Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-02-25
A JOKE WITH SAD RESULTS.
How the Telling of n Funny story Ruined
Minister.

There was a popular minister in a
Connecticut town, the husband OF
wife with whom he appeared to live
happily. says the New York Evening
sun. At length stories OF i'll treat
ment were whispered. The scandal
grew until the usefulness OF the min<
lister became so endangered that the
elders OF the church found that they
must take some steps with reference
TO it, Neither the minister nor his
wife seemed TO he conscious Of the
change in public feeling, and tlnallya
committee was appointed TO tell the
minister OF the charge against him.
and the feeling it had created in the
town. He showed not only ind!gna-
tion but surprise, and called his wife
in that she might be questioned by
the committee. She, too, professed
the greatest surprise, and asserted
that her husband was all that was
kind and considerable. The commit
tee went away, and reported their
interview, This, so far from silenc-
ing the rumorS, brought out whis-
pered details of wife. beating Again
notice was brought TO the minister Of
this definite charge, and he demanded
TO be brought before his accusers.
A church meeting was commanded.
The first witness was a woman, who
testified that she was passing the
minister's house one evening. The
shades were down and the lamps
lighted. On the shades she saw
clearly silhoucttcd the form of the
minister, which was Enthusiastically
beating his wife She heard the
blows, and the wife's screams: "You
will kill me! Please stop! You will
kill me!' She had just passed two
members Of the church; she ran after
them; they came back and saw the
last OF the painful scene, and heard
the wifeS s0bs dying away. The two
members were called and testified to
what they had seen.
The minister denied the whole
matter. His wife denied 1t, and as
serted that her husband was all a
wife could desire. The servant girl
was called, who not only denied all
i'll treatment, but sworc that the hus-
band and wife seemed particularly
fond Of one another. The assertions
Of these three interested people could
not outweigh the evident truthful
ness of the three disinterested
witnesses. 1t was manifest that the
minister could not protltahly be re-
tanned by the church, and he was dis
charged. From place TO place the
charge followed him. He became
marked man, and at length he was
glad TO accept new pastorate, at
shabby salary, In another State.
His wife chung TO him, and during
these painful years they endeavored
to recall what could possibly have
given rise to the charge Of ill-treat-
ment, for they believed in the honesty
of their accusers. One night the SER
want girl, who had remained faithful
in all their misfortunes, was sent out
on an errand. The minister and his
wife were in the front room, where
lie was telling his wife some funny
incident Of the day. In the midst OF
the story the girl rushed breathlessly
in. On the window shade repeated,
as she had heard it testified in the
church trial, she saw the minister's
uplifted arm, she heard its fall and
the wfe's shrieks, stop You will
kill me-" This seemed to be the
clew to the mystery. All three be-
gan TO recall some similar scene
which might have happened. 1t was
the servant girl who succeeded. 1t
was some famous joke. She remem-
hered doing some service about the
room The minister stood at the
table, and as he told the story he
brought his fist down. The wife,
hysterical with laughter, begged him
TO stop as she had just been doing
In all these years, a minister col
lege friend, had been faithful. They
sent for this man and told him what
they believed was the origin OF these
charges He bestirred himself He
went back to the old church and sue
ceeded in getting the charges with.
drawn. But the shadow over the
ministers life was never fully re-
moved This is a true story.