The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-11-19

risy as Minister-His Dismissal
Gom the Ministry and Expulsion
from the Church-The Finding OF
the Presbyfery Unanimous-The Sem
tencc and the Scene.
i For some months past the community
has been greatly exercised over rumors
affecting the character of Rev. James
Prestly, d. D., Pastor of the Second
United Presbyterian Church of Pitts
burg. These rumors were as varied in
their character as they were numerous,
and many of them had no foundation in
fact,-at least those connecting him
with criminal intimacy with females i'll
this vicinity, were little better than
sheer fabrications. To give the reader
a proper understanding of the case, it
should be stated that Rev. Prestly has
been twice married, having a son and
daughter by his first marriage, who have
nearly reached their maj ajOrity. His second
wife was the widow of DR.. VIM. Kerr, who
! is the mother of four children-three
girls and q boy, the oldest being up
wards of eighteen years of age. Short
! " after the last marriage, those in
compatibilities of temper" began to
manifest themselves, which eliminated
| in the commission of the offences of
which DIR. Prestley has just been con-
victed by the ecclesiastical court. The
departure of his stepchildren from his
house soon after marriage, gave rise to
much fall, but eventually it subsidized.
Finally, his wife, unable longer to put
up with his conduct, brought it to the
attention of her relatives, who imme-
dately asked an investigation by the
Presbytery.
THE CHARGES AND SPECIFICATIONS.
On the 29th of October, the Presbyte-
ry of Monongahela assembled in the
Fifth United Presbyterian Church,
corner of Washington and Webster
streets, Rev. S. b. Reed, Moderator,
Rev. w. Ii. Andrew, Clerk, and Rev.
w. ]. Ried, Assistant Clerk. Rev. Drs.
Kerr and Gracey appeared on behalf
of Mrs. Prestly, and Rev. Prestly acted
as his own counsel. The charges were
three in number, and were to the fol-
lowing effect:
First-Unkind, cruel and violent
treatment of his wife and family.
Second-Using vulgar and profane
language.
Third-Infidelity to his marriage
vow.
These three charges contained sever
al specifications. Under the first charge
cruel treatment-the defendant was
accused of having choked his wife on
one occasion at Hookstown. He was
also charged with kicking her, with
heating her with stick and hitting
her with his boot.
The specifications under the second
charge using vulgar and profane lam
guagc, set forth that on divers occasions
he called his wife all manner of foul
names, and called down upon her and
her family the most impious imprcca-
tiOns, for instance, ooh, Lord! crush
my wife and her family as deep into
hell as pigeon could fly in five thou
sap4 years.. or .warfs>tn. that. eesat", So,
infdelity to his marriage vow, were
that he maintained relations with fc-
males Which were inconsistent with his
duty as husband.
To all these charges and specitica-
tions the defendtnt made general de-
NAL.
THE TRIAL.
Some twenty witnesses were supG-
naed OH each side of the case, though all
did not attend. Mrs. Prestley was, of
course, the principal witness, and the
statements, in the main, were corrrobO-
rated by her children and the servants
of the family. The evidence as to cru
city was clear, although the accused
produced number of friends of the
family to prove that i'll their presence
his conduct to his wife and children
was kind.
The testimony as to his use of vulgar
and profane language was by his wife
and family. The language attributed
to him by the witness was of shocking
character-so shocking, indeed, as to
create serious doubts in the minds of a
number of the members of the Presby-
tey that any sane man would use 1t.
On the third charge, the evidence of
his familiarity with a young lady of Al
legheny was not of character to affect
adversely the standing of either as to
morality, although it was held that
both were imprudent in their behavior.
Another specification alleged an I'M
proper correspondence with widow
lady of New York, to whom he was once
atlianced. In proof of this specification,
a number OF letters from this New York
lady-which had been intercepted by
Mrs. Prestly-were produced. These
letters were inclOsed i'll envelopes, dl-
rected to "James Peterson, care of Rev.
Prestly," the direction being in the
handwriting of the defendant. These
letters contained many endearing cX-
pressions, such as unsophisticatcd
lovers are wont to use i'll their epistles
to one another. In one letter she says,
"Oh, how would like to meet you in
R, that we might be one night
alone,r or words to that effect. In
another she speaks of going to Europe,
and suggests that she would announce
her departure prematurely, in order that
he might visit her between the time of
her feigned and real departure. Another
letter covered returned letter from the
defendant, the latter having ventured
some very good advice to his fair cor
respondent, which was not palatable to
her. Besides these letters sent to James
Peterson, the New York widow kept up
an open correspondence with Rev. Prest-
lev and his wife, all Of which was
proper in its language and seeming pur-
pose.
THE DEFENSE.
For his defense, DR.. Prestley called
his family physician. DR.. Coffey, his
father, brothers and other members of
his family, to prove his nervous temper
ment-that he was easily irritated, the
slightest cause sufficing to put him out
of temper. Witnesses also testified to
his pleasant relations with his family
when they were present. In his argu-
ment, he attempted to show that his
wife and her children and his own chill
dren had conspired against him to annoy
him, and that regular system of espi
onage was established in his house. He
took up the evidence of his wife, and
claimed that under the Church Disei-
pline, her testimony should be taken
with great allowance. The rule is, we
believe, that two witnesses must testify
to fact, neither of whom are interested
! in the result of the investigation. With