The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-05-12
COCAINE VICTIM
A Chicago Pastor AstOnishes
His Congregation
With Wild and Alarming Re-
marks in His Sermon.
WAS TAKING COCAINE.
Unfortunate Man is Now in a
Retreat at Brooklyn.
Presbytery Asks For and Re
ceiVes His Resignation.

view, Evanston and Addison avenues,
is in a retreat near Brooklyn, N. Y
shattered in mind and broken in
health from the use of cocaine, while
the members of the congregation,
among whom are many of the most
fashionable people of Buena Park are
stirred up greatly over the develop
ments which have recently come to
light regarding the cause of the unfor-
tunate mans condition.
1t was a little over a year ago that
Mr.. Wisner accepted the call extended
him by the Lake View church. It's
unfortunate experience with Rev. Mr..
Fulton caused the presbytery to exer-
c1Se the greatest care in the selection
of his successor and a painstaking
search was begun to find some one to
meet the high requirements of the oc-
casIOn.
Some of the presbytery had heard of
the high attachments of Mr.. Wisner
who at that time occupied the pull
pit of the North Liberty Presbyterian
church, Philadelphia, and at his sug-
gestion committee was sent to hear
him and report as to his eligibility The
committee found him to be all that had
been claimed in his behalf, and a short
time after it's return a call was ex-
tended him. After due consideration
he accepted the call and about a year
ago began his labors in his new field.
He made a most excellent impression
at the beginning of his pastorate, and
steadily grew in the affection and es-
TEEN of his congregation. He was in
the prime of life, being about 35 years
of age, and possessed, in addition to
high scholarly attachments, most en-
gaging social qualities. His wife, too
was a most charming woman, and the
two soon held a firm place in the af-
fections of their parishiOners.
AS time went on the congregation
came to prize more and more the new
pastor. His depth and lucidity of
thought and wide range of information
gave to his sermons a charm that filed
a ~ "a hiatt a
tive hearers. He was indeed admir-
ably equipped for his work. A gradu-
ate of Yale, he had subsequently stud
led abroad and was graduated from the
University of Leipsic with distinguish
ed honors. Few were better versed in
the Semitic languages than he. and
marvellous memory held at his com
mand a fund of information such as
falls to the fortune of few men.
And thus matters ran along, Mr.. Wis
ner steadily growing in the esteem of
his congregation, until early in the
present year there began to be WhiS-
perings among the observing few re-
garding the occasional strange conduct
of the pastor. Periods of unaccount-
able exhilaration crept into his dis
courses at times, but those whose at
tention was called to the matter gen
orally dismissed it with the statement
that it was merely an ebullition of the
deep enthusiasm Which the pastor felt
in his work.
AS time went on. however, these mo-
ments of exhilaration became more and
more noticeable until a fear began to
grow in the minds of those who were
watching his actions with nervous ap-
prehenSiOn that he might be growing
addicted to drink
On one Sabbath especially this was
so marked as to escape the attention of
but few of the congregation. There
was at times in his discourse an abso-
lutte wildness, which seemed to some
of the congregation to border on in
fCfi Cd
of them that he was under the influ-
ence of liquor that they sought for pos
tive confirmation of their suspicious at
the close of church by crowding around
him and endeavorfng to detect the odor
of liquor on his breath.
To their great surprise, however, his
breath was without faint of drink,
and they went away in silence, Won
dering at the strange lapses in the pas
tors conduct.
The pastor soon developed another
popularity, which Occasioned surprised
and sOrrOwful comment among the
CONGREGATION, and that was a tendency
to depart from the truth, one of the re-
suits of the use of morphine or cocaine.
Some of his Offenses in this respect
were so fragrant as to arouse not little
Indignation among the members of the
church, and so frequent did they be-
come that finally he was approached
and asked for an explanation He
tried to pass the matter over, but his
explanations were anything but salts
factory and the members of the church
began to draw sorrowful comparisons
between the pastor as he was then and
the pastor as he first came to them.
About the 1st of March he applied for
and secured months vacation. When
his vacation had expired the officers of
the church received a letter from Mr..
Wisner dated from Brooklyn, saying
that his health was completely broken
and that he could not return here for
two or three months.
1t was subsequently stated by those
in charge of the retreat where Mr.. WIS
ner is that his mind was sadly I'M
paired, but word was received from
there recently saying that his condl-
ton had improved.
The news from the pastor at the ex-
piratiOn of his vacation led to lnVestl-
cation, which forced the pres bytery 70
the conclusion that his usefulness IN
this field was at an end, which Iact was
communicated to him. HIS response
was the immediate forwarding OF MS
RESIGNATION. which was accepted at
once. .-5 -.
inst when Mr.. Wisner acquired the
cocaine habit is not known positively,
bI1t if is thought to date back to a
nainful illness from which he SUFFERED
early last winter
habit of purchasing cigarettes which
he said were for an old colored man,
VINO. he said, worked about his place.
Americans at Queens Drawingroom
London. May 1.-THE queens draw
ing room at Buckingham Palace today
was a most imposing function Half a
dozen duchesses were present in addi-
ton to hosts of other distinguished peo-
4 rlF