Abduction22
Abortion and attempts to procure19
Abusive language22
Adultery676
Alienation of affections17
Arson62
Assault with intent to murder61
Assault with intent to rape50
Assault with intent to do great harm26
Assault and battery66
Attempted suicide15
Bastardy77
Bigamy, attempted and accomplished144
Breach of promise to marry27
Burglary17
Cheating, swindling, grafting, malversation, misappropriation, etc.288
“Conduct unbecoming a minister of the gospel”44
Conspiracy11
Contempt of court13
Counterfeiting16
Cruelty to wife or children130
Debauchery52
Desertion or non-support of wife or children207
Disorderly conduct44
Divorced or sued56
Drunkenness202
Elopement, attempted or accomplished163
Embezzlement, fraud, defalcation, etc162
Enticing women and young girls15
False impersonation13
Fighting51
Forgery123
“Fornication”14
Gambling19
Grave robbery1
Gross immorality40
Horse stealing19
Illicit distilling12
Illicit liquor selling15
Immoralities with women and girls, miscellaneous and variously described223
Larceny181
Libel50
Lying and deceit138
Malicious destruction of property and malicious mischief22
Manslaughter14
Murder generally119
Murder of child12
Murder of wife27
Obscene language16
Obscene print, circulation of14
Obtaining money or property under false pretenses65
Perjury or subornation of12
Plagiarism or literary piracy14
Praying for death of neighbor, who died1
Profanity11
Quarreling19
Rape in general43
Rape of girls under age of consent or puberty76
Seduction in general273
Seduction of girls under fifteen28
Slander109
Sodomy or unnatural crime67
Stealing religious funds or property23
Suicide117
Threatening life16
Violation of postal laws17
White slavery and pandering15
Wife or woman beating57

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:

Methodist728
Baptist492
Catholic325
Presbyterian187
Episcopalian164
Evangelist136
Congregational120
Christian (or Campbellite)101
Lutheran100
United Brethren38
Jewish18
Adventist17
Reformed16
Holiness12
Church of God8
Disciples9
Missionary8
Dunkard7
Greek Catholic7
Universalist7
Church of Christ6
Sanctificationist5
Unitarian5
Mennonite4
Friend (Quaker)3
Mormon3
Armenian2
Independent2
Moravian2
Pentecost2
Millennialist2

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.