The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-04

certty-Chrissian Bohe mia nisus-Pi0us Sen.
sausss-Whs In the @Wickedest Slan Z"
some two or three months ago literary Bohemian
named Dyer Buyer something OF that sort, with
rather more brains than his fellows and not wanting
In that class OF enterprise for which the true literary
chinonnier 10 famous namely, hunting In the sums
Of great city like ours for sensations sufficiently
strong 10 permit them being named In the superia-
tive degree-by some stroke OF good fortune pro
badly from . hint thrown out 1T the mission.
on the corner Of Dover and water streets, where
the business OF conversion has not been q paying
one since its incepuonl heard Of John Allen.
whose proper name n siocum. and who has father
and two brothers IN the ministry. called az his den
at No. 500 Water street. exchanged '-smiles" with
him In rectined aqnafortis warranted 10 burn all
the way down, heard his story--for Johnny always
has q story hand-looked encouragiigty al his
.losi Angela and then. making hts way his gar
ret sat down and for q monthly publication sadly
In want Of few hundred readers wrote
story which he entitled. with the usual
disJunctlye conjunction. "yohn Allen. or the
wickedest Man In New York" IL was a
brilliant mn FOR the bohemian. and his pub.
Usher found the title . capital one; 20 also
did city Missionary Van Meter; so also the mana
gers Of the mission house ON the corners so also
John Allen. who regarded the superlaiiye wicked
est" happy thoagnt and, In consequence, laid In
larger store OF benzne and added 10 hls circle OF
vile dancing women. The "wickedest Man" who,
by the way, was not wickeder than his neighbors,
but rather better. made good thing out Of his new
found repuiaiion-in fact gathering IN the green
backs much faster than ever III his bar.
uIs PROMISE
to save John from the "wrath to come was now
the work OF the missionary people nj the head OF
which stood Mr.. Van Meter, and his principal was
loudly prayed for every conyentce In the city, This
did not have the desired enect II aidei, however,
TO the fellows reputation and 10 hi custom Next
followed an interview between the bohemian. Com
missioner Acton and John, At which the to-be-cOn.
veried said he was quite willing 10 close hts den Of
infamy on the LIST Of September. With this the
would-be savcrs OF HIS soul forced To be con-
tent. They dd not however praying for him in
season and out; while with his usual nonchaance the
"wickedest Man" continued 10 sell his poison"
and hire out his fallen angels 20 men OF the lowest
instincts-to the nercest, toughest cuithroal- who
had ever paronized his Infamous ho'e OF prostitu-
ton ana all uncieaniiness.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT 90 IMPORTATION.
When the last business day Of August hal arrived.
and AT precisely twelve O'Clock midnight. ihls man.
who has accumulated upwards Of 300 IN the hor
| rible trade To which lac has devoted his manhood
called his vile Associates around hinl-his dance
girls his thieves ms strkers-out from the shoulder
his highwaymen his procurcrs and procureeses all
those who riot In moral nth aud rottenness-and
announced 70 them thai he was about 60 close his
yellow shutters from the large windows OF ms green
| painted house he would he on the piOus lay. This
workers In iniquity raised laugh, IA which the
drunken wrctches, made beasts Of ~ Aneas rOt-gut
| but an hour before, coarscly joined.
| PRAYER MEETINGS.
Well, what was the upshot Of this noliccs The
degraded creatures out OF the damning of whose
| souls this Allen had made a competence. were
| turned adrft They were made for the hour house
less. not homeless, FOR homes they had not had for
/ bursting with the wages of sin, turned cooly,
quietly, speculatvely from his Old friend the Devil
| his heart no softer or purer, with no humane im-
pulse added, and seeks 10 propia.e an on endcd Tod
by holding daily, at the hour Of noofl prayer meet
the inyocati0ns, and which are about wcll cal
culated to stir 10 It's depths the heart of the sinner
| prayer uttered Ia Hebrew Of David
THE DEGRADED.
For three DAYS have these gatherings been neld IN
| the bar and dance rooms Of the .Nlckelcst Man"
midst OF the gazing crowd to he stared ana PRAYED
| at, while the trembling, degraded slaves oi mans
lust are nnddled together IN a corner ilks cowed
| what has been accomplished 10 the vile OF Water
street, Nothing. absolutely. Yes we had orgoticni
lease OF life 10 the local MISSIONS ana 10 perhaps has
| or win draw the attention OF some large minded
philanthropist to the terrible. the awful
which thousands Of women, walking IN tie valley
OF degradation IN tins great town whom word, inyo
cations TO the Father Will not altogether save from
the wretchedness OF the life into winch tcinpatOn
| has led them.
| CHARACTER OF THE GATHERINGS.
OF these prayer meetings. gathered toCr;hcr IN the
narrow apartments OF John Allen. the AIR laden with
the odors OF bad whiskey, rotten tobacco and 1ih-
flnpregnated perspraon, are daily 10 be found the
| wealthy merchant, the hoy-mInied woman. tie
prostitute, the thief the burglar and the drunkar;
and while some good brother" raises his voice that
| the ''Wickedest NAM may be saved. IN the usual
manner, the rlends' Of the prayed for 40 throaghr
them in some mysterious i6aaner. II tsclT spape
cash. IL Is even whispered around with suppressed
glee among pisSP0cke's that ',prp.ns sPos'er'
| left No. 302 Water street on Monday as when
he. entered 1t. Now We do not desire Il
to be understood that John Allen countenances Tor
moment these petty attempts at THE AMI which
are carried on under hts very nose; but we do desire
call attention the fact that the stye OF prayer
got of in mis- bagnio not OF the character 70 reach
the hear and make penItent the wrons-doer.
| QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED.
Is John Allen In his professions OF reforms.
toni Is he convinced OF his past being one OF evil
Has he truly experienced what in The vcrnacuar Of
the professionally" pious IL called "a change IL
heartn or Is he SIMPLY DESTROYS OF hitting himself
| out OF the slime Of moral degradation IN which ne
that separates him and MS family irom al that
society calls "rcspectable' and ''AOrai,' accept
the urgent offers OF the missionaries OF the city
to guide him on the way, while yet In the taher
| nacie OF his soul the lamp OF faitn rcluains
| lightedi WIN he surrender the one hundred thou
| sand dollars he has amassed IN hs hcish business
and endow charitable institution 10 reclaim fallen
| women us q ransom, II such thing were possible,
for the hundreds OF souls he has been Instruments
in sending to the Internal regions. and commence
where he began, at the lower round 81 the ladder OF
| no one but the .'Wlckedest Man"-and h.s entire
| sincerity can only be known to Him "wno knoweih
all secrets" IT. however, we anayZe Allea's con.
! duct from the hour OF his interview with Police
| Commissioner Acton until he made the announce
ment that ON and after saturday last, at midnight,
| his den would longer be devoted To the
! vllest orgies, faln 10 persuade our
| selves that calculation, and that OF the
most sordd Kind entered largely into his estimate
| OF his chances in the future. ON the other hand,
| John Allen has, with fair subsratum OF common
sense, all the characteristics OF an impusive man,
| Of one prone to good or evil rs by external causes
| he IL directed OF Influenced.
| HOW THE "wlCKEDEsr MAN" LOOKS.
| The so-called "Wickedest MAN. IL In altitude
| about five feet eight inches. Ills temperament s
| sangune bilious, with volume OF brain that Is not
In the frontal upper region large while the base
Of his skull Is wide and sits well on bull-l0oking
neck. The crown OF his head IL all but bald and
while the hair on 1t IL not dark, his
whiskers, which he wears well down his face and
thin are decidedly dark. almost black. The beard Is
light and his eyes, which OF dark blue. have,