The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1884-10-03
A TERRIBLE TALE.
The Clevcland-HaIp!n Scandal Re
vivcd by the Rev. Mr.. Ball's
--latest Disclosures.

The first publication Of The ugly
scandal involving Grover Cleveland
was made in the Buffalo Telegraph of
July q. The latest chapter IN this ter.
rible indictment is contained in let
ter from the Rev. George II. Ball, pas
tor of the Hudson street Baptist
Church of Buffalo, TO the Rev. ID. IL.
Muller, ID. d., pastor of the Scoville
avenue Methodist Episcopal Church of
Cleveland, adding several more counts
to the terrible indictment charging
Grover Cleveland with the grossest Ii
centiOusness and immortality.
The letter from Buffalo to the Clcve-
land clergyman is as follows:
BUFFALO, N. Y, Sept. 16., fSSi.-1he
Rec. ID. II. Muller, ID. ID. My DEAR
BROTHER: You request information
for yourself and others respecting Mr..
Cleveland. This you ask, not. asa po-
litical partisan, but as a, .;,.r-
teacher, and as such reply. he lar-
amount issue of the Presidential cleo
ton this year is moral rather than pO-
litical.' Grover Cleveland was little
known in Buffalo till nominated for
Mayor. He averaged fairly as q law
yer. many years ago served as Sheriff,
and lived secluded from general society.
He was brought before the public by
accident. Politics i'm the city and State
was in confusion. The people were in
censed against rings" "packed caucus
es," and manipulated conventions"
and eager to vent their displeaSure.
Mr.. Cleveland became the cscape-valve
for the pent-up indignation. Any other
man would have done as well. His
private morals were presumed to be
correct. Before the nomination for the
Presidency his deeds Of darkness" be-
gan to come to light. Democratic pa
Globe. and Others-advertised his un-
chastity, and prominent Democrats in
Buffalo confirmed the bad reports.
Physicians, police officers, detectives.
and other citizens whose professional
duties of business relations made them
cOgniZant of the facts related them
privately to some of our pastors. The
shocking disclosures We're discussed
and mentioned at the minister's meet
ings, and letters were written by sever
al of the pastors to editors of Christian
journals to put them on their guard.
investigations disclosed still more
proof of debaucheries too horrible too
relate and too vile to be readily believ-
ed. For mHny gears days decoted to buSi-
ness hare been followed by nights of sin.
He has lired q bachelor; had no home;
dCOided The restraints eCea of hotel or
bOdrding-h0use life; lodged IN rooms on the
third floor an q business block, and made
those rooms q harem; foruged or the out
side. also in The city and surrounding vil-
hgeS, q champion libeltine, an artfH Sc
d,tcer, a foe to uirt,le. an enemy of the FAM
liz, q snare to yOhh, and hostile to true
,cOn,arlhood. The Halpin case was not
solitary. Women now married and
anxious to cover the sins of theiryouth
haze been has UictinaS, and are now alarm
ed lest their relations with him shall be
exposed. Some disgraced and broken
hearted victims of his lust now slumber
in the grave. Since he has become
Governor of this great State he has not
abated his lecheries. Abundant rumors
implicate him at Albany and well-au-
thenticated facts convict him in Buff
falO.
Ellis repeated visits to this city have
been preceded, with one or twp excep-
lions, by the appearance OF {. yelled fe-
male at the foot of the stairs leading to
his room. She entered the rooms, set
things in order, remaining with him
while he remained, and departed when
he returned to the Capital. Both of
them have been freely exposed i'm their
night-clOthes, and seen by several rep
utable witnesses who are ready to APP
pear and testify in court when properly
called. The last amour of this nature,
clearly verified, occurred SO late as
April, 1854. He was here the 4th and
9Th of July, but the yelled woman for
some reason did not appear at his
rooms. These allegations do not rest
on rumOrS, hearSay, or secondhand
statement bat upon the testimony of
men and women who are personally
cOgniZant Of the facts related. Some
of our pastors have acted as u provis-
iOnal committee to listen to the teSti-
moDy given. A written summary Of
tha evidence has been reviewed by able
counsel and pronounced surprisingly
full and conclusive. Fully thirty Of the
ministers Of Buffalo, after hearing the
summary read, do not hesitate to pro
no,tace him guilty of habitual unchastity
and intemperance. The feeling has
become deep and widespread that he is
indeed a moral leper,' as the leading
Democrat, Purcell, months since de-
Cldltu. Ht pOSSIDlllty vi Ills ISllletill-
ing in the field after his true character
has been exposed alarms us.
THE plea that personal character is
of small account in high officials is
shocking. The claim widely made
that the disclosures will help more
than harm his prospects and the ire
mendOus efforts the baser elements of
society are making to elect him warn
us of impending danger. All the fore
es OF evil are moving to this end with
tremendous energy. The issue is evil
IDENTIFY not between the two great par
ties, but between the brothel and the
family, between indecency and decen-
cy, between lust and law, between the
essence of barbarism and the first
principles of civilization, between the
degradation of woman and due honor,
protection, and love to our mothers,
sisters, and daughters. This is the
feeling that deeply moves us in Buffa-
10. For publishing the truth and warm
ing the people l have been cruelty ma
ligned. The spirit of persecution evil
'lently fingers on earth. The view our
ministers meetings-cOmpose OF
Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists,
EpiscOpalians, and COngregatiOnalists
take of this persecution is expressed
in the accompanying paper, l am pro-
foundry grateful for this spontaneous
and very earnest Endorsement at this
trying moment. Very truly yours,
GEORGE III. BALL"