Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-11-16


and peculiar circumstances in which he has
been placed"
Whether Mr.. Boyd is above, or below
his brethren in the ministry" or whether
he is now minister Of the Gospel" in
the true ecclesiastical sense of that word, I
forbear to express an opinion / will say,
however, that 1t will take something more
than the naked assertion of the editor of
the Gazette, or any other one man, to satisfy
me that any elergymen is remarkable
above his brethren in the ministry for all
those qualities and graces which adorn that
most respectable and highly useful class Of
| men.
1t appears that this is not the only time
and place that the conduct of Mr.. Boyd to-
wards his wife has been the subject Of
judicial investigation. ...|
i have before me weekly newspaper,
the Presbyterian Banner, of November |,
1865. 1t appears by that paper that the
Wheeling Synod met in Parkersburgb,
West Virginia, October 13, 1865, and that
much of the time of the Synod was occupied
by an appeal of the Rev. Samuel Boyd
from the decision Of the Presbytery of St.
Clairsville, by which he was suspended
from the ministry of the Gospel. A paper
i was adopted by the Synod containing
party implicated Mr.. Boyd is confessedly
living in separation from his wife without
due cause, and his course and conduct ap-
pear extremely culpable in all this busi
ness" Is the opinien of the st. Clairsville
Presbytery, and the Wheeling Synod
worth farthing," Mr.. Editor of the Ga
zette2 The Synod says that Mr.. Boyd
was Living in separation from his wife
without just couse." The Gazette says her
leaving him was gross neglect of duty"
The Synod, in the matter OF the separa-
ton thought Mr.. Boyd in the wrong. The
Gazette asserts that no man ever conducted
himself more like an honest, true and
virtuous man, or more like true Christian
than he has donein the trying and peculiar
circumstances in which he has been placed
The Synod says that 'tbis course and con-
duct appear extremely culpable in all this
business" A slight difference of opinion
between the Gazette and the Synod. Per
haps this decision has been condemned in
emphatic language" by these men whose
opinions, the Gazette values at ''farthing
a piece. ft.. ..,a.
The Synod continue the suspension from
the ministry until the Presbytery are salts
fed that Mr.. Boyd has performed all his
duty. towards healing this breach ant
scandal. tr
Mr.. Boyd, instead of trying to heal "tht
, breach and scandal" came here and pro
cceded at once with his suit for divorce
to perpetuate the breach and scandal anC
. render them incurable. EIe like the GA
zette, must have considered himself ere
- markable for being above his brethren il
the ministry. ... ..
. To give a full history of this case woult
| occupy too much space. The Gazette &c
count of it, in all material statements. j
incorrect. There was no evidence that Mrs
Boyd took mortal offence" on being aslet
to tell what she had done with Mr.. Boyd
money during his ten months absence il
Ireland. There was no evidence tending +
g show that the first wife of Mr.. Boyd ha
n requested Miss Winning to take charg
of her children. " There was no evidenc
e that Mrs. Boyd was set Into violent pas
sion and rage the day she left" 1t wa
not proved that Mrs. Boyd, "while liyin
in the house of her husband, had absente
herself from his bed whole year.
proved or there was evidence tending /
show, that, for perhaps year, the partie
did not occupy the same bed. But whethe
Mrs. Boyd absented herself from the be
J. Of Mr.. Boyd, or he absented himself froI
o her bed, no witness pretended to knew. =
"a There was no testimony that, alter Mrs. |
left, Mr.. Boyd threw himself upon hi
bed and wept and refused to be comforted.
D. But there was testimony that he wrote
d letter that he would pay no debts Of ht
J. contracting, showing thereby a proper n
a gard fertho main chance.
There was not says the Gazette, "durin
Mr.. Boyd's married life proven on this tri
g a single act of indiscretion. or even impC
@ liteness by him towards Mrs Boyd or an
;. member of his family" Was it polite an
discreet for him to take their sick child an
0 his sick wife from Morristown TO Wheeling
, when the venerable Doctor Castor though
O and told him, at would be a rsk-littl
less than murder" and all others presen
thought, and many of them told him, sui
stantially the same? This he did regard
: less of the remonstrances Of his sick wife
t and called his hack driver from Wheelin
;, to prove that his sick wife did not wear
: cheerful countenance on the way to Whee
o ing. For this act of extreme cruelty,
o not of barbarism, he gave no other reason tha
that it would save expenses, and that whe
O his sick wife, his sick chlld, and an infan
:, at the breast wero with n sister of his wife
' who was keeping them without CHARGE o
any expectation OF pecuniary reward?
o Was it polite and discreet for Mr. Boyd
i ment, to leave his wife in room withou
i nurse, orothor attendants, weak and fain
s for want of food, until somo neighbo
would come to her relief? Was it polit
7, and discreet for Mr., Boyd, when his wifi
0 was sitting in her chair, with dying chill,
in her lap, and female neighbor in attend
\ ancc, by mere accident, broke LAM
chimney, to get very angry" and scod "a
his wife r.I
Was it polite and discreet in him, whel
, Mrs. Boyd lett, saying to his eldest daugh
ter, in reply to n request not to leave, at
am wanted send for me in tho morning a
/ Mr.. Stewards" about three milesifrom Mr.
, Boyds, for him to write note to Mr.
Stewart warning him not to trust Mrs
} Boyd, and sending that, instead of sending
for his wife?
Mrs. Boyd left August Is, lS64 Angus
J 9th, Mr.. Boyd wrote to her on the subiec
of their difficulty. Several letters passed
between them. September 5. Mrs BoyC
wrote to him that she would return. IL
this letter he replied, September 8, in q
long letter. On behalf of Mrs. Boyd al
these letters were offered in evidence This
was objected to, and the letter of Mr. BOYD
of September 6, was given in evidence on
behalf of Mrs, Boyd. This letter, or a