Year: 1870

The Voorhees, Tragedy and Its Lessons-"Thou


shalt Not Kilp'-Discourse by Rev. DR..


Cuyler.


Rev. DR.. Cuyler, pastor or the Lafayette avenue
Presbyterian church, Brooklyn. preached q sermon
the yo0rhees tragedy and Its lessons before quite
y large congregation last evening. The subject Of
the discourse was death in Dramshop,n and DR..
Cuyler selected his text the sixth commandment,
"Thou snalt not KILL


In opening the reverend gentleman made the
assertion that there was one murder on an average
every day In the twin cities OF New York and
Brooklyn. We have been having carnival Of crime,
and the majority OF the murders committed can be
traced right back TO one source--the dramsnOp. IL
was quite fitting therefore, that the tragedy OF the
last Sabbath lthe murder OF Mr. Voorhees, by VIII
liam Chamhers should have been enacted In the
headquarters OF drunkenness ana death. The assas-
anation OF popular generous, public spirited citi
zen on the Sabbath sens q thrill OF hor.
ror into every heart and homo. To assasslnate
is TO kill BY surprise, and the unhappy who fell
prise. DR.. Cuyer would not utter an unKlnd WORD
against the man; but truth and justice compelled
hum 70 say that ne mourned that the murdered man
it was contrary to the spirit Of the law OF God and
contrary TO the law Of the State OF New YORK to by
dealing In strong drink In drinking house on the
sabbath. While they sympathized with the oereaved
In this case they hoped that this tragedy would
write lCSeli as an lOScrlptlOn over every haunt OF
destruction and serve to deter oil from entering.
or the chief actor In this tragedy Or. Cuyler would
say one thing He was by common consent an as
in the hands Of the law. Let the law take It's
course; let justice be simply done, and when he
said this ne said 1t full of the fact that for
many months past there had been sad mockery OF
justice In too many of our courts. We had come to
feel the fearful peril Of the uncertainty that attended
personal safety and human liie Disagreements
ei uries mad come to add suspicious and for the
stereoyped plea OF insanity, ne would say that Of
the men who committed such crimes ana were ac
quilted on the ground OF insanity none were found
insane until they committed the fearful crime. No
human life was safe q moment II assassins drunk
or sober, be permitted to draw deadly weapons.
This carnival OF murder must be stopped. DIR.
Cuyer then referred to the rumseller as q
participant In the crime committed by q
man to whom he had sold strong drink, and who
had committed crime while under Its influence. He
held that rumseller was the accompce OF the
murderer who had committed tne deed while under
the influence OF the liquor obtained from MIN. and
he tmpeacned nun as such. Drunkenness was
suicide and rumseiling murder. In connec-
ton with the SUBJECT OF intemperance and
Byron business ana inquired what inspired
story Byron's life he said, was one syllable
gin IL was NOS necessarydo publish those shock
ing volumes. IL was all In one word-gin Dr.
Cuyler concluded his sermon by q strong argument
IN behalf OF the cause OF temperance ana In favor Of
a pr0hibitOry liquor law, audtng in that connec-
tion to the perniclous influence exercised by dram
shops, which, ne asserted. had greater control
over the pubic authorities than the public autbori-
ties mac over them.