Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-08-06
The Wickedest Man in New York
Something More About Him.
tFrom packard's Monthly for August ]

We published from the July issue of Pack
ards Monthly, the story of the ''Wickedes
Man in New York, and here present fur
ther statement concerning him. We ex
cludc the opening portion stating that Allcl
had read the previous article, and proceed
! with the account of what he then did,
As soon as he got through with his read
ing he rushed around to the Howard Mission
to SEQ Mr.. Arnold for the purpose of re
proaching him and pitching into us for sucl
an exposure. Mr.. Arnold having been pres
ent at the interview on the 2Sth of May, an,
Aliens defiant attitude on that occasion be
ing fresh in his memory, was taken abacl
by the exhibition of grief and modification
which the Wickedest Man developed unde
the influence OF his recent reading of the
sketch.
"Why, john" said Mr.. Arnold, '.yor
have no just cause of complaint against Mr.
Dyer. Don't you remember that you tolt
him to go ahead, and that all you asked o
him was to tell the truth. And be has tolt
the truth, and nothing but the truth"
'Yes, | know" replied Allen, with the
tears rolling down his cheeks, ''but he's call.
ed me the Wickedest Man in New York, ,and
given my name and my number, SO there's
no dodging. l wouldn't have cared what
he said, nor how severe his article was, il
he hadn't spotted me so. Everybody will
know just where to come to find me- and
they've begun the rush already. And my
children will see the article when they've
grown up, and know that ther father was
And, damn it, Arnold" (wiping his eyes with
his coat sleeves), ''it's rough TO be pitched
into in that way. You may tell Mi. Dyer
how feel; tell him, also, that bear him
no malice-Im not uafriendly to him; but
do feel hurt;" and here, his feelings over
coming him, he left.
II is a long time since we heard anything
in the missionary line which did us so much
good as Mr.. Arnold's account of that inter
view with John Allen. 1t showed, conclu-
sively, that he is not so utterly given over to
hardness OF heart and to the devil AS he
would have us believe, and as we did believe.
| 1t unveils the very secretest depths of his
being, and shows that much of his obslrcp-
erous ungodlness is the mere blustcr Of a
remorseiul heart-an attempt to drown the
whispers of conscience by fanfaronaie of
vice and wickedness.
The prayers which are constantly offered
| up for this Wickodcst Mans conversion and
for the salvation of his family, by the tens
OF thousands whose sympathies have been
stirred in his behalf by our sketch, are doing
| their work The spirit of God is pursuing
him, and has got hold of him, and will never
let him up until he throws himself in full
submission at the Saviour's feet.
We cannot get rid OF the conviction that
this strange man is yet TO he the chosen in
strument of Heaven for carrying the Gospel
in regenerating triumph through those por-
tions OF our city in which il is most needed,
and that the very den of intumy in liicli he
bop lpntr rninpat N hill, ,rt,. q I..tl
will yet be turned into temple of the ever
living God, with the (now) Wickcdes, Man
in New York, at last regeneratpd, and
clothed in his right mind, officiating at its
altar
Since the appearance of the sketch in the
July number OF this magazine Mr.. Allen has
been run down with visitors, especially cler-
symen, who, he says, invariably ask for the
Wickedest Man in New York, to which in
quiry he promptly responds, as being The
Identical individual 'reftrred to"
His reception Of his clerical visitors is
sometimes exquisitcly characteristic.
-, I'm glad to see you, gentlemen, he says.
"Walk in. Sit down. Make yourselves at
home. Have copy Of the Little Wander
ers' Friend? We have to do II good deal of
missionary work down here, and find the
Little Wanderers Friend good thing in
that line. Take it home with you and read
it. Lots of good stuff in il. Good music,
too. like to have clergYmen come here
want to do all the good can; and don't
know any class Of men who'd be more benc-
flied by association with me than clergy
men. So, come often gentlemen, and stay
late
Allen also frequently plays off his Obsei-
yer and Independent on his clerical visitors;
gets them into theological discussions, and
sfo 81, l.
good-natured ways, always taking care 10
keep himself master of the situation under
all circumstances
One curious development of Aliens char
acter was manifested in his anxiety to know
how the religious papers would treat his
case, as set forth in our sketch. Ills tenacly
of connection with the religious press is, in
truth, most singular and significant fact
far more significant than he himself has any
idea Of.
'What possible interest can you take in
religious papers? ?" we once asked Him.
.Why do you read the Observer and the
Independent" 7"
''Oh, he replied, sim liberal in my views,
and impartial in my tastes. And us to read
ing, why, | read anything, from Tom Paine
to the Bible. Besides, | must have my
theology and my whisky Straight. don't
want either of EN- watered or adutcrated
The Observer and Independent are out-,ind-
outcrs-one on one side AMI t'other on
tother. They strike out from the shoulder
and get in lick under the car every lime.
When the Observer gets hold OF one of your
loose, milk-andwater Christians, or some
fellow with an unsound, new tangled the
oogy, it shakes him just as one of Kit
Burns pups shakes rat; and then the In
dependent gets mad and pitches in md
ala l. "a
pup when he gets mad. That's my style. / |
like lively Gospel and 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 marshals. I'm content to carry |
the knapsack and let them wear the plumes."
Such are the oif-hand, semi-serious rea-
sons which the Wickcdest Man gives for |
his choice of papers and, while there can |
be no doubt that the outspokeuess of the |
Observer and the Independent has charm |
for this rugged-minded man, as it has for |
everybody except sneaks and hypocrites, yet |
that is not the actual secret of this matter.
The true reason, as we believe, why John
Allen clings so tenacously to the Observer,
is, because it was taken in his fathers house
when he was an innocent boy, and because
it is now the sole visible, tangible link which
connects his wicked, unhappy present, with
his guieless and joyous past To those
who know him. the cinging fondness of
this Heaven -defying man for the New York
Observer affords significant and affecting
Illustration of the power and benetccnce Of
early religious training and associations.
In corroboration of our theory of the Sc
cret of this dance-house keepers attachment
to the New York Observer, we will mention
the noticeable fact of his fDndness, which is
for old-fashioned hymns and
tunes, especially such as he learned at Sab
bath School. He never tires of singing
them; and sometimes he will sing the same
hymn and the same tune over and over
again. He also teaches his pet boy, little
Chester, to sing them.
When he once took us round to the school
which his boy attends, he requested the
teacher to let Chester sing for u.s. She con-
scnted, and told Mr.. Allen to select the pieces
he would like to have the child sing. lie at
once selected Sabbath School song, be-
ginning
''shall we meet in Heaven absye,"
Little Chester was perched upon a chair
to sing the solo, the rest of the scholars
coming in on the chorus AS just stated,