This week’s Tidbits of History was taken from an article posted in the Tennessee Baptist Newspaper published in 1856.

We, the undersigned Committee, appointed by thee Hamilton United Baptist Church of Christ, of Shelby County, Texas, to advertise a cert5ain man by the name of Charles B. Morouge, formerly a member of our Church, and the Pastor of the same: be holding credentials purporting to have been given him by the Second Missionary Baptist church of Boston, Massachusetts, in the year A. D. 1829.  He having acted so basely in attempting to poison his wife, and taking up with a base girl, and running off with her leaving his debts unpaid, &c.  He was followed and brought back and tried in our church, and was excluded from the same.

            A committee was, therefore, appointed to call on him for his credentials, which was done, and he refusing to give them up, it was therefore

            Resolved,   By our Church, the he be advertised in the New Orleans Delta and the Tennessee Baptist, for at least three weeks in each.

            We do hereby forewarn all religious bodies from having anything to do with the said black-hearted Charles B. Morouge, as we do not believe him too good to do anything—base in the extreme.

            He says he is a Frenchman, and passed for a Doctor—but we believe him to be a Yankee.  He also says he is forty-seven years of age, but he has the appearance of being younger. 

            He is about five feet six or eight inches in height, dark hair, inclined somewhat to baldness, has large blue eyes, tolerable fair complexion, when in good health; tolerable heavy set, speaks a little broken English and is well calculated to deceive any community.  These are all the visible marks recollected.

            Our motive in giving this description is that if he has not already altered his name, he will assume a different one to that which he has been known by while living here.
We would thank any paper friendly to the cause of religion, to publish the above.

            Done in Conference, Saturday before the third Lord’s Day in April, 1856; and signed by order of the Church. 

                   
                                                                                    S. H. Sanders,
                                                                                    William M. Barnvine
                                                                                    Rogers Sanders Jr.