The New York herald., 1871-01-15
ME1HoD1srIoAL HUnuIx.

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Ceutisuutleu Of the Investigates ln she Az
legged Book Concern Frauas-Qsizxing ssA
Quibblins-Ne Ceuclusien.
Tle Methodist Book Concern trial proceeded yes
terday before the Book Committee. Rev. Dr.. Blades
conducted the religious exercises Rev. j. H. Moore
of Illinois, announced his presence as member Of
the committee. A resolution was adopted that tine
General Conference ofioers editors and agents) be
expected as heretofore. TO consider themselves en-
tilled 10 sittings with the Book Committee at this
session.
General Moore referred to the Bishops paper pup-
lished yesterday and characterized 1t az very
strange document, and had he been present when it
was presented he should have favored an immediate
dissolution OF the committee They are therein told
BY the concurrent authority Of the Church that after
they have spent weeks investigating this case the
bishops cannot agree with them because they had
not been previously consulted. Drs. Bingham and
Rawlins also remarked tnat the paper had greatly
embarrassed them, as 1t implied disconrtesy by the
committee towards them.
Bishops James, Simpson and Ames successfully
disclaimed any such idea or intent They had no
right In the committee except by request and hav-
ing had no knowledge OF the charges against Dr.
Lanahan until they were presented here. upon the
first opportunity the bishops entered their
PROTEST AGAINST INVESTIGATING
the moral character Of the accused over which the
discipline gave them no authority whatever. They
had design to be discourteous to the committee,
and they believed that the committee had not been
so to them.
Dr.. Rawllns asked In writing whether or not the
bishops considered that this committee had any
right to examine into the agents moral Character
without following him to MS annual or quarterly
A debate followed on the propriety OF this 0ues-
ton, which was cut short BY MI. j. Rothweiler's
DR.. Rawns Withdrew his QUESTION and tne regular
Mr. E. l. Fancher for the prosecutien) ofered in
and also letter nom Dr. Iasaiian to Dr. NesStt' Of
the Pttsburg Christian Advocate which sent ac-
letter says the facts stated il the Times article ars
sadly toe true and the writer claims the RESPONSE
Judge Reynolds objected to the admission Of this
paper or letter until the accused shall be connected
General Runyon (prosecution) said they proposed
to connect Dr. Lananan with the article In the Times
and with the charges and specifications made under
evidence is before The committee as whole they
deal with 1t as it deserves, bur the prosecution
CANNOT PROVE THE STATEMENTS
In this article unless it is admitted here. That
article defaming the Church had been sent broad
cast oyer We the land and while they did not charge
would prove that while holding fduciary trust
underline under me Church he inspired 4 ana took It up
abroad again, TO inf11ct greater injury upon the
Church. The first thing for the prosecution TO do is
to lay this article before the committee and II they
fail to connect DR.. Lananan with II, 1t can be dealt
with by the committee. The paper was received
put the letter was not It's authenticity not having
Mr.. Fancher then proposed to ask Dr.. Lanahan in
regard 10 the letter TO which the Doctor hts coun
sci consented and he took the stand. He denied
having written the letter IN question, dated Septem.
Der %, 1859, or sending marked copy OF the Times
to DR.. Nesbitt or any enc else. He had read the
article In that paper, and the statements were not
correct, and he SO expressed himself to the city
ton. In this: that ir the writer thereof by the
managers Of she concern meant the agents, It was
false; but 1t was true that frauds had been COM
DR.. Lanahan was then questioned further as to
.ne dentlty OF several otner Letters which ne had
him to read. Some he identified and others he was
not certain about. In ms cross-examnation he ex-
planned that those letters were written In the conf
dence Of one gentleman TO another he had not kept
copies and had not placed
TIE SEAL OF PRIVACY
upon them When he wanted TO get copies to use
IN this case he could not, because Dr. Nesbitt had
sent the originals to thus city to be used as evidence
remember their contents, not having seen them
since their writing over year ago. A recess for
dinner was taken, and upon reassembling the rules
were suspended and the sessions OF the committee
were changed. to last fromfnne to half-past twelve
Mr.. Moore also wanted the committee to sit silent,
and II any member desired to ask question, let
let the case be conducted solely py the able attor.
neys He wanted TO
sQUELCH THE DEBATING MEMBERS.
DR.. W0odrnh hoped this motion would be post
poned until some member OF the committee had
spoken oitener than Brother Moore. The commit
tee have not debated any questions OF order, and
he thought they had good sense enough not to delay
the business before them He regretted that Brother
Moore elt himself called upon at this point to take
charge Of the committee.
fiy.sheet containing the charges of fraud in the
Concern and which had been circulated by Dr. Lam
tor OF the Christian Adrocdte, was placed on the
stand.
He went over the ground, and said that when he
read the article in the paper he printing OF his
own paper. but he communicated at once with Dr.
Lanahan and offered stop the press and insert q
card in the AdUocdte denying the alleged frauds, but
Dr. Lanahan
WOULD NOT SIGN SUCH A CARD
then nor subsequently for insertion In the daily city
papers, During the sessions OF the Book Committee
here in 1862 certain things occu red and questions
suspect things were not all right in the Concern
And about April, 1859. DR.. Lanahan told him that
the Concern had suffered losses IN commissions on
the purchase or paper ink, &C, which amounted to
subsequent conversations DIR. Lanahan made calcu-
lations OF the losses and figured them up to about
ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
Dr. Lanahan and himself met In the Office Of Har-
per Brothers, and, this subject being uppermost in
their minds, IL was talked OF, and Doctor Lananan
made the above charges ana admissions in presence
Of Fletcher Harper subsequently DIR. Lanahan re.
asserted the charges before the Baltimore Confe-
renee In speech made by him, copy of which, with
written request that 1t be published in the Adro
cate, he sent to Dr. Curry.
This was the substance OF the Doctors testimony
spread over great while and in response to many
questions, and, without exhaus,ing him or cross-ex
amining him, the committee adjourned until Monday
morning.
CINCINNATI INTELLIGENCE.