The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-11 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY CRARGES AGAINST A
CLERGYMAN.

Yesterday forenoon, a special commission, ap-
pointed by the Lord Bishop of Worcester, wan held at
the Swan Inn, Henley-in-Arden, to investigate certain
serious charges made against the Rev. Thomas Jones,
incumbent of Henley. The charges brought against Mr.
Jones, and which were the subject of investigation. were
indecency of conduct, demeanour, and language, of an ill,-
proper intimacy with a Mrs. Appleby, and with being
guilty of conduct unbecoming his character and position
as a clergyman, with habitual neglect of the aged, the sick,
and the poor of his parish.
The gentlemen forming the commission were Mr. P. H.
Pepys, Chancellor of the Diocese, Mr. Darwin Galion,
J.P., and the Revs. Patrick Smythe, M.A. (Solihull),
It. Seymour, M.A. (Kingwitten), and C. Dolben, M.A., of
Ipslcy. The parishioners who had petitioned for the in-
quiry were Messrs. T. B. Coachman and George Dartnall,
churchwardens of the pariah ; and Messrs. John Hunt,
Joseph Smith, James Wakeman, and Dr. Fayrer.
Mr. James Motteram, barrister instructed by Mr.
Couchman, appeared to conduct the inquiry on behalf of
the petitioner.; and lie. Hawke., of Birmingham, to
watch the case for Mr. Jones,
- .

The first witness examines:l%y Mr. Motteram Was Thomas
Barnes Couchman, solicitor, in Henley, and one of the
churchwardens of the parish. He deposed as to serious
complaints having been made to him as to the conduct of
Mr. Jones, the incumbent of Henley, and the subsequent
steps that had been taken.
Thomas Godfrey, the assistant parish clerk stated that
he wasa saddler, carrying on business in Henley. He and
a man named George Hemming worked together in the
shop. Mr. Jones was in the habit of coming to his shop
every day, and sometimes twice a day. He could not say
his object in coming. He used to sit in the shop, smoke
• bit of tobacco, and talk over the news of the day.
Sometimes be talked to his servant, James Appleby.
There had been vulgar conversation carried on in the pre-
sence of Mr. Jones. Indecent matters had been talked
about in the presence of Mr. Jones. James Appleby had
generally commenced it. Mr. Jones had sometimes re-
buked him, and said he ought to be ashamed of himself.
James Neville, coachman to Mrs. Manta, said he had
been in her employment for three years. He had been
in the habit of going to Mr. Godfrey's shop when Mr.
Jones and Hemming were there. He could not re-
member what conversation took place. They joked about
female., and gave him liberty to talk about things that
he otherwise would not have mentioned. By " they"
he meant Mr. Jones and Godfrey. Toe conversation was
about women. In saying that Mr. Jones gave him liberties,
he meant that Mr. Jones, by his own language, and by
encouraging him and not checking him, had allowed
witness to use indecent language and he (Mr. Jones) had
used it himself.

Mrs. Emma Randall, living at Worcester, stated that
she, in 1860, lived at Mr. Jones's house, and was attend-
ing • Mrs. Russell, who stayed there. Mr. Jones was
in the habit of swearing. He made himself a great
deal too free in manner with his servants. He lived
very unhappily with his wife. Mr. Jones was very
familiar with Mrs. Appleby. Mr. Appleby once interfered
with Mr. and Mrs. Jones when they were quarrelling, and
Mr. Jones said that Appleby was& d— liar, and should
mind his own wife, an I leave his (Jones's) alone. Mr.
Appleby's language was habitually very bad. It was of a
very indecent character, not fit for clergymen to bear, or
for anyone else. The subject of the quarrels of Mr. and
Mrs. Jones was the intimacy of Mr. Jones with Mrs.
Appleby. Witness never heard Mr. Jones say that he
preferred Mrs. Appleby to his own wife, but bis attentions
to the people at the Green Gate (the Applebys) were an-
noying to his wife. She had seen Mr. Jones come in from
church to the kitchen, throw off his gown, and inquire for
his wife in the most abominable terms. She deposed to
further gross remarks made by Mr. Jones about his wife.
The house was not a fit house for • respectable woman to
live in.

_
Martha Hughes said she was sometime ago servant to
Mr. and Mrs. Jones. She went in 1863, and remained
until the 30th of last August. While she was there the
conversation earried on was very bad. She oonfirmed
the evidence of previous witnesses as to the bad and inde-
cent language used by Appleby and by Mr. Jones. Mr.
Jones was in the habit of telling tales to the servants
about indecent matters. She had heard Appleby make
game of religion in Mr. Jones's presence, and Jones
corrected him. She was reading a book called "Our
Friends in Heaven." James Appleby looked at the
book, and told Jones who he would have to be his
friend in heaven, and who would be Jones's friend. James
said he would have Hemming for his friend in heaven,
and Mr. Salmon was to be Jones's friend. Jones laughed
at that. Almost every day, when Appleby went to the
church to play the organ, Mr. Jones went into Appleby's
house, where Mrs. Appleby was, and remained for some
time. He used to bring witness love messages from Hem-
ming, of an improper nature. She gave notice to leave the
house. _ _ _

Mr. George Dartnell, the father of Mrs. Jones, said he
had frequently been called to Mr. Jones's house, after the
scenes between Mr. Joists and his wife. Mr. Jones main-
tained a very reserved demeanour always in his (witness's)
presence, and he believed it was only Mrs. Jones her-
self who knew what she suffered. One night he
was called by Mr. Jones to see hie daughter, and he
found her in ber dressing-gown, at the bedside. She was
sobbing and crying most piteously, and was in a very ex-
cited and agitated state. He naked what was the matter,
and Mr. Jones said it was all her own fault, and she
replied, " Papa, you know th►t is not the case. Don't be-
lieve him ; be in a bad and wicked man. And what can
you expect of a clergyman who never aye his preyers
Mr. Joseph Smith, one of the petitioners, and a guar-
dian of the poor, deposed to the great neglect of the poor
by Mr. Jones. No one ever sent for him, because it was
well known that be would not attend.
This concluded the cane for the petitioners, and Mr.
Hawkey having inked an adjournment that he might pre-
pare the defence, the commission adjourned till to-morrow
(Thursday) morning, at 11 o'clock.

It is reported in connexion with the examina-
tion of the luggage of passengers from the Continent at
Charing-cross station, that some of the Custom-house
officials are endeavouring to induce the board of com-
missioners to return to the old system of having ono
piece in every lot examined, instead of, as now, only
one or two pieces in every ten or twenty lots. The ,
present method (says the Times) saves time, and is an I, A new phase of co-operation has been developed
aooommodation to the public. It is believed also to work at Rochdale.
inFor some time past a theatre has been
extremely well. Hence, unless Use board ere prepared greatly needed
_b nu. and at length
rat few
t working
to justify the proposed backward step al • 'WWI. men
shar:spof if
eacmach, and obtain .17.de of 6,000 t. .itig;
imperative necessity, it is likely to be met by a general theatre, which was opened a few nights ago, will aocommo-
protest from all the travelling and commercial classes, date 2,200 persons.