Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1866-03-10

ECCLESIASTICAL TRIAL mo little surprise
was observable throughout the community on
Tuesday morning. as it became known that an
Methods, Church for the trial of the Rev. |.
o. FIsnKR, pastor Of tue NJ. f. Church Of this
village. The high personal respect for the ac-
cusea, aud the novelty OF the transaction,
brought together quite large audience. mostly
Of the Methodist Church, but with q cons ider-
able adm ixtarc OF members Of other denomina-
lions. The court was constituted as follows /:
Presiding Elder BAKER, in the chair; DR.. CIR
Eokp, of Wes,feld, N. Y. Prosecutor. with
Rev. DR.. CLARK, late Of Allegheny College,
Counsel Mr.. FIsHRs. the accused, with Rev.
Mosxs HILL. of Cleveland. ard Rev. - VIII.
SON. Counsel Mr.. MERCHANT. Secretary, ard
. jury made up Of six ministers. under the
name Of committee. appointed, as We under.
stand. BY the Presiding Elder. The very
grave charge was Forgery. contained 10 letter
recommending 10 Bishop BAKER, Mr.. FIsHER,
for the Presiding Eldership Of this district os-
tensibly wriitea by Dr.. GIrronD The trial
was brought to fix th: paternity Of this letter,
and quite large us@ber Of witnesses. mostly
preachers, acquainted with Mr.. Fishers hand,
we're introduced ;, who gave il ss their opinion,
that the letter was in the hand Of the accused:
Among them was the Rev. Mr.. MoRros, for
several years the reporter OF the proceedings Of
Conference. Their testimony was uniform in
this direction, but the Successive tests of other
letters, some written by Mr.. FISHER, and some
not. afterwards submitted affected perceptibly
the definite character # their positive and uni.
form eviden ce. Experts we're also introduced,
among them p. r SPgscER, Collector FAsssrr,
&c. whose testimony weot. to show. from criti'
csl exsmin ations, points at variance With the
almos. invariable practice Of Nj. F. 10 his hand
writing. This consisted 10 the formation OF
letters pot only. bu. 10 ibs ass of the, ,hort,
or character. L. The examination Of 4 large
amount OF The gentlemans manuscript. failed
TO chow an instance wherein this practice was
dev'atsd from. 10 the letter ia question
wherever the conjuncioa occurs, il Is written
out in full These are some OF the points made
by the defence. As We were unable to be
present at the whole trial. we give them as
gathered from the beat, authority, The ease
was ably argued, and committed to the com
miitee during the afternoon Of Wednesday -
The finding was adverse to the accused and the
consequence. suspension of clerical fopc,ions.
The case. we suppose. will 60 before the next
Conference In July, which Il We reco'lect right.
meets at Pajnesyille.
The blaueless life OF Mr.. Fisuss. aud his
earnest and manly pieiy and preceding. have
endeared him to bis own psope. and given him
hold upon the esteem aud affection ss far a.
known, OF the eommanity. The feeling 10 bis
'avor' has therefore, been very earnest so much
So that lev, u any. believe him guilty. and all
hope that the mis-. may yet be cleared up, and
the Reverend gentleman. stand forth again,
clear OF all sospicien. snd With health restored,
return to bic lsbOrs and sssf.losss.
: 80 s- f-fa.