New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-10
THE CLERICAL VILLAINY,

|
THE CLERICAL VILLAINY.
| Chnrges Against Rev. DR.. HustOn-The
| Heart.Breaking StOry-Interview with
MOther-Statement Of n Victim-The
Terrible Reality-Character ct his Vic.
tim-The Alleged Letter-An Appeal for
Sympathy-The Other Victins-Pasi
l. History OF the Villain-Other Charges,
! etc.
Since the agitation of the case of the Rev.
DR.. Huston has commenced before the
Methodist conference at Warrenton, Vir-
ginia, our readers may desire to learn his
tory Of the matter. We, therefore, copy
the following from the Baltimore american:
| CLERICAL sCOUNDREL
The apparent effort made by certain par
ties to shield the Rev. l.. D. Huston, late
pastor OF Trinity Methodist Episcopal
Church South from the charge of seducing
| several children connected with the Sab
bath school of st. Paul's Church of the same
| denomination, has induced us to Thoroughly
investigate the matter. The result of this
investigation has satisfied us that more
| base and black-hearted villain never dis
| graced any walk of life than the Rev. L..
| d. Huston has shown himself to be, and
| that the poor children who have been the
| victims Of his lust are deserving and should
! receive the sympathy OF the entire COM
munity. Those who would blast the char
| acter of these children to'shield the libidi.
| nous wretch from punishment are assuming
a fearful responsibility before God and
| their fellOw-men, and are crushing the
| hearts of parents and friends who have al
ready sufficient to bear without adding to
their burden of misery.
SUFFICIENTLY PROVEN.
When the good people of Baltimore city,
with singular unanimity, accept as true the
statement which makes the Rev. DR.. Hus-
ton an unmitigated scoundrel. they are only
applying to his case the rules of evidence
which obtain IN q court of law. In crimes
against chastity the proof rests in the bosom
of the injured party, and her sworn testi-
mony is always conclusive provided she be
a person OF good reputationl. and if there
be cOrroborating circumstances. Her own
oath makes out Dl1mG tdcie case. and the
seducer stands convicted, unless he shows,
By competent evidence, that the complain
ant has sworn falsely. There is not peni
Tertiary in the whole country that does not
contain convicts who have been sent there
by the testimony Of the woman against
whose virtue their brutal violence was di
rected and in cases in which the law com
pels an unWedded mother to disclose the
father of her illegitimate offspring, no proof
is required beyond that of her own oath
1t is not. therefore. prejudicing the Rev.
DR.. Huston 5 case to presume his guilt. and
to speak of him as though legal Judgment
had already been passed against him. In
another celebrated case. in which person
of coed social position was charged with
heinous crime the community did not hest
tate to find a verdict of guilty in advance.
and to act as If legal conviction was as GER
tain as the moral proof was conclusive. So
cietv can not afford to wait for that inyesti-
cation which IS to determine whether this
clerical seducer is amenable to the law or not:
the statement OF a poor ruined, heart broken
girl has more weight than any denial which
the vie destroyer Of her peace can make.
1t is true that a man who has for thirty
wears sustained the character of an eX-
empary minister OF the Eospel should not
be iuG set raslly, but there IS much reason
to believe that the reputation which, in this
instance, has been forever blasted. has here
tofore not been entirely spotless. There are
grave suspicious that the pastors sacred Of
flee has been prostituted many times before
to the corruption of tender lambs OF the
flock. He has chosen to run away. and al
though a precipitate flight is not always
conclusive proof of guilt, it raises a violent
presumption that weighs like a milestone
against the accused.
THE HEART-RENDING STORY.
It is not surprising that there were some
inaccuracies in the first published accounts
OF this sorrowtul seduction. The exceed
ing delicacy of the subject as well as the
sympathy that was felt tor the innocent
one on whom these disgracetul revelations
fell with crushing weight, prevented any ex-
tended inquiry into the rlunors which were
atloat. Now that the story has become pub
lie property it is best that the whole truth
should be known.
The girl whose young life has been
blighted by the touch of the seducer. as the
tender rosebud by the early frost, was a
pupil of tina Western Female High School,
the daughter of a lady well known to
many of the people of Baltimore DIS a lady
of culture and refinement. She was a fair
scholar, stood well in her classes, and up
to the day OF melancholy discovery there
never was anything in her conduct that
excited the least suspicion on the part of
her companions or her teachers. A pretty
face and well rounded form are precious
gifts, but sometimes they expose the pos
SCISSOR to perlis from which those less ia
yored are exempt. The ''evil eve" had
gazed on this budding beauty. but the
charm OF nOdesty ana at least the emblem
of innocence still remained
There is 10 truth in the story which has
been published TO the effect that suspicion
was first aroused By the finding OF an inn
proper note in her desk. Two weeks since
one of the assistant teachers at the High
School told the principal that rllmor had
come to her ears seriously aztec ting the
reputation of this unhappy girl. The prin-
cipal was much perplexed as to what course
he should pursue. He was DESTROYS of
avoiding the scandal which any lnvestga-
ton would create. and yet he thought that
the girl ought not to remain in the school ii
the rumor was true. On the following day
a note was placed in the hands OF the prin
cipal by q young man to whom it had been
addressed. There was nothing particularly
improper in the language used in the note,
bat there seemed to be an Undercurrent OF in
nuendo that was suspicious. The name OF the
young man is not known, except to the
party to whom ne delivered the ill-starred
missive. The principal determined to show
the note to the girls mother and to ask
her to Withdraw her daughter from the
school quietly, 50 as to prevent the neces-
sty of any action on his part. When the
daughter was brought before her mother TO
explain the language OF the note she had
written, she made the confession which has
driven the Rev. DR.. Huston in disgrace
from his church and from his adopted city.
Up to this time there had been NO mention
OF his name-the inquiry started at the
High School had no relation to hi,n-and
uiltll the poor gIl lOIu Iltl SGfIONIui story
to he, mother, there had not been sugges-
ton that implicated him in the least.
MYSTERIOUS REQUEST.
The day after the mother had been made
acquainted with the daughters dishonor,
a note tell into her hands which was not
directed to her. 1t contained request for
the daughter to meet the writer on the
corner of Lexington and Carey, streets. at
a certain hour in the evening ltwas dated
at No. German street, and the daughter
denied all knowledge of the party whose