Smyrna times., 1868-08-19
MiSceIIUHeOWS.
The Wickedest Man s. as he is.

been exciting the sympathies Of citizens and
curiosity Of friends at distance by highly
eOlOred sensational account of John Allen, the
keeper of low dance house in Water Street
who is designated as the wickedest man in
New York" The story is told with the per
feet art of practical sensational paragraphlst
has been widely circulated and extensively be-
lieved.
1t really contains not more than grain of
truth, and that grain is distorted and dIscOlor
ed until not recognizable. The fact is that
John Allen is probably no worse, and certainly
no better, than his peculiar class. He is the
keeper of one of the lowest of the many vile
haunts Tor sailors to be found in this in every
great maratime city; and he deliberately, cal
culatingly, and cunningly makes money by the
prostitution of women and the drunkenness of
men. He is a man with some little education,
for the most part picked up from newspapers
aud the current literature Of the day; but he
he is superior in this respect only to the men
in the same line of business, and far inferior in
general intelligence to the majority of our me-
chanics. lie is without moral sentiments, and
never had religious idea he reads religious
papers, tracts, books, hymns, etc., apparently
only for the purpose OF making display and
exhibition of his knowledge, just as negro min
strelS sometimes amuse the thOughtless by
burlesques of religious exercises. He is
powerful man, and his toughest visitors hold
him in awe; being shrewd man, he knows
the Importance of keeping an orderly house,
and it is due to him to say that he enforces or
\ k&ef in his house and vicinity. He is as good
as an extra policeman in his block, and hence
the certain amount of respect in which the
police hold him. Our sensatiOnally- y-dispOsed
friend, with number Of missionaries, visited
and saw the man and his establishment under
peculiar circumstances When any member of
the Health Board which possesses certain
powers and much influence with the Police
Commissioners, visits his house, John Allen
/ naturally makes it look as clean and healthy as
possible; when any of the various city mission
aries, who have their influence also with the
Police Commissioners, call, he "puts on his
religious face, as he expresses it, and makes
his establishment appear as respectable and
moral as possible.
These were the ideas which he expressed to
this writer when ne, with an artist, called to
see and portray the house and the man just as
they are. In fact it was the d0etul burden of
his whole conversation, that Mr.. Dyer, his hi
ographer had painted him too white. He
seemed to feel, and certainly argued, that he,
unlike another individual vino keeps an extern
e sive dance-hOuse in even hotter regions than
Water street, was blacker than he was painted.
l. We can not quote all the language which he
! used in expressing this idea to us.
'Mr. Dyer, he said, very nearly as we give
it here, though not UerGdttnl, oaths, indccency,
and all, :" Mr. Dyer saw my place under pecu-
= liar circumstances. When a gentleman comes
J. here we endeayor to treat him right We try
to entertain each man in the way he likes best;
o if a minister comes, we can sing hymns with
i him, and he can hear Chester say his Cate
s. s. chism; but we've got liquor, and there the
e women for them as has the stamps to spend
e that way. (Motherl mother" he exclaimed
. to his wife, as a couple Of men walked through
the outer room into the dance hall-a sort OF
e cage where the women seemed to be confined
ID like wild beasts-''a couple of drinks for these
ID gentlemen. Then he returned to his argu
y ment with US, telling Of the performances a
night, taking care to Impress on our minds the
* fact that they were very different from thosC
!. which the ministers witnessed, and illustrating
the style OF his evening visitors by limitations
ID Of their drunken manner, and quotations frOu
Id their filthy and profane language.
w. lie denounced Mr. Dyer very roundly, anc
y spoke Of him with great contempt as - seu
TX satiOn writer" He objected to being cale(
s 1.-The wickedest man in New York.
- " am not the wickedest man, he said
| do great deal more tor the poor than tn
@ na sensation writers, any how. | feed the hungr
rs and clOthe the naked. give away all my cast
nd off clothing, and we taken many poor fello'
o5 ag to Chatham street and bOug ht him Shoes An
| let EN- sleep here by the stove on col
ty nights. My neighbors will tell you that ther
,v ain t more charitable man in the street tina
John Allen
ty- And certainly the neighbors-polce, mel
lu- chants and all-say John Allen is a due
Ice peaceful law abiding, generous, and charitabl
lee man.
's "And Mr. Dyer speaks of my house as if
nd was a den of prostitution" he said suddenly
a. after brief conversation with drunken pee
is dler who had stopped at the door to pass th
10 compliments OF the morning, and swear awhi
US at truckman who mad "insuited him.
Id Its nothing of the kind. It's boarding
rty house-iust like yours" he added to our arts
thereby causing that gentlemen to vince Ii
OF tie, and then blandly smile his appreciation
Of the remark. '"The women pay their boar
IN. just as you do. s Many OF them are old, al
lSil lSR don't make money and cant pay; but new
;er turn em out into the street on that account
and They pay in what they make, and do oC
- chores about the house. The other womt
aTy who make more pay their board and spend Il
emp emp rest for clothes" And then, as If sHspectl
ere. ere, some one would suggest it, he quickly adde
Give Give and whisky"
con. Apparently the most of it went for whisk
pro for the several women that we saw had We
har. little clothing upon their persons, and a gre
lars deal of the peculiar color that comes from e
{ of cessive drinking in their faces, They were oil
'W'; ugly, haggard, bestial, and toothless-' D
. set of teeth to seven women, suggested
- companion-and generally pitiable beyond G
rsn preston. :5s..t.. ,s.
! ~ =" Allen was asked in regard to his promise
nor. Commissioner Acton to quit the business
mag II did PROMISE" he said. ''Mr. Acton sc
-seV- t for me to come to headquarters. ! went U
rSrE sT% and there / found Dyer with him. had ma
4 up my mind not to speak to Dyer again
ixty- cause Oh dis tnlSSJdIobtnbS duouO mC OuG th
. the I Xvos face to faca with him. and 4 would
''"' '' run away ,MrnActon asked me if i wol
.sr., Quit the business, and after while | said
s4aPPd would, aud promised to quit. by May l.,
''s sooner If could. And | will, " he added c
EPrsi q e. phatcaly, ''for the business is ruined.
Il Il Of overrun by people that COME here to look
7 lFsi de. me, as if was wild beast. They bore
riders to daath and don 4 SDend anV money. Ii.
TO see hundreds of them day." - ~ -
coed This last remark was meant for a cleric
SO sis dRl7 l17ssF Y . aataa4g f & issh saH eaed