Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-05-09
A Brooklyn Church Scandal.
From the New York Herald. April "a.

"A lew evenings since the Rev. L. w.
Ware, pastor of the johnson Street
Methodist Episcopal Church, at the
corner OK Jay and johnson streets, read
the following communication before the
congregation
10 the Members Of johnson Street Metho-
DIST Episcopal Church: deem it nv duty
to make full statement 1t is duty
L owe to you and my own soul. At the
time l mysteriously disappeared from
my home and your midst a few weeks
ago, l had fallen into great sin. 1t is
due you to know that had eloped with
another mans wife. l have Committed
terrible sin and God made me a great
sufferer. For about six or seven wee ks
before | left was walking before God.
but | INDUCED iplthoughts and then fell.
What induced those thoughts | cannot
tell. | put in no plea of insanity. l
fell before the temptations Of Satan,
and sinned against God, and my friends
and the members of this church, and
put stumbling stone before unbeliev-
ers. have no words to express the
agony that | have felt, and | ask you to
forgive me. At the time that | left l
stood member of the johnson Street
Church, and l now say that | am per-
fectly willing that you should pursue
that course with me that wilt be for the
good of the church. | know of nothing
that | can do more. STEPHEN OWEN.
This communication naturally created
some little surprise, not that the facts
contained therein We're wholly new to
the majority of those who listened to
the reading of the letter, but that Mr..
Owen should make such a confession.
Mr.. Owen, the author of this remark
able communication, is an Englishman,
who came to Brooklyn few years since
and attached himself to the johnson
Street Methodist Episcopal Church,
formerly known as the Centenary. He
obtained situation as bookkeeper in a
New York shipping house through his
connection with the church, and he was
subsequently elected Worshipful Master
of Fortitude Lodge, T. and A. NJ, of
Brooklyn. He is forty-five years of age,
but has a very venerable appearance,
from the fact that his hair and whiskers
are quite gray. He was elected as
superintendent of the Johnson Street
Methodist Episcopal Sunday school,
was highly esteemed by all who knew
him, and the thought of his backsliding
was certainly the last thing which en-
tered the heads of those with whom he
was so closely allied by ties of friendship
and religion. AS will be remembered
by paragraphs published at the time, he
disappeared in the most mysterious
manner on Saturday evening, March %,
leaving his wife, with whom he resided
at 100 Hampden street, anxlously await
ing his return. His wife, as well as a
host of friends and the members of his
lodge, were exceedingly anxious con-
corning him. Inquiries led to the dis
covery that, simultaneously with his dis
appearance, the wife of resident of
Newark, with whom he had been init
mate for some time, had also disap-
peared, leaving two children. The
mystery was therefore solved. Mr..
Owen had eloped with another mans
wife. After an absence of two weeks
the woman again returned to her nus
band, telling him that she had been
sick at the house of a friend in New
York. Her husband, believing her,
| took her again to his bosom. They
came to Brooklyn to reside, and are
now living in Atlantic avenue. This,
| however, Is not the first time the lady
has left her home.
ABOUT TWO years since she dlappeared
with a man who was reputed to have
considerable money. He soon became
tired of her, and gave her a $500 bill to
return home with. She probably left
| Mr.. Owen from the fact that he did not
have $500 bill to give her.
The Rev. Mr.. Ware apologized as well
as he could for the erring couple, after
reading the letter. He said that Mr..
Owen, after leaving home, went to
Toronto, Canada There he relented
the step he had taken and sent the lady
home. His intention, he said, was to
90 where he was not known and then
send for his wife, making full con-
fession to her, but he thought of his
church and concluded to return and
endeavor to lift the stain from it. The
reverend gentleman said he was glad
that Mr.. Owen had returned and made
| this frank confession.
The name of the lady with whom Mr..
Owen eloped is suppressed from pru-
dental reasons at the present time.
| The affair has caused quite a little sem
sation in church circles, and has afforded
considerable gossip among the members
of the johnson Street Methodist Epis-
| copal Church.