The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-11-24
A REVEREND PEEPING TOM.
he Locks Upward with Evil Intent,
and Pleads Guilty of Indecent and
ScandaIous Conduct,


TIrJm tile CT tcinnat; Commercial.
The amphitheatre of the ia 1
grounds OF the Campbell County Agri
cultural Society, nea Alexandria,
Ky, are so constructed that a person
on the outside may. ii he wishes, walk
underneath the promenade and the
circular rows of benches, though this
is positively forbidden by the rules OF
the society. Why the directors never
had the space under the promenade
boarded up is more than we can tell.
Their negligence in this respect is GER
tainly most Gu pahle, as the facts which
we are about to relate will show. Dur
ing the last fair at Alexandria, which
was held about the middle of Septem-
Der, several young men Of sensual
proclivities were caught underneath
the promenade 10y the police employ
ell cy the society, and were summari
" expelled from the grounds. One
person, however, it was observed by
many, managed to elude the vigilance
of the police. lie watched their COM
ing so closely that he succeeded in en-
joying the rare privilege of holding a
good position under the seats and pro-
menade at various times on the first
three days of the fair, seeing. OF
course, all that was to be seen with Il
good pair of upturned eyes. On the
fourth day, however, he came to griet
One of the policemen, in making his
customary round, nabbed the gentle
man while he was enjoying n fragrant
cigar and admiring tie beautiful limbs
of the lovely females above him. 1t
"a no less a parsonage than Mr. L.
I. Johns, the beloved pastor of Asbury
Chapel, six miles back of n ewport, on
the Alexandria pike He is also the
minister of the Me 10 list Church OF
Alexandria. and of Morris Chapel.
two miles south Of that place. The
Sunday fol owing his expulsion from
the lair grounds, Mr.. Johns repaired
to As5ury Chapel for the parpose of
preaching, but lie found the doors
closed against him. The Indignation
of the members of the church was
aroused, and they were not in the hu
to listen, on hat day, to the
oOSpCl Us CAi)OhAluCti ny L4iCiI IllCI
favorite but now disgraced pastor.
Shortly after this, Mr.. Joseph G. Horn
er, enc of the officers of the church, at
present residing in C~ovington, drew.
up in a formal manner Charges and
specifications" against Mr.. Johds, a
of which was furnished the ac-
and he was cited to appear BE-
fore Rev. j. c. Harrison, the presi.
ding elder Of the district, and a board
of seven preachers, for examination.
The board met It the Union Methodist
Episcopal Church, in Covington, last
Wednesday. The presiding officer APP
pointed the Rev. Granville Moody, Of
Grace Methodist Episcopal Church,
to defend Mr.. Johns. The
charges, which we're that he had act
ed in an Indecent and. scandalous
manner" were then read to him
whereupon he pleaded guilty, but
solemnly disclaimed having been in
by any improper motive in Coll
Quoting himself as he did He said
that he knew that it was wrong, and
very unbecoming a minister, but he
Hid not view it in that light at the
time. He expressed great penitence,
and by his remarks enlisted the synpa-
thies of many persons present in his
behalf. Mr.. Johns has been a preach
for, we understand, nineteen years
He was appointed to his present charge
by the last conference, which met at
Harrisburg. The board, after con-
iidering the case, concluded to suspend
Mr.. Johns from the exercise of the
functions of his Office until the con-
erence, which meets at Maysville,
1870, when he will be
ormaliy tried.