The Irish standard., 1895-04-27

fronted. by the man for whom he claimed
to be raising funds, proved to be a fraud
Of the first water and was lodged in the
penitentiary for term Of years. There
is need of great caution in admitting to
our. pulpits unaccredited, irresponsible
travelling agents.
When ''ex-Priest'' Ruthven was lee
turing in Pittsburg short time ago the
Pittsburg Times reprinted the above ar
ticle and added the following:
"The above item referred to 8. man
calling himself Rev. Victor M. Ruthven
who has been lecturing in Pittsburg and
Allegheny churches for about three
months. Ruthven was to have spoken
on Rome and the Bible in the Seventh
United Presbyterian Church, Allegheny
on the following Mondey evening, Rev.
G. w. Mcdonald, pastor Of the church,
saw the item and, after a conference
with the session Of the church, declined
to allow Ruthven to- appear. Since that
time Rev. DR.. Miller has learned through
letters from ministers and lawyers in
different parts of the country, consider
ably more of the history Of Ruthven.
The letters show that Ruthven's real
name is Victor N. Riordan, which he has
sometimes used. Other aliases are Rev.
M. ". O'Riorder and Keith Ruthven.
|sRuthyen, unconcerted by the state
ments concerning him and the refusal to
be allowed in the Seventh Allegheny
Church, is still in Pittsburg, and last
Sunday evening lectured in a West End
church. He has changed his plans only
to say his lecturers are in the interest of
patriotic societies as against the Catho-
lie church, whose religion he disgraced,
and not in aid Of missions of Protestant
churches. H
"Ruthyen, or Riordan, was born in Ire
land When q young man he entered a
Jesuite school at Dublin as a theological
student. He was partially educated for
the priesthood and had gotten far enough
to be tonsured when he WIS expelled
from the school for drunkenness and
1isreputab1e practices. He then left Ire
land and went to Australia, where he re-
nounced the Roman Catholic Church and
ioined the Presbyterian church, being
subsequently ordained a minister and in
stalled as pastor of a congregation. He
married a. young woman of one Of the
best families in one. Of the Australian
cities. His wife was soon Obliged to
separate from him on account Of his
drunkenness and extreme cruelty He
afterwards professed to have reformed,
and she returned to him, but was COM
PEELED second time to leave him.
Charges of cruelty and drunkenness
were preferred against him before the
Preshytery, but he agreed to surrender
his ministerial credentials and leave the
country The charges were not prose-
3cuted, but he was deposed as a minister.
DR.. John G. Patton, an aged and famous
missionary of the Presbyterian church,
who has spent nearly a lifetime in the
New Hebrides Islands, in the Pacific
ocean, was present in the church court
when R,ithven's deposition was pro-
nounced. VI.
IS s. aRuthYan came to: America and began
to lecture against the Roman Catholic
Church. AT Lincoln Ill, as recorded in
letters IN the possession OF DR. Miller, he
80 pleased the peoplesof the First sPresaby
terianS congregation.$ that theys Invited
him 9tp NIL their pnl for q iyeaf. while
their fspastor Was absent on al sick leave
mi es3prfngdeId preaby ase
so
Mn
S 4 4 81 lslss 8
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