New-York tribune., 1873-01-10
A SHIN CLERG YMAN.

1t may be interesting to some of our readers
to know that clerical imp0stor who is some
what known upon this side of the sea has
come to justice on the other This person Is
the Rev. j. o. K. Keatinge, alias Joseph James
Crouch, alias Arthur Henry MoretOn. He was
here, it will be remembered in 1870, pouring
out lectures, essays, pamphlets, in extraordinary
profusion. He preached in several respectable
churches, and, we believe, was licensed as
clergyman by the Bishop P. E.) of New-York.
Ultimately the Doctor was found out, and was
exposed in the religious newspapers, defending
himself, however, with great effrontery. He
seems to have had habit of getting into
trouble with ladies, and did so, in one instance,
in New-Jersey. From here he went to Mon
treal, and tried to get into the order of
Jesuits, but his marriage. or pretended mar
riage, seems to have prevented this. He
raised some money afterwards, as an
"ex Romish priest" and went back
to England. There he resumed his
lecturing against the Church of Rome.
He also obtained temporary clerical duty, and
enchanted everybody by his eloquence On
one of these occasions he absconded with a
fine surplice belonging to the curate. He pre-
tended to be the son of Mr. Justice Keatinge,
and when it was convenient for him to as
sumo the name of Moreton, he declared him
self an illegitimate son of the Ducie family.
Finally, after most successfully bilking great
numbers of bishops, tail0rs, and hotel keepers,
the Doctor fell into the hands of the police.
At the Worcestershire Assizes he was charged
with forging a recommendation from the
Bishop of Bath and Wells, by virtue of which
he received money from the Rev. Thomas l..
Wheeler and one gold watch and chain from
another person. There was very plain case
against him; the Doctor was found guilty,
sentenced to five years. penal seryitude and
to be under police supervision for seven years
after the expiration of his term of service.
The English newspapers print full biograph-
ical accounts of this accomplished swindler,
whose career has been as various and roman
tic as that of any rascal we ever heard or
read of. He was born in 1887; was living in
London in 1S45 was left an orphan unprO-
vided for; brought up in Battle Union Work
house there embraced the Roman Catholic
faith was sent to the Mission College at
Rome In about year, for bad conduct, was
expelled and sent home; got back to Rome,
and became tutor to the son of an Italian
Prince; attempted to pass himself as a Cardi-
nal was detected and ordered to quit Rome
within twenty-fo hours probably went to
Palestine; turned up again in England as a
lecturer; cheated everybody he came in con-
tact with; was imprisoned in Shrewsbury
Jail for swindling, where he. wrote a poem
and some sermons got out, and was soon
indicted again and sent TO another
jail; got out and became Baptist, being con-
vinced of the unscnptural character of sprink-
ling; took the name of Arthur Henry Mon
tague Moreton and married a widow; went to
Australia as chaplain of an emigrant ship, and
behaved badly on the voyage; got into some
scrape in Australia, and was condemned TO
hard labor on the roads; came back 10 En-
gland acting during the voyage as tutor of a
passengers son; entered a Protestant monas-
terry at Norwich; then created disturbance
and left for Roman Catholic monastery at Clap
ham; became again converted Protestant;
obtained curacy at Chelsea, swindled every
body and came to America, after the usual
manner of such adventurers.
His career among us we need not further
detail; what happened to him after he relieved
us OF his presence, we have already stated
Where he Is now is also known to the reader.