A KISSING CLERGYMAN.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 9 June 1880, Page 2

A KISSING CLERGYMAN.

— r» rr The social fabric of the villages of Eensico and Armonok, in the township of North castle, Westchester county, is in tatters, and flaps widely in a gale of scandal and gossip. The Bev. J. D. Lane, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal churches in the two villages— a favourite in society, an eloquent expounder of the gospel in the pulpit, and a fer?id exhorter at the mourner's bench — is accused of taking an unholy interest in the female members of his flock. The technical offence of which Mr Lane is accused is ' unnmisterial conduct and immoral practices.' The specifications present that Mrs Edwin Cox and Mrs B. H, Wickoff, wives of two stewards of the church, and M jm Carrie Wsshburn, aged 16 years, s \ recent convert to the Methodist belief and a member of the K>nsieo flock, have been sinfully besought by their pastor — a proceeding at variance with the laws of God and man. and calculated to bring the church into bad repute. Some 14 years ago Mr Line received his call and his license to preach. Bfi then resided in Peeksldll. The ministers of the Metbo* dist Church are by the laws of its eon* ference made nomadic, and Mr Lane has since then, under the rules, been sent hither and thither through the bailiewicks of several conferences included in the States of New Fork, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. He is the husband of a .preitv, affectionate wife who has borne him four children, two of whom are dead. A little less than two years ago Mr Lane was assigned to the double duty of car* ing for the spiritual welfare of the parishes of Armonck and Kensico. He made his home in the latter place, and i his ministrations there, as shown by the increaped membership oC the church and the growing interest in religious affairs, abounded with proofs of his zeal and success. He was the head and leader in all the social affairs of the church, the controlling spirit in its Sunday school, its plays and its picnics ; and in the win' ter time he directed (he proverbially unavailing chase after the alleged oyster secreted in the delusive stew so popular at church suppers. TOO AFFECTIONATE BY HALF. In t'e charges that are brought against him it is alleged that he disregarded the restrictions of domestic life, and was invariably an advocate of pames at church and social parties in which forfeits were redeemable only in kisses. In the games thus established be is siid to have reaped a rich reward of labial forfeits, and to have kissed at least once every comely woman in his flock ; but it is particularly charged that be devoted his attention to an unreasonable degree towards the ladies whose names are given above. This rbarge Mr Lane does not deny, but his defence is thai there was no impure thought or expression in his tenderness, aud on this issue he makes unqualified denial and defies bis accusers. Public feeling is already divided, with the balance of numbers perhaps a trifle in favour of the parson. The parson's wife, a lady with sparkling black eyes, which flash with indignant fire when the subject of her husband's actions is alluded to— whiJe admitting that her buss band did kis) some of the women, adds, equal y ag an apology for him and a withering bit of invective against them, that the women were solely and exclusively to blame. To a newspaper reporter, who sat in her scrupulously clean little house, she said, attending the while to her household du ies : ' Why, of course he kissed them, and they liked it. 1 saw him kiss Mrs Cox in that very room, and she was mighty glad that he responded to her advances. Mr Lane is a man, I fell you,' and the lady caressingly laid her hand upon the curly bead of a beautiful child ; then burying her face in the tangled curls of the little one for a moment she raised her head, and there wero tears of indignation in her eyes as she went on : 'The trial to-morrow is going to be private, and they think they won't let me in. But I'll be there. Indeed, the Lane family will be there in force. I tell you what it is, Mr Lane is so entirely a Christian that he does not properly resent these scandalous stories. ' Improper conduct,' indeed ! Well, all I'vp got to say is that the women concerned have wishes that are father to their state* ments. I believe.' ' You said you saw Mrs Cox kiss your husband often. Were those kisses Platonic, did you think P' 'Now, I should just like to see them do that. When did you hear that, now ? 'You mishpprehend my question, I mean were the kisse? such pure passages

as might be between brother and sister? 'Well, his were, but hers—well, that's a different matter.' * I judge that you intend to stand by your hu»band in this trial f ' Rather.' JIISS WISHBTTSfr's CHAB£B. The case in which Carrie Washburn is concerned is regarded as quite as seri* ous as any of the others. Miss Carrie is a ruddy*faced young lady, with lustrions bright eyes, brown hair that ripples over her forehead, white teeth and a large well-cut mouth, with red lips, but with all these characteristics necesjsar^ to bea ufy, she is not .quite a beautiful woman. She is rather hoydenish and obtained at the church and social parties a high standing for tie commercial integrity displayed by the payment of her labial debts en .sight. The parson was often her creditor for cor^iderable .quantitiea ' in these games. It is charged that the preacher leaned over-ber while she sat on tbe stairs at a party, and whispered a diss graceful proposal in her ear, to which she exclaimed, • Oh-! Mr Line -I How could you ? I'll tell on you.' She did not d-> so at the time, nor until the story of Mra Wickoffeame out. This narration is in effect that Mr Lane came to Mrs Wickoff's house one day and asked for a kiss. Tbe lady was alone. She declares that she declined, whereupon he struggled wit<h her and kissed her against her will. The nest day he came again and was very contrite, and being forgiven at once proceeded to seal the compact with more kisse«. Once more the lady re* fused, and once more she vainly strove to resist his importunities. On this ocea--Biqn it is said that he kissed her with burning fervour. When this story was told, forward came Mrs Edwin Cos. She related thai; in the fall the men folks in her house, which is only a biscuit toss from the church, wbre called there to belp to put up the stoves. Then came Mr Lane into the house and said ;— ' I have got all the people putting up she sto7es, and Tv'e come for a kiss.' 1 ' Not much,' Mrs Cox says she replied and threatened him with a broom, where" upon he fled precipitately. On these statements are based tbe charges against the parson. Mrs Cox is not a pretty woman and her husband, who joins with Mr Wiskoff in making the charges. is a shoemaker by trade. First he said he was hermetically sealed, but would uncork to-day. Then he added it wasn't right for parsons to kiss women, and that he would do his best to make it hot for the offending preacher when the trial came up. Mr Wickcff, a sharp featured and shrewd little man of youths ful appearance, said be did not want to seem vindictive or unchristian. He would press the charges in a (Christian spirit. • Don't yon consider that a little vin? dictiveness is quite in place if the parson has treated your wife as it is charged he has?' '"Well, the church will discipline bi«n if we sustain our case,' said the little man mildly. THB PAESO^ NOT SO MILD. 'I'll tell you what it is,' said Mr Lane, who was fonnd in consultation with his ehnrcb counsel, the Eey. Mr Ba'es, of White Plains. 'There is pcareely a fami'y in the community that has not been blighted by scan 'al. I know lots of them. I know a woman who is regarded with favour here who openly lives with two husbands, and they are res* pected men. I know of 16 married couples about here who have separated, and are living aduUeronsly with other men and women. I know a roan who stands well here who lives with one woman and has a wife in White Plains. But lam the vietim of scandal. I admit kissing these women but I deny that I did it improperly, The com* munity is suffering here from the rankest socialism/ IDo yon present this sad state of things in extenuation tor yourself?' 'Not at all, The men who are forcing this prosecution on me ba?e done everything against me they could. I have | doubled the church membership. When I have announced a collection for the conference fund they have stood up in the church, and said they would not contribute. This from officers of the church was very bad. But I defy them.' Mr Lane is about 42 years of age, small in stature, but with a resolute way of speaking and moving about. The court which will try him is composed of tbe Ttev. Dr. Terry, presiding elder of the New York conference, and the "Rev. Messrs Kelly, of Pleasantvillo ; Ferguson, of Mount Eisco , Clark, of Tarrytown ; Hoxhurst, of Dobbs' Ferry ; Havelin' of White Plans ; Bergur, of Bedford ; aad Van Gasbeck, of Morrisania. Common s'atemen* endorses the' pastor's estimate of the locality, and al« thongh the Local Option law obtains and prevents drunkenness, the region about is not exactly an Arcadia. At the trial before tbe church officers, it was decided that Lane was indiscreet, but not immoral. Commenting on tbe above ease, tbe New York Herald says :— HOLT KISSES. The preacher who has Isrtely been tried fordoing more kissing than the spiritual condition of his flock required, got off with a verdict of ' exceedingly impradent,' which, after all, is nearly as had a thing as can be said about a clergyman in

bis relations with his fepigiae parish* iooers. Naturally there is another ver,« diet, the self-appointed ja Jges beiasr the husbands and brothers of the ladies who were kissed, and we bpve no hesitation in saying that these gentlemen are far more competent, as jarors in saoh a ease, than the seven good pastors who talked and prayed over the affair 18 hoars. There is an ineradicable impression in the minds of all men that preachers, outside of what special endowments they may enjoy while .engaged in their professional duties, are of pat ores and passions like unto other men, and that their kisses, which are generally bestowed according to the dictates of .personal taste, are no holier than those of other men. It if useless for pastors to quote the apostolic injunction to greet each other with abo'y kiss, fqr this suggestion was offered for men and alike, wheieas the modern preacher who -kisses the male members of his congregation, or even the homely women, is yet to be found. Be* sides, kissing is a common Oriental method .of salutation for al! sexes and ages, and the early .Christians, who were in hourly anticipation of being fogged at the public whipping post, fed to lions qr sawn asunder, had little time or inclination to regard's kiss according to its signification among people who consider that the world owes them a good time, «nd they are going to have it. Had Peter, Paul, or any of the iGhwcli fathers dropped $a at a church sociable in the course of their j>urneyings and organised games in which there were forfeits to be paid in kisses their epistles would neyer have come down to us. Indeed, were any of the prominent clergymen of New York, in the coarse of their pastoral visits, to kiss all their lady parishioners, scores of letters on the subject would crowd the New York Herald's ' Complaint Book,' and the churches would speedily go into the market for new pastors. Preachers will have i$ keep pace with the moral sentiments of tbe age if they want to be respected, and these sentiments declare that kissing between men and women cot closely united by bonds of affection is always grossly indelicate, and generally a great deal worse. No professional or clerical stamp can improve its appearance or save the reputation of those who indulge.