The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-09
A C%LERGYMAN'S OPINION.
From the Evening Eackaumber of W. dnesdas
JERSEY CITY, Feb. 6, 1894.

From the Evening Eackaumber of W. dnesday.
JERSEY CITY, Feb. 6, 1894.
Editor Evening Jou
Perhaps you'll permit me space in your
widely circulated paper, to say a few words
to the Jersey City public by way of denial
of the statements and views attributed to me
by a local newspaper regarding the charac-
ter of the boy Jesse Warren. In the first
place, neither to a reporter of that sheet, nor
to any one else, as far as l remember, have l
ever stated my opinion of the youth in ques-
ton, other than to say, Beware of him, tor
while he manifests all the polish of a French
man, he is possessed of all the deceitfulness
of a Judas" The estimation of the boys
character, therefore, for which | was given
credit, is wholly misleading and entirely
g~ratuitous and | cannot in any sense be held
responsible for it. The self-constituted COM
success, in securing an acknowledgment from
Jesse in regard to turning on the water and
flooding the basement of our church than |
was able to achieve ON that occasion. For
although accused by other boys, who had
seen him in the act, he met the charge with
the most positive denial. l am given credit,
also, with having employed the boy to run
errands for me during our late fair, and
that he spend his spare time in helping me
during thai season. Had the self constl-
tuted committee stated that the youth in
question had given me a great deal of anxi-
ETY. of mind and more exercise of body than
was healthful, looking after him every time
he came inside the fair, the truth would
nave been fully told The fact is,
long before our fair was held 1
had several times ordered him out of
our building, then under construction,
and at the same time gave the foreman me
chanic special instructions not to allow him
within the walls. If / am not mistaken as to
time it seems to me this happened previous
boy such notoriety. | did this because |
knew for a fact that Jesse's fingers were
long and light and his tongue limp enough
to lie himself out of any charge brought
against him, provided unimpeachable testi-
mony was wanting.
The self-constituted committee has en-
deavored to make as plausible a story out of
a very bad case as possible, but, unfortun-
ately, the argument" OF the article pub
lished is about as good as was that of the
Irishman who, when he was told by the
Judge that there were two men who were
prepared to swear that they he'd seen him
commit the crime, replied:-"Yer honor, /
kin bring fifty men who will swear that
they did not see me commit the crime" IS.
Such argument, = of course, can have no
weight with persons who are capable of tax
ing an impartial view of the case with all
the facts before them.
But, unfortunately, every one has mo- a
judicial mind, and so there are people who
would be ready to accept the argument" as
valid, particularly in view of the misleading
statement with which I am credited. Iwould
be very glad to entertain a lofty opinion of
the youth, if such were possible, but am COM
PEELED to entertain a very different opinion
from evidence which to my mind is conelu-
sive.
It may be that my estimate of the boys
character has been inferred from the man
ner in which l am in the habit of
greeting him whenever / meet him
In the street, which is always
most kindly, and in the same
way in which | am in the habit of treating
all children who are known to me. The
local sheet referred to has not only misrep-
resented my own estimate of this youth, but
has done the same thing, SO I nm creditably
informed, respecting the estimate in which
he is held by the officers of the West Side d.
E. Sunday school, as well as that of the
teachers of public school No. "a. / wish the
public to understand that / have no end to
serve, in thus addressing it, other than that of
justice, and an unwillingness to have public
sentiment manufactured out of misrepresen-
tation. am, my dear sir, yours for truth
and justice, WIN. D. GRANT.