Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-07-17
What Came Of an Obscene Letter. to
Lamb of His Flock.
investigations OF Ills Case by Church
Commission.
His Suspension Pronounced by the
Presiding Bishop. ge


Commission.
His Suspension Pronounced by the
Presiding Bishop. g
Within the past few days sweeping
circulation has been gained by a report
affecting the moral character of one of
the most eminent Methodist preachers
10 the State and one of the ablest, in
tellectually, in the Methodist Episco-
pal Church, South, to-wit: Rev. John.
w. Hammer, Sr., Presiding Elder of
one of the Middle Tennessee districts.
1t originated from letter placed in
the hands of the authorities of the
church in this city, addressed to GER
tain young lady in Rutherford county
and intercepted in its transmission
The existence of the letter and gossip
about its contents are now ON the lips
OF thousands of people, even having
been published by papers outside the
State-said publications doing, by the
way, serious injustice to the young lady
connected with the affair.
1t was part of the original rumor
that an Investigation was to take place
Immediately, and we were urgently re-
quested by leading members of that
church to await the result, before
making a publication on the subject.
Out of consideration for the great de-
nomination directly concerned, we
yielded-seeing that they intended to
put the accused upon trial at once, and
esta blish his innocence or guilt.
Friday having been fixed as the time
and Murfreesboro as the place for the
investigation, a special reporter was
sent there, In order that full and au-
thentic account might be laid before
our readers at the earliest moment.
The reporter found place all aglow
with excitement.
The committee, consisting of Bishop
McTyeire, Rev. j. r. Plummer, OF
GAINESVILLE; Rev. VIM. Hughes, of
Lebanon; Rev. j B. Barbee, of Muir
freesboro; Rev. L. c, Bryant, Of Mill
Creek Circuit, and Rev. r. HI. Rivers,
President of Martin Female Institute
of Pulaski, arrived and began their
session with closed doors, in the Meth
odist Church, at 1870 o'clock A. M
They remained in session until
O'Clock, and examined Miss Nailor,
Henry Nailor, John j. Nelly, who
married Miss Majors sister, and Rev.
Sumner McFerrin, pastor at Foster
vile and Bellbuckle.
Miss Major was the young lady
whose reputation was involved. The
examination of these witnesses result
ed in her complete vindication, she
proving an excellent character. DIR.
Hammer, who was present, admitted
that what she stated was in every res
pect the truth. Bishop McTyeire de-
livered the opinion of the committee,
during which, it is said, several of the
ministers shed tears freely.
The committee, little after three
O'Clock, took a recess until 4 o'clock,
and the young lady and her brother
and brother-in-law soon thereafter left
for their homes on the accommodation
train that passed Murfreesboro at
o'clock.
The young lady has an intelligent
face, but she is by no means beautiful.
She appeared to be about twenty years
of age, and is said to be very sociable,
affectionate and kind in her DISPOSE
ton. She is a member of the Metho-
dist Church.
/ The only charge that our reporter
could hear of, was that DIR. Hammer
wrote very indiscreet letter to the
young lady, having references in it that
were somewhat out of the bounds OF
decency. The reporter made diligent
efforts to obtain copy of the letter,
but his efforts were in vain. He learned
from one of the witnesses, however,
that the letter was dated June %, at
Nashville, and was signed Sad but
True, and was enclosed in one of the
Methodist Publishing House envel-
opes, and addressed to Miss Paralee
Nailor. The witness said the letter
commenced by calling the young lady
dear one" that the writer of the let
rer wrote that as he had been disap-
pointed so often, and seeing her ex-
element and agitation on the morning
she came out to the buggy to get an
overskirt, he would avoid the cause of
his trouble by writing her that letter.
The letter referred to a chapter of Sol
onions songs, which the witness tho't
was either the 18th or Sth, but could not
exactly remember which. He asked
her which she preferred to play, a
game of croquet or pomegranate, and
if she desired to be with him, to make
an appointment and he would be there;
there would be no failure on his part.
He said he would be at Fosterville on
the 9TH, Shelbyyille on the 10th and
return to Fosterville on the. 18th, and
named the last place as the best. Wit
ness did not know what this meant.
We give the above just as the wit
ness repeated it to our reporter. The
letter arrived at Fosterville on the Goth
of June, and Henry Nailor, who, in
connection with his brother John,
keeps store at that place, seeing the
Methodist Publishing House stamp
upon the envelope and thinking that
it was dun for subscription to the
Christian Advocate or a request for
renewal, opened itand read its contents.
He Immediately became very much en-
ragged and took the letter to his sister
Paralee, and after telling her the con-
tents, asked her what it meant. She
seemed almost heart-broken and again
and again avowed her innocence of any
knowledge of it, and continued to do
so up to her exculpation Friday. The
enraged man then took the letter to
Rev. Sumner McFerrin and showed it
to him. He retained the letter and
promised to have the matter investi-
gated. Henry requested him not to
say anything to DIR. Hammer about it,
but let him come TO Unionville and
preach if he could. This was deemed
by some as a threat.
Mr.. McFerrin kept the letter few
days and then brought it to Nashville,
on Monday, June %, and showed it to
Bishop McTyeire and a consultation
was held as to what steps should be
taken in regard to the matter.
Bishop McTyeire went down to
Fosterville promptly and looked into
the matter, the result being the tenn
porary suspension of DIR. Hammer, and
fixing Friday, the 9th of July, as the
day for trial.
1t is said that after DIR. Hammer
learned of his suspension, he immedi-
ately wrote letter of apology to the
young lady, dated Tuesday, June %,
and mailed July l, at Nashville. There
was no signature to this letter, which
was also intercepted by Henry Nailor.
One of the witnesses told our reporter
that he could not remember all the
contents of the letter, but that it was
ON nnnlnpv for the first letter. and