Part 3

"The fact that two of the ministers who attended the late Methodist conference in Indianapolis committed the statutory offense before they went home led Pastor Dinsmore of the Baptist church of Anderson, Ind., to which state one of the delinquents belonged, to deliver a discourse on the theme, 'How Preachers Go Wrong.' Viewing the matter historically, as was his duty, the Rev. Mr. Dinsmore found that the going wrong of a preacher is by no means a modern innovation; for did not Micah, David, Eli, and Abiathar prove false to the trust imposed in them? The preacher blamed society for protecting the preacher in his sin, and for not giving him away. But the first cause, he says, why a preacher falls is that he is 'human,' and the devil works for mastery over him as over other souls. And the second cause of the preacher's fall, we are told, is the woman (nothing said about her being also 'human'). The religious woman who has missed her man finds him in Jesus and takes the parson as his deputy. The women tempt the preacher also by the cut of their clothes, says the Rev. Mr. Dinsmore. They wear and let their daughters wear gowns so low in the neck and so short in the skirt that when a man looks at them 'hell is stirred up' in his breast. And so on. Of course some of it is true; the minister is exposed to temptation, but if he cannot resist what the Infidel has to, what is his religion for?"

The light sentences, if any, imposed upon clergymen in many instances having been alluded to, we may allege a concrete case. It occurred at the time when a nation-wide attempt was being made to fasten the crime of white slavery, with its penalties, on two laymen who had taken two women with their consent into an adjoining state and there cohabited with them. The clerical case was as follows (we quote an editorial paragraph in "The Truth Seeker" for July 19, 1913):

"In the state of Michigan, town of St. Johns, in the middle of last month, a Baptist clergyman, the Rev. J. T. Gregory, being arraigned for the crime of rape committed upon a girl 11 years old, pleaded guilty and was 'sentenced to serve from one to ten years at the Ionia reformatory with a recommendation of two years by Judge Searl.' What extreme penalty the law of Michigan imposes for outraging an infant we do not know; the terms of the sentence named in this case show it is at least ten years, and here is a man of God getting off with a sentence of from one up, and recommended by the court to be let loose again upon the community in two years! The report of the case, printed in the Grand Rapids 'Press,' is exasperating to any one who believes that the law should be administered without favor. Every courtesy was shown the clerical violator of childhood. 'The sentence,' we read, 'was dealt out by a special arrangement with the judge,' as court would not convene for a week, and the minister 'was desirous of pleading guilty and beginning his term in prison as soon as possible.' The judge carried his consideration for the clerical rapist so far as to grant the latter's request 'for a day to clear up his personal affairs.' All this favoritism, as the reporter innocently puts it, because the Rev. Mr. Gregory is 'highly respected as the pastor of the Baptist church.' That is benefit of the clergy with the lid off! Now we would like to inquire why there is no public excitement about this miscarriage of justice. The man is married and has three daughters, two of them school teachers, and one a high school graduate, and is hence a middle-aged man who has not the excuse of youthful ardor for his crime. The girls in the California case were old enough to marry or to consent without marriage. The minister's victim is eleven years old. If the laymen had money and political influence, which they haven't, to protect them from prosecution on a charge of which on the face of it they are not guilty, it still would not be as base for them to avail themselves of that advantage as it is for a court to consider the alleged 'holy calling' of a minister and withhold adequate punishment for an atrocious crime he confesses that he committed. Men possessed of a nature that permits them to attack female children are among the most dangerous persons in any community, because they only want the opportunity to repeat the offense. The motive is always with them. The are like the Chicago priest who saw a 'stimulation to lust' in Chabas' picture, 'September Morn.' No young girl is safe in the power or presence of that kind of degenerates; and hence when one of them gets into the clutches of the law he should be kept there as long as the statute will permit. Had the Rev. Gregory been anything but a priest and the court anything but a boneheaded truckler to hypocritical piety, he would have got a determinate sentence of at least ten years."

In one year, recently, seventeen Chicago ministers were criminally or civilly prosecuted. It is difficult to believe that this number of offenses does not raise the percentage of criminal preachers above the average of all Chicago citizens. In six months of the same year (1912) Kokomo, Indiana, had four clerical scandals. We again quote:

"Is there some sinister element in the atmosphere of Kokomo, Indiana, inimical to clerical morals? After relating under the heading 'Parson and Widow Out on a Little Lark,' how 'the Rev. G. W. Alley, pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal church at Royal Center and an active member in the North Indiana conference, was arrested at a boarding house at Kokomo shortly before midnight Tuesday night in company with Mrs. Wendling, a widow of Walton, and both were hustled off to jail where they still remain,' the Hartford City (Ind.) 'Times-Gazette' of August 6 remarks: 'This is the fourth scandal in Kokomo within the past six months in which a preacher has been involved.' Surely there must be something unfavorable to ministerial morals in the Kokomo atmosphere--some such element as that affirmed by one of the infallible popes who, finding himself and many of his priests disabled by a mysterious malady, laid it to 'a certain malignity in the constitution of the air.' The constitution of the air in Kokomo, Indiana, is obviously malign and contraindicated for ministers."

Four delinquents in six months is eight a year in a community of 12,000 souls, the church-going portion of which could be adequately served by a dozen ministers.

It would be interesting, if practicable, to compare the morality of the American clergy with that of other countries, but the data are meager. Here, however, is an informing paragraph retained from a previous edition of this book:

"In England, from October, 1891, to October, 1892, 12 ministers committed suicide, 14 broke the marriage promise, 17 committed various crimes, 18 misused animals, 109 violated women, 121 were indicted for drunkenness (habitual), 254 cheated their creditors, and 18 committed minor offenses. That is 2.75 per cent. of the English ministry, says the 'Pall Mall Gazette,' who were in one year in trouble with the law."

Since the revision of this work was undertaken, late in the fall of 1914, the clergy have not ceased to furnish fresh material for its pages, but as each additional name must cause a revision of totals, the later cases, which perhaps number two dozen, must await the next round-up. The following table condenses the crimes, offenses, etc., with which the ministers have been charged:

Abduction 22 Abortion and attempts to procure 19 Abusive language 22 Adultery 676 Alienation of affections 17 Arson 62 Assault with intent to murder 61 Assault with intent to rape 50 Assault with intent to do great harm 26 Assault and battery 66 Attempted suicide 15 Bastardy 77 Bigamy, attempted and accomplished 144 Breach of promise to marry 27 Burglary 17 Cheating, swindling, grafting, malversation, misappropriation, etc. 288 "Conduct unbecoming a minister of the gospel" 44 Conspiracy 11 Contempt of court 13 Counterfeiting 16 Cruelty to wife or children 130 Debauchery 52 Desertion or non-support of wife or children 207 Disorderly conduct 44 Divorced or sued 56 Drunkenness 202 Elopement, attempted or accomplished 163 Embezzlement, fraud, defalcation, etc 162 Enticing women and young girls 15 False impersonation 13 Fighting 51 Forgery 123 "Fornication" 14 Gambling 19 Grave robbery 1 Gross immorality 40 Horse stealing 19 Illicit distilling 12 Illicit liquor selling 15 Immoralities with women and girls, miscellaneous and variously described 223 Larceny 181 Libel 50 Lying and deceit 138 Malicious destruction of property and malicious mischief 22 Manslaughter 14 Murder generally 119 Murder of child 12 Murder of wife 27 Obscene language 16 Obscene print, circulation of 14 Obtaining money or property under false pretenses 65 Perjury or subornation of 12 Plagiarism or literary piracy 14 Praying for death of neighbor, who died 1 Profanity 11 Quarreling 19 Rape in general 43 Rape of girls under age of consent or puberty 76 Seduction in general 273 Seduction of girls under fifteen 28 Slander 109 Sodomy or unnatural crime 67 Stealing religious funds or property 23 Suicide 117 Threatening life 16 Violation of postal laws 17 White slavery and pandering 15 Wife or woman beating 57

Breaking up the home of another man, defamation of character, illegal marrying, violation of game laws, 9 each; blackmail and extortion and breaking jail, 8 each; breach of hospitality, homicide, and pension frauds, 7 each; criminal neglect, cruelty to animals, and kidnapping, 6 each; dueling, administering poison, and fraudulent divorce, 5 each; bribery, nuisance, shoplifting, trespass, and speeding, 4 each; carrying concealed weapons, compounding of felony, and false arrest, 3 each; bankwrecking, beggary, breach of trust, cattle stealing, illegal voting, lynching and incitement to, prize-fighting, profanity, quackery, receiving stolen goods, smuggling, violation of revenue law, election frauds, extortion, and "felony," 2 each; assisting prisoner to escape, attempted trainwrecking, coercion of the dying, criminal carelessness, cruelty to prisoners, desertion from the army, dynamiting, illegal practice of medicine, illicit manufacture of cigars, keeping disorderly house, lottery running, malicious prosecution, mutilating public records, praying for death of neighbor (who died), selling vote and influence, slave-holding (by a missionary), teaching boys to steal, vagrancy, violation of articles of war, violation of drug law, violation of Sunday law, jury fixing, undue influence, "corrupting morals of young girl," and obstructing justice, 1 each. The whole number is approximately five thousand, from actual count, 4,987.

Denomination of ministers so far as known:

Methodist 728 Baptist 492 Catholic 325 Presbyterian 187 Episcopalian 164 Evangelist 136 Congregational 120 Christian (or Campbellite) 101 Lutheran 100 United Brethren 38 Jewish 18 Adventist 17 Reformed 16 Holiness 12 Church of God 8 Disciples 9 Missionary 8 Dunkard 7 Greek Catholic 7 Universalist 7 Church of Christ 6 Sanctificationist 5 Unitarian 5 Mennonite 4 Friend (Quaker) 3 Mormon 3 Armenian 2 Independent 2 Moravian 2 Pentecost 2 Millennialist 2

The following minor denominations are represented by 1 each: Absolute Life, Apostolic, Amish, Christian Union, Christian Catholic, Come Outer, Do Right, German Evangelical, Gift of Thomas, Gospel Mission, Heliga, Holy Ghost Household Faithful, New Jerusalem, Nazarene, New Thought, Shaker, Straight Edge, Syrian, and True Reformer (20).

The whole number of ministers whose names are recorded here is 3,795. Their denomination is given in 2,556 cases; unknown in 1,239.

In explanation of the varying typographical arrangement of dates, names, etc., and of faults of pagination, it may be said that the older portions of the book, covering cases occurring prior to 1899, have been left as they formerly stood, except that the periodical comments and recapitulations accompanying fresh editions have been eliminated, and the available matter thrown into the general introduction to the volume. Cases that have occurred since the close of the list in the former style of composition have been rearranged and reset in one alphabetical list. The book, then, contains six alphabetical lists, beginning, in the first part, on page 10 (circa 1875-81); page 50 (to 1883); page 102 (to 1893); page 125 (to 1895); page 140 (to 1898); page 139, Part II. (to 1914). The rearrangement condenses, without omitting anything of permanent value, a volume which was becoming too large to be economically produced and distributed.

PREFACE TO EARLIER EDITIONS.

So long as imagination creates a god to rule the destinies of men; so long as ignorance can be made to believe that the preacher or priest is in some way a go-between, or agent, between men and the powers in the clouds--that he is a "sky-pilot," directly commissioned by deity to attend to God's affairs on earth, and that the priest's person and office are sacred--just so long will there be possible such a profession as that of the modern priesthood.

And if these preachers as a whole are just as criminal as any other class; if they are immoral without the excuse of want or ignorance--without reason other than because of their often indolent lives and the opportunities afforded them by the nature of their calling--then their followers cannot learn that fact too soon.

The first edition of this book was printed in 1881, since which time many thousands of copies have been scattered throughout the country; but in no case to our knowledge has anyone successfully denied the facts alleged against any "man of God" figuring in these pages. Its substantial accuracy is therefore assured. The only charge that can be maintained against it is its incompleteness. The publishers do not claim to have discovered more than a small percentage of clerical villainy. The churches endeavor to and do hide a great deal of the immorality of their ministers. The preachers, who govern the ecclesiastical tribunals, have a fellow feeling for one another. As a general thing, it is only when the clergy are brought before the secular courts that the public can learn the full facts. Comparatively few Catholic priests figure in this record, for the reason that that church is a close corporation which by political influence and by control of its members' tongues can conceal the crimes of its leaders. In all large cities of the country the Catholic church has a large and dangerous political influence, and its priests have every chance to go free of retribution for their vices and crimes. The judges are Catholics, or owe their positions to Catholic power; the court officers are Catholics; the policemen are Catholics. They all shield the "fathers" and withhold their names from publication.

It is impossible, too, for the editor to read all the papers and gather all the cases which do see the light of publicity. And, we are sorry to say, some of the secular journals suppress the news. If the country could be scanned closely the indications are that a hundred times as many crimes could be found rightfully charged to the men who set themselves up as teachers of morals. For use in future editions we therefore urge all who read these pages to send us such accounts of these cases as may come to their notice, giving facts, dates, and localities, and, if clippings from newspapers are sent, name, date, and place of publication of paper.

It has been objected by apologists for the system of religion in vogue in this country that clerical delinquencies prove nothing against the system. In this they are mistaken. Of course, if Christianity had a foundation of fact, these records would not prove that the fact is not there. What they do prove, however, is that the claim made for Christianity, that it makes men moral, is not true. For if the system is not sufficient to restrain its very teachers, how can we expect their pupils to profit by it? The point this book emphasizes, as an ex-Methodist minister, now a Rationalist, but always a moral man, forcibly puts it, is that religion in and of itself, is not a moral force; that it is not one with morality; that it may, and often does, exist without morality, and that morality gains nothing by being associated with it.

In proportion to their numbers, it is believed, more ministers than members of any other profession are guilty of crimes and vices. A large portion of the crimes are against women or with women. This, perhaps, is not strange when one considers the institution of pastoral visits. While men are away from home attending to their duties in life, the minister is roving about, pretendedly looking after the welfare of his flock, but really making calls upon the women who most attract him. What the confessional is to the Roman Catholic church, such is the "pastoral visit" to the Protestant church. Women should not attend the one or receive the other except in the presence of their fathers or husbands. Another institution of the church could also be done away with to the gain of morality--to wit, the lone studies for the minister annexed to the churches. These furnished rooms are the scenes of many debaucheries. With them, too, should go the side doors or choir entrances. The side door and study of a church in San Francisco were used for assignation purposes, which culminated in murder. A murdered woman was found at the confessional box of a Romish church in New York city. In Omaha a minister was found in the pastor's room of his own church asphyxiated in close embrace with a woman missionary. These side doors, secluded "studies," and secret confessional boxes are dangerous to virtue if not to life. Many a woman and girl passes through them to her downfall.

In this short history of ministerial conduct, lack of complete identity is sometimes unavoidable, for in the reports of these trials in the secular journals it has been customary to drop the first names of the defendant, and many a pious villain is recorded as "Rev. Mr. Smith," or "Rev. Mr. Jones." In some cases the place is not fully given where the crime was committed. Again, in certain instances, the offense receives the laconic name, applied by the ecclesiastical court which tried the criminal, as "immoral conduct," "lascivious conduct," etc.; definitions that hide the grossness of the offense, and so screen the reverend culprit in the interest of the church and the cloth. In many reports of trials by ecclesiastical gatherings the name of the accused is entirely suppressed, as is supposed, out of respect for his "sacred calling."

The denomination to which the "pious soul" belonged, is not always given, consequently this record will not do to rely upon to enable the reader to ascertain what branch of "the church of God" has shown the most efficiency in pastoral criminality.

Letters will be found placed after a name, as P.E., for presiding elder, Ev. for Evangelist; for instance: Carhart, Rev. J. W., P.E., and Bayliss, Rev. E. L., Ev. The D.D., PhD., LLD., and other addenda purchased of colleges and theological seminaries have not been preserved with any great care. If any reverend offender who has been overlooked, and so left out of this "illustrious category," desires the distinction of having his name and title made famous, he will please forward the facts.

THE TEN PARSONS.

(The following adaptation of a familiar rhyme has appeared in all editions of this book and might be missed if omitted.)

Ten little preachers, preaching love divine, One kissed the servant girl, then there were nine.