The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-10-10
The Wickcde>t Man ian New
York.
A Dance House Converted into N House OF
Prayer IL

n Dance House Converted thfo N Iiossc OF
PRAYER ce
The " wickclest man IN New York has IL n
ei saint. lie has turned bis daDce-hOuse into =
house of prayer. The y. y. Sun OF August 3lst
thus chronicles the great reformation:
John Allen shut up his dance-house at mid
night on Saturday, and announced that it would
never be opened again except tor some good pur-
pose; that, - n dance-hOuse, it's career had clos
cd. y number Of Christian friends were present,
who had been notified of his intention, and, after
the house had been closed. a midnight prayer
meeting was held in the dancing saloon. Allen,
his wife, and the girls took pat in the PRAYER
meeting, and Joined heartily in singing the
hymns. Many of Aliens neighbors and lots of
lOafers gathered in the street in front of 304 Wa
ter street, and discovered the pOrtentious conduct
Of the ..wickcdest man. Some thought he'd
gone crazy; others felt sure that he knew what
he was about, and had really made up his mind
To quit the business for the sake of his children !;
but an CIRCULAR lance house keeper said; I'm
tell You what's the matter. It's religion These
cusscd singin' and prayin' fellers have got hold of
John, and he's gettin' 10 be too id religious.
Religions unhealthy. It's worse'n cholera. It's
took many a poor teller of, and now it's gettin'
hold of John, and it'll take him off-leastways
it'll take him off from Water street. You see lit
don't"
This declaration was received with silent awe,
US though the entire crowd felt the doom of reli-
gion impending over them.
On Sunday Morning the following announce
ment, written in a bold, plain hand, was posted
ON the door of 304 Water street:
THIS DANcE-HoUsE Is CLOSED,
No gentleman admitted unless accompanied by
their wives, who wish to employ Magdalens as
dOmestics. JOHN ALLEN.
This notice attracted great attention, and
groups were constantly gathering in the streets
during the day discussing the matter and making
all manner of prophecies in regard to the result.
In the afternoon Allen attended the Sabbath
school and meeting at the Howard Mission, where
the fact that he had closed his dance-house was
publicly announced. Allen himself made a few
remarks rs follows:
JOHN ALIENS SPEECH.
LADIES AND GESTLENEN-Unaccustomed as | am
to public speaking, my address will not be prolix.
l simply say that, although | have been called
80 the wickedest man in New York" / will show
yet to the world that | am not the wickedest man
in New York; that | will help the outcast and
fallen of all creeds and denominations, and that |
will begin from this moment to achieve a moral
reform whenever and wherever / can. | want
my friends to stand by me, as L shall have a hard
time of it for n while, and L will in future devote
my life TO doing good as far rs | can.
lie seemed very frank and honest, and in down.
right earnest, and We hope he was and will con-
tinue To be. After Allen took his seat it was an
nounced that there would be a prayer meeting ut
the house in the evening, and a prayer meeting
was HGAh iir hiEul Ut " dlcE elEttl. III lC-
cordancc with such announcement.
THE PRAYER MEETING LAST NIGHT.
Water street was arrayed in all its wickcdness
last evening. BY contrast, such streets seem, if
possible, wickeder on Sunday than on week days.
The evening was close and sultry; the tenements
and dancc-houses filthy and warm. The heat
drove the residents out in the open air. Not
that the change was much for the better, for the
stencil that rUse from the filth and garbage of the
cutters was intolerable. Men SIT smoking and
swearing, women in very dShaJIHe costumes kept
them company in both, while ragged boys and
girls-sutter snipes as they are called-rolled
about and played with each other in the mud.
The crazy music Of bands, the crUaking of u worn
out piano, and the grooming whine Of a dilapidat-
Ell violin, tiOated OH the heavy air from inside
many IL dancc-house, inviting passers by to enter
these ante-rooms of perditiun. There was one
house, however, from which all this noise and
wickedness had passed away, out of which the
evil spirits had been passed, and whose proprietor
had turned over a new and very important leaf i'm
the book of his life This VAS 3Di. the honse of
John Allen.
At ! o'clock we reached the house, and found
John sitting outside the door. For GOODNESS he
had discarded coat and vest, and sat i'll his shirt
sleeves. He was in good humor, and cordially
invited us 10 enter, remarking, as he did SO, that
he was going To have II prayer meeting as soon as
the clergyman came. The bar-room had been ar
ranged Tor the purpose. Tables were pla"-'
the centre of the room, and John
boys TO chuck down "
books, and hr'-
than =.