Morning journal and courier., 1883-09-24
ReY. Mr. Houghton,a Olue.

Discourse on the Murder of Rose AmbAer' |
 At the Church of the Messiah, which con tained 6 large audience, last night, the pastor,
 Rev. M. n. Houghton, preachedla sermon on the murder of Rose Ambler. The text was taken from the 18th verse of the goth chapter of Exodus, saThou shalt not kill" In his preliminary remarks the speaker referred to
 the shock produced upon the community
 when the sad news was conveyed that anoth-
 er atrocious murder had been. committed in Connecticut and then went on to say: ''Thes question went from lip to lip. Who did itS' There was no answers All was in doubt. Some were in expectation. Everybody was excited and expressions of pity for the poor ! girl and execration for the wretch who had de-
 stroyed her were indulged in. All felt that an
 otheR undiscovered blot rested on the escut-
 cheon of our State. Many guesses have been made as to the murderer. In the absence
 of knowledge am here to give my guess and then to draw some lessons from the tragedy. Detectives, reporters and others have given their views of the case and I,haye as good right to give mine believe this girl was murdered by her pretended lover. Here was a man engaged to marry thls lady.
 He was having built house where she ex- pect,sd to live with him. He starts out of
 his stable with his horse and wagon, after knowing of the murder, on the day when the \ terrible news was being discussed by every one, and coolly and deliberately peddles cab bageS as of yore. No great sorrow seemed to rest upon him. No expressions of regret were heard. Does it seem reasonable that \ a man could treat so terrible a thing as that which happened in so cool way and really love the woman to whom he was betrothed9 For two or three days previous to the murder he was seen in drinking sa- loonE, and was boosting of his infi- macy with this woman. A man that would \ do this is brute. A little while after the \ event he is heard making light of it. Any
 being as low as that would be capable of
 committing murder. Again we see that lust | was not the motive of her death We un- derstsnd she had no enemies Why was she permitted to wander mile or more at so
 late an hour at night unprotected2 There is
 nothing that shows an absence of love like | neglect. A man possessed of the qualities l that this man seems to have is a dangerous man., one in whom
 the lower and brutal nature predom-
 mates. His actions shocked the moral
 sense and decency of the community. The
 theory is that Lewis killed the poor girl in | HIS OdEA anu tu0u CdfElou a0E CO Gu6 plSEo | where she was discovered, intending to palm ' of on society that her person was violated 1 and that she was then murdered. MT. Tough ton next spoke of the danger encountered by l young and middle aged women who make 8 l practice of thronging the principal streets on
 Saturday and other evenings, and permit
 themselves to be spoken to by men l who are utter strangers to them. l In this way, the speaker contended, l many persons were led from g l virtuous life, down to infamy and ruin. He | exhorted his hearers to be alive to these con-
 ditions which are fruitful of evil consequences
 and urged them to do all in their power to
 bring about 8 better state of things. In con
 clusion Mr. Houghton spoke of the necessity
 of the most earnest work in the churches to stay the tide of crime and sin and usher in
 an era when virtue and true manliness and
 peace shall dwell with us and transform so-
 ciety into that condition which will rebound
 to the glory of God and the benefit of hu. | manitv