The evening times., 1898-11-14
OPPOSED TO THE
PASTORS CHOICE
CHURCH ELDERS CHOOSE BRIDE
Romance of the Rev. George Allen.
Who Fell in Love With n
Training Nurse.

Newburg, N Y. Nov 1.-Although per-
sistent effort has been made to create the
belief that ill-health drove the Rev.
George Allen, the brilliant Presbyterian
minister of Milton, Ulster County, to send
six bullets into his head at the home of
his cousin Mrs. Henry Hustis, in Cold
Spring, last Thursday. there are many
who hold that his love affair had more to
90 with it. The opinion of these skeptics
is formed by the stories concerning the
minister which have been called up by his
attempt on his life.
1t is now told that when at church
sociable in Milton ten days ago the Rev.
Mr.. Allen announced his engagement to
Miss Mary Noakes. young trained nurse,
who lives in New York, whom he had
met on steamship coming from Scot
land. Decided opposition instantly de-
veloped. Chief among those who showed
hostility to the minister's choice of Il
bride, il is said. were the elders of the
church of which he is pastor.
Miss Noakes. who obtained her profess
sional training in st. Lukes Hospital, in
New York, is an Episcopalian. The elders
of the Milton Church, which IS strict in
orthodoxy, frowned upon their minister 5
marriage with one of a different denomi-
nation. They held that it would be un-
seemly for minister to go outside the
faith for a bride.
1t is asserted, too, that the elders and
others interested in the talented preach
er's welfare had already made what they
considered a desirable selection of wife
IOr him. To their satisfaction they had
agreed that the pretty young daughter
of a local physician would be pust the
woman to grace the parsonage and aid
the minister in his parochial work.
That the Rev. Mr.. Allen had views of
his own on the subject which were op-
posed to those who had schemed for him
may have caused some pique. AT all
events ii is asserted that much OF the
opposition TO his engagement TO Miss
NOakes is because the members of his
church preferred the Doctors daughter
IL is conceded that the minister was
suffering from nervous prostration, but
in view of the circumstances which have
come to light in the twenty-four hours
since his attempt at suicide was made
public there are those who contend that
the opposition To his marriage had far
greater effect on his mental condition
than did oveTstudy. as his relatives would
have the community believe.
Another story. one of those which
spring fresh every hour in Milton as TO
the cause of the minister's collapse. is
that he lost large sum of money on the
recent election. Somebody has said thai
he was a heavy hacker of Van Wyck,
and that i'll luck made him respondent
Miss Noakes has not yet gone to the
J Rev. Mr.. Alien. although she knows of
! his condition. Mrs Hustis sent her long
! telegram today telling how the minister
/ was faring, and it is expected that she
! will arrive in Cold Spring tomorrow.
! Four of the bullets have been removed
! from the victims head, but two still re-
main there. 1t is said tonight that he is
/ improving. None of his Milton parish
/ toner's have been TO see him.
! 1t is now told that the Rev. Mr. Allen
shot himself within an hour after arriv-
/ ing in Cold Spring. but at the Hustis
/ home few particulars of the occurrence
! can be obtained.
The Rev. Mr.. Allen is wealthy and of
| rare mental attainments. He Is master
of several modern languages. He is al
so a skillful and talented musician and
vocalist