The Helena independent., 1889-12-09
WHY A MINISTER LIED.
The Strange Story Told a Reporter
by a Prominent Chicago
Clergyman
Hiding the Secret of a Wealthy
Man Who Committed
Bigamy,
A Kansa. CoartshiP which Is Believed Il"
IA, the Mo.i ENniiing ON
Record.

,,,r,, ,be ministers Of that city on the
- a,,,ia, s,nsrieuces in the ministry, with
he result ofbrineng TO light some strange
3 tories Among those interviewed was
Intherau minister The question is a lie
aver Admissible Said he, ques-
tior which recently saw dis
cpsseA in yoar daily and religious
Daners will form sort of interrogatory
moral TO my narrative. jus, twenty years
AGO this coming Thanksgiving day man
abou, 30 years Of age eame 70 the city where
T reside and soon became regular attend
ant Al nv church He became attentive To
an excellent Young woman, an heiress IN
her own rigut. and seemed 10 be more con-
xenial 10 her than many whom she hnd
known longer. ht WAS printer by trade
and fine workman getting good salary
and ALWAYS dressing we'll. After he had
beep IN the church year he and the girl
were.npupcd to be married, and her friends
sav ma reason 20 advise her against the
s,a,, Firhieen wears ago this Ihanksgly-
;o,' A., tbsy were married. and AT once be
,,a,, H., ,ft,i, house IN an elegant home pro.
go ly tho bride In 1872 | received
a letter from woman IN Trenton, n -
savino sin vas the wife of the man. Whuin
will ral M Burns, and wanted 10 see me-
The matter sDrned so important, Went .o
her and foanl % woman III the last stages
80 c1nson,utioa. Her name was Eldred.
Sh. mad ntrripd my parishioner Ia 1850. ana
Iivej with him fwo years, having one cnllu,
a fine boy. WHO Is still living. IN iooi the
nan S,'I Isft bcr w.ihou, a word Of explanation
aTcent Ina, he wa, dissatisfied at has pros
meet In life. Since then she has never seen
him. He had regularly sent her hiilah
snm of money monthly ana ,ulH
with her own earnings, kepi heI i,s.,,' ahu Wv
hoy She showed me his lust rehlithhce'
aud IL WIS undoubtedly from my man
Rnrns m. woman died before left lren-
tnu and / remained and witnessed her
hnriaI Sh. had never told the boy nor ber
friends that her husband was the husDailu
~ n later Wife. and alone WIS told OF the
matter. which had been reported 70 ilv
almost as soon ms she found u out "eh1
back To my city. cllcd Mr.. burns III hiiu
laid the whole affair before hli,, ne i"se ~
NO effort 10 deny anything, hut pul tne
question fairly,
lint have always sent her money. am
mnrried 20 woman whom love anu Mno
loves me. have an assured position IN the
community. Shall We destroy all TINS, or
shall we expose II all, 10 the lasting scanuAi
Of an innocent wOmanF ! knew MS hrgu-
ment was specious and SELFISH hut AT last
decided 90 tell the wlte All anu ls' nsi
eide | did 50 in the presence oil her nus,
hand. She was overcome with grlel ahu
shame. but thought the matter over LOT q
week. during winch time two househoiu'
we're maintained M her home, ana uurlhl
which time not hint OF the yer
rible secret WIS dropped 10y
any Of us. At the end OF tn'
week the wife decided To drop the nhitter
The other woman was dead; the husban.
seemed honest and devoted; he had proved
himself fair and kind IN the hve years ol
their married life. and they had one chile
whose future must be considered. 80 the
matter ended right there. Burns has nevel
made a misstep since | have known him
He has used his wife's wealth 50 well that
il more than doubled. He has for twenty
wears been steady honorable man, ana
constant member of that moral ehurcl
which subscribes TO the faith while neglect
ing the sAcraments of the saints, ana ha
about him family of four children whoar
iusily proud of their father. His business as
aociaies. his WIFE myself. can lind no wea
spots in his harness. 1 know We have al
been living lie for for eighteen years, pu
leave the hereafter tu say whether II WI
iustihable. We could have snntten MI
with the truth any of these years, and PEI
hans would, had he not lived so squarelS ,
he has. As II is, the secret which involve
30 many destinits is likely to die with u
three who knew it,
Speaking of marriages said the eongr
gati0nalist. "uur ut the brictcSt and mo
exciting court ships on record was that oi 4
acquaintnnco of nue who found his VIE
Kinsns IL wis IN the winter of lsis-9, al
H.NN q al
section. Beginning with Christmas the
was good slvlshmg for i've weeks ana hu
drifts cpyord the pwlrios for much lohg'
The SNOW had entirely stopped All tralhS
thr Kansas City Burlington n SANTA
road and lcru.- - section OF conh'
known as 'he French Ridge the iafih'
had been u-lng the cut mhde thfvu
the hills by thc rlilrOad company hs sh'
and extremely good roadway to town, La
after tie snow had melted from the d
highways teams wrrc driven down this v
ley, ana one night this young man ot Wh'
speak took d uuighbOr glrl out Tor vi
threatened tl be the last sleighride ot I
season. They hnd mover met hhlt uos
times IN their lives but TINT dld NOT :
iously cmbhrfass them, and they dr'
down the railway track ON the well-hvA
snow. Ii happened the railroad cumpl
had secured Nu immense snow pl0N
which they meant that nlghl 10 81
che road from Ottawa 10 Burlngt
They had TWO engines ben
IL, and camo laundering ut
90 French lHd2e "a, a great rate, and
couple IN the sleigh heard with disInay
roar and cl0ng OF the hugh machine beh
them. The little myine cut through
hills was 10 narrow 90 allow them 10 !
ont, And there was nothing for II b9i
run. So tho horses were urged 10 the IA
est speed hul thr sleigh went lehiihg
the snow with the monster behind ana x
ing every instant, Ot course the ohgih
could see uutntn4 ahead through ihat |
ing mass ui .D0w, aud certainly did not
pect nuythu- Il4,c on that dc-plHte pl
especially after uightfai. All that ht
hesh could do wis invoked. but II was
enough, for right AZ the deepest place II
cut the great pDw struck them' ios
team, sled aud shtieking riders INTO ili'
They landed IN mass more or less
fused high up the bank, with snow u
them 80 thick they could not thll bacl
the track. a, th. tram rushed past
horses houndcred 0ut and pulled away
fragments Uf the slugn. The youngW'
g TODD up. shook tn snow from her
which she had uuconseiOuly kept III
hand, pushed her way 10 the now bare
road. and said calmly:
"Mell, We can walk home"
"A view ~ plil0sophic IN view Ut N
Innrkable toss they had suffered quite
the Young mans heart. lie also
out Of the snoW-drilt, walked down to
she stood, and put the question direct
"Will you marry mef
''rll think about it," responded the
me and she did. with the result Of
accepting the young man, collapsed
and all. They live IN Kansas CITY no'
fold me last winter when ] visited the