The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-04-03
Our BrOadbr,iln Letters,

Our BrOadDr1m Letters.
A Remarkable 1rial-Parsoa Talmagsl
Blunder -Almost Z Miracle Rspalal
If the Salvation Army 4 stolon Hus
banda Nuisance Abolished Tn
Theatres and Churches.
NEW York, March n, 1880.
EDIToR CHIEF:
For two weeks past a trial'h has beer
10 progressin our neighboriDg city q
Brooklyn, which, in many Of its fea'
tures, is certainly as remarkable al
any trial that has taken place in thai
city OF sensations, since Mr.. Beechel
stood in the character Of defendant il
that extraordinary scandal case, which
takes foremost rank among the causu.
celebre of our time. On the one side
are Anthony Comstock, the United
States Agent for the suppression o1
crime, and the United States District
Attorney; and on the other, an old
and highly respected citizen, man
Of wealth, church member and the
president Of a bank, who is accused
of the crime of using the United States
mails for the transmission Of obscene
matter. Able counsel are engaged
on both sides, and there is no doubt
but by the time the trial is ended,
that the innocence or guilt Of the ac-
cused party will be fully established.
Mr.. Williams is a man between fifty
and sixty, and occupies a high social
position. For many months past, a
number of his neighbors have been
receiving letters of the most annoying
and obscene character, and the docu-
ments became SO offensive and fla
grant, that it led the parties offended,
to apply to Anthony Comstock for re-
lief. Owing to certain similarity in
the cl.irograpby to tie writing Of Mr..
Williams, neighbor of his smuggled
package Of envelopes with a private
mark on, into Mr.. Williams desk at
the bank, and in some Of those identi-
cal envelopes, more Of the obscene
letters were received. Mr.. Williams
answered decay letter sent by An
thopy Comstock, and the writing was
compared with that Of the criminal
letters which had been sent, aud then
l,e was arrested. He is now being
tried for the offense, and if he should
be convicted, States prison will un-
Gonbtetlly be lis doom. The parties
ON boil, sides are among the first fami-
lies, and the better portion Of the peo-
pie sincerely hope that the unfor-
tunate gentleman will he able to es-
tublisl, his innocence.
All over the city people are on a
broad grin at mistake committed by
Parson Talmage, in bis Friday night
talk last week. In speaking Of the
English Prince Minister, Benjamin
D'Israeli, lie spoke of him as ga jew
who denied the Messial,," in contra
distinction Of that Christian gentle
man Gladstone" Parson Talmage is
exceedingly dogmatical, and l'e al
ways speaks with the big al" and
little "n." Those present received
his fulminations as Gospel, for hadn't
he been to England; hadn't he seen the
British Premier sDoozing iD the House
of Lords. Now, while there are some
ignorant people in Alaska, Kams-
chatka and the Fe.jee Islands who
really believe that Benjamin D'Israeli
is u dyed-in-tlle- wool lsraelitc, there
is not an intelligent school boy this
side Of Australia, who can do the Is
puzzle, and who reads the newspapers,
who does not knaw that the British
Prime Minister was baptized and
brought up in the Church Of England;
and more than that, that he is an ex-
ceedingly High ChHrchnan, without
the slightest prejudice against pork
chops or ham and eggs in fact, that
lie is said to prefer them to any other
kind of fodder. mention these his
torical facts lest some clerical brother
in the conntry might he led astray by
the Brooklyn pastor, who now asks a
dollar head from all who read his
sermons, to help his congregation out
Of the /" Slough Of Despond."
The &c of miracles is not yet past.
The congregation of DR.. Halls mag
nificeDt temple on the 9Th Avenue,
resolved to raise Ills salary to $15, 900.
DR.. Hall like a true Christian gentle
man that lie is, refused to receive the
raise; the congregation insisted, and
at last the danger became SO immi-
neut that, to save blood. shed, and
being a man Of peace, lie finally ac-
cepted the other five thousand dollars.
OF late / have felt sorry that in my
early days l did not turn my attep-
| tion to the ministry.
A sensible move is now in progress,
. and that ia, the taxation Of all cl,urcl,