Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1872-10-17

turned to see her, and gave her $25 in the vesti-
bule, she sat quite while at the window, looking
out. No one came into the house, on that day,
to see her, after Dutton left. Josephine Carr
wrote letter for Mary Howard, (Maria,) the day
after she came to our house. Saw her write it.
Another daughter Of Mrs. Gillard made the
same statement.
J. L. M. Huston, of North East, testified that
Maria told him Mr. NJ. was the father Of the
child that he took her to Baltimore and gave
her Sl5 there and that her child was then a
month old.
H. Clay Baker and VIM. Alexander detailed
substantially the same statements as given them
by Maria.
DIR. J. H, lamar, of Elkton testified as to
conversation with Maria, after her return to
Elkton in which she said accused gave her $25.,
in Baltimore, and made charges against him sim
liar to those in her statement, the specified oc-
casions being only three.
DIR. j. II. Frazer, OF Elkton testihedto Maria's
allegations OF only three occasions, they being
between July and November, 1871.
Albert Constable, of Elkton, related several
statements, made by Maria, contradictory Of
those given to the other witnesses.
j. Il. Mccullough, of Elkton, an elder in the
Presbyterian Church Of which accused was pas
tor, contradcted various statements as to the
Wallace family made to Mrs Mathews by Maria.
Mrs. Ward, of Elkton, testified that as to
Marias character lived with her nearly years;
WAS much in the habit of going out at night,
sometimes till 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning
grew worse to this habit we objected to this,
and she left told infamous falsehoods about us,
after leaving; n man by the name Of Morgan
came to visit her.
Miss Laura Wallace, Of Elkton, gave her the
same character, aud corroborated Mrs. Wood g
statements.
Rev. ]. G. Hammer, D. d., of the Presbyterian
Church, testified that he had known Mr.. Mathews
over twenty years, personally and particularly /;
and had always reckoned him Of the greatest
purity and sincerity of Cbaractar.
Rev. Thomas j. Shepherd, ID. D., after thirty
years acquaintance, had never seen or suspected
in him anything to cast doubt upon the purity
OF the man, or the piety Of the minister.
The foregoing is a summary of the testimony.
II was shown, however, that MIR. Mathews, (con-
trary to report circulated in connection with
the affair." received less than $500 salary at
Elkton, and $1,000 in his present charge, and that
his present congregations are larger than that
at Elkton.
ACTION OF THE PREsBYTERY.
The committee of investigation consisted Of
Rev. John ID. Patton, ID. D., L. Yallandigham,
Rev. ]. Henry Johns, Elders Hugh Steel, and
Jacob Y. Foulk. The evidence AZ taken by
them, and summarized above, was reported
to the Presbytery, without any opinion or
suggestion upon it, on Tuesday evening,
at meeting held with closed doors.
The Presbytery again met on Wednesday, in the
intervals of the Synods session, and reached a
conclusion in regard to the matter in the even
ing 1t was unanimously decided by rising
vote that the Presbytery find no ground what
ever for preferriug charges entertaining suspi-
cions against Mr.. Mathews.
The paper adopted by the Presbytery, setting
forth the for its action in full. we shall
publish complete, in our second edition, to-day ]
DETAILS AS TO THE PARTIES.
The Presbytery Committee state that Maria
Salisbury is % years old; of illegitimate birth
her father was white, her mother very little col
ored; she is an intelligent girl, good talker
shrewd and ready, calm and composed Her
child is female about Maria's color; has an
African nose, black hair and dark eyes doubt
full if its father is a white man.
The same authority states that Rev. Mr..
Matthews is 4s years old and his character has
heretofore been unimpeachable. The Elkton
congregation numbered from 100 to 1876 salary
$500. the three churches which Mr.. MATHEWS
now has aggregate from 220 to 265; salary
$1,000