for the Doctor
And thereupon Allen himself led of, and IA
Their and son sang:
Eesrer my God, to Thee.
Zen though il be a cross
That raiseth me-
stl. all my song shall be-
Nearer TO Thee
" And there that strange man sat in his dance
house, on the third day of July, with the door
open to the street, aud 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 reyerent a manner, DR.. Ward says, as he
ever witnessed.
HORROR OF NFIDELITY.
Allen. is solicitous that little Chester should
not have his mind poisoned by anything verging
on inhdelity. On one occasion, when visitors
were present, an infidel came into the dancing
saloon, about ii O'Clock at night, and began to
ventilate his belief, or rather his unbelief. He
was surprised at being at once taken up by Allen
and demolished. The unbeliever was no match
for the Wickedest Man In theology, philosophy,
or common sense. He soon retired, rather crest.
fallen, and, after the door had closed on him.
Allen turned TO some CT those present, and ex.
claimed, in tones of grief and bitterness:
my God gentlemen, to think Of a mans COM
ing into my house and uttering such sentiments as
those Why, wouldn't have had my family heard
that man for anything and Chester, especially
Here. seeing the looks Of astonishment on
some Of the visitors faces he exclaimed
al know what you're thinking of. You think
that Chester hears worse than that. But he don't.
He hears me swear, and he hears the girls when
they get mad or drunk, and they can talk bad
enough when they get a-going, God knows but |
don't care for that. That isn't anything. That
don't kill. Bnt TO have Chester get the notion
that the Bible isn't true or to have him hear any
man deny the existence of God or attempt 10
make God anything less than God-why, damn it
10 hell, gentlemen, wouldn't have such notions
as those put into Chester head for all the worldp
was there ever another such man as this in
comprehensive Water street dance house keeper?
LOVE FOR LAW AND ORDER.
Another singular fact about this man is his
passion for law and order. The law. in his opin.
ion, must be respected and obeyed. The Hon.
Thomas @. Acton, president Of the Board of Me-
tropotsn Police, says that during the riots of
1868 he swore Allen In as special policeman, and
that he was perfect lion on the side of the au-
thorities all through those frightful times. So
Trustworthy and true-hearted was he, so implicit
ly could his word be relied upon that Mr.. Acton
swore in every that Allen sent to him for that
purpose without asking any questions so sure
was he Of his judgment and loyalty. And in not
single instance did Mr.. Acton find that his con-
Hdence in the man had been misplaced.
The police Of the Fourth Ward bear similar
testimony to this mans orderliness. and his love
of public snd especially Sabbath decorum. he
H. 30 az 49,