Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1872-06-21
From the Baltimore suu Of yesterday.

tnufcn south, ara which mas eXclteu
so much Interest in this city, as well
rs throughout the country, termina-
ted Oh Saturday morning as far as the
present committee of inquiry is con-
ceTned, the court having found that
none of the specifications embraced in
the general charge of immortality were
sustained. The question at the pres
ent time involved merely, the susnen-
sion of the accused from his functions
as a minister till the meeting Of con-
ference.
The testimony in The case was con-
Guided about III O'Clock. on Friday
night and the case submitted without
argument. Tie committee were en-
gagged all the remainder of The night,
and up tor O'clock in the morning, in
reviewing thetestimony, which was
quite volumihuus, before coming TO a
conclusion in the mntter.
The court consisted OF Rev. Samuel
Rodgers, presiding elder; Rev. p. Fl.
Whisner, Rev. Mr. Crenshaw, Rev..
DR.. Spangler, Rev. Dr. Nelson Head
and Rev, DR.. Thomas L. Carson. OF
these Rev. MessTs. Whisner and Car
son were for suspension, and Rev.
MessTs Crenshaw, SPangler and Head
against it. The presiding elder, ac-
cording to the discipline, acts as a
Judge i'll the matter, but has no vote
in trials of this kind, and consequent
Is had no voice in the verdict. tr
1t should be specially remembered
that tie present committee does not
pass upon the guiltor innocence of the
accused. The manner of procedure
where charges are brought
against Methodist travelling
preacher, during the interval between
the sittings of the annual conference,
a. laid down in the Discipline of the
Church, is as follows The presiding
elder of the particular district in
which the charges are laid, appoints q
committee OF investigation, styled an
ecclC siastical cOuIt, Which Investigates
the matter, and if the charges are
clearly proven" lin the language of
the Disipline,) the committee or
ders the suspension of the accused I'M
til the meeting of the next conference
The record of the proceedings before
this committee is sent to conference
when it meets, and committee of
three is appointed to examine the
record, as well rs any new testimony
that may be adduced, and they report
| to the conference whether trial of
! the accused shall be ordered or not
| If trial is deemed necessary, a regu-
/ lar bill of charges is framed by the
committee of three, and one or more
| members of the committee appointed
! to prosecute the charges, before COM
mitttee of nine OF thirteen, who
| represent the conference, and whose
| decision is final. except that the right
OF appeal to the General Conference
| is given. So the case OfDr. Huston,
| the committee over which Rev. Mr..
Rodgers presided, has simply deter
mined that the evidence Is not suffi-
cient to order his suspension. The
record, according to the rule of Disci-
pline, will be signed and sent up to
the next annual conference for its ac-
ton.
In the meantime, the relation of
Rev. DR.. Huston to the church stands
the same as though no charges had
been preferred against him. He is
therefore in the hands of the bishop
to appoint to any place within the
bounds of the conference, If he should
desire to do so. 1t will be remember
ed that the charges were made against
DR.. Huston just upon the eve of the
assembling of the last conference, and
as a consequence there was not suffi-
cient time 10 procure the testimony
for his examination az that session,
hence The pOstpOnement Of the inves-
tigati0n until after the adjournment of
the last conference.
The investigation of the charges
Was made in private, but seems to
have been thorough, all the witnesses
being cxamined that could be gotten
before the ecclesiastical court. The
investigation, it is known, embraced
three specifications: first that of the
seduction Of young servant girl; sec
Ond, the seduction of the Sunday
School girl and, third, continued IL
licit intercourse with the latter.
The servant cirl was before the COM
mittee, ard made Il statementO of her
seduction, which she alleged took
place at the house of DIR. Huston,
where she had gone with n child OF
the person with whom she resided. 1t
was also shown that the family, up
to the time the girl left Baltimore, to
20 to live IN Savannah. hal entire con-
lidence iii her. There was evidence
on the part Of the defense in this case,
showing that there were intimatiOns
that the course of the girl was not reg
uIar before she left Baltimore, and af-
ter she went to Savannah. the family
with whom she had lived came in
possession of certain facts which
caused them to lose faith in her intcg-
rity and truthfulness. The head of
the family referred to, stated in wri-
ting that he would not take the girls
word in any matter of importance.
Next, as the charge of the seduction
of the Sunday School scholar. The
girl was before the committee, and
gave her statement in calm, quiet
manner, and attempted TO fix the time
of the alleged seduction, which she
stated was at the residence of DR.. HUI
ston, two months previous TO thanks
giving Day, 1870. The defence, as to
this charge, showed that DR.. Huston
was absent from the city covering
nearly the whole period of the month
in which the alleged seduction was
said TO have taken place, and inclu-
ding, especially the exact date said to
to have been indicated 10y the girl, the
9th September, 1870. There was also
some testimony going to show that
the girl had been seen at house of
bad repute previously; but the credi-
bility of the witness on that point was |
brought in question.
As to the third allegation investiga- |
ted, that Of Illicit intercourse with the !
Sunday School girl, the latter speci- !
fed four different times when said Of !
Tense was committed DR.. Huston |
OLce at the house of DIR. Huston on |
thanksgiving evening, 1870; twice at /
the house ola colored girl Lucy, in Old /
Town, formerly a servant of DIR. HUI /
ston, and once during the progress of
camp-meeting. AS to the Thanks I
giving evening occasion, there was
testimony adduced. showing that a.
that particular time DIR. Huston was
in company with other people. The
colored girl Lucy stated that the Sun
day school girl had never been at her
house.
The Sunday School girl testified
positively to having met DR.. Huston