The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-02-15

PRIOR.
| Edit0r Of Iermonter;
In your paper of Jan. 10Th. appeared a
curious communication with this caption
"Rec Mr.. CopelDd'S Defence" signed l..
i. Copeland.
The late reception of a copy Of that issue
and the necessary delay in obtaining the
correspondence concerning Copelands case
then in the possession of Presiding Elder
Gregg, must be the explanation for the late.
ness Of this reply.
SO far as the public are persuaded to be-
lieve some of his planest and most posi-
tive statements in that communication con-
corning the unjust and unchiistian treat
ment he has received from the ministers of
Burlington district, and elsewhere, the
people may expend uncalled-for sympathy
for the man in his specious pleadings and
also entertain unjust prejudice against the
preacher of whom he complains.
10 the charges against him of crime,
contained in my Troy Times correspon-
dence copied into the Jermonter, he re-
plies "Such proceedings as l am charged
with do most Indignantly deny" and he
fleeing from detectives attempting muir
der, forgery, etc.. are utterly untrue. My
wrong doing was not of that character"
| In reply to these positive denials of the
charge of crime, and his specious plead
ings to enlist public sympathy. propose
to place before your readers extracts taken
from extensive correspondence with well
known and reliable parties residing in some
of the places where Copeland has
operated for the past few years.
These letters, mostly written to Elder
Gregg, are now before me, and flom them
| | quote These letters will, hereafter, be IN
the hands of Rev. O. Gregg of Brandon,
and if any one questions the authority or
the fairness of this showing, they can con-
suit Mr.. Gregg and the correspondence
also.
1t would be both instructive and inter-
esting, did space permit. to publish the en-
tire correspondence, so the public could get
a clearer history of the facts in Copeiands
case than is possible from this necessary
! abrdgment.
In the first place, he is no rereread, and
his assuming that title, and to act under the
authorities OF the church as u licensed min
lister, is in plain terms, dishonest, an imposi-
ton and a fraud All his certificates and
credentials are forgerics! Prof Bishop Ii.
II. Kavanaugh, of the Methodist church,
south, writes from Little Rock, Arkansas,
under date of Nov. so, 1874 TO Elder
Gregg.
This letter opens as folows-and has the
following extracts
Grey. Orren Gregg, Z. i.
Ny Dear Brother THE imposter l.. l..
| Copeland has been very troublesome to me.
He was with me some four or five weeks at
the North Mississippi, Mississippi and
Louisiana conferences, during part of which
time he acted as my private secretary; and
during that period lie took from me some
blank credentials and blank certificates OF
location, which he has been filling up as
occasion requires to suit his purposes.
did ordain him deacon at the Louisiana
conference, but thesc credentials were taken
from him by Bishop Keener and his presid-
ing Elder II. II. Montgomery, on its com
ing out that he had living wife while he
was passing as a bereaved widower."
/ His credentials and his certificate of loca'
ton are both forgeries. He took the
blanks from me with my seal attached
- He never was a member of the Georgia
conference.
He is an accomplished, persistent and
artful mposter with whom the church and
public have borne quite long enough. lie
should be published in his true and odiou.
character, that the public may be deliv-
cred from his wiles and wickedness.
This is the fifth time have been called
upon to expose this miserable but plausible
man. Es should be published and described
in person as well as character"
Thus writes Bishop Kavanaugh. The
person of whom he writes and Copeland
are one and the same, for he claimed tc
have been Bishop KS private secretary ant
his credentials had his seal. And yet thi.
Copeland told me at my table in his owr
words: 81 have been member of the
Georgia conference nine years" To Other
ministers on this district, he told the same
and similar stories, showed his certificate.
with Bishop Kavanaugh's signature and pri
vate seal, the blank aud seal stolen, ant
the signature a forgery. According tC
Bishop Kavanaugh's account, the said i'm
poster ION his exposure went from the
south "to Providence conference" Rho Il
Islaed, "under the name of G. w. Warren.
And here, will introduce another witnes,
who sends the following card to me per.
sonally.
"Leominster, Mass. Dec. 10, 1874.
Dear Brother Your article on "impos
tor" in Zions Herald of third inst, is al
right. If ever for the purposes of justice
the facts in my possession relating to hin
are needed-they shall be forthcoming.
was pastor at Fall River at the first church
and was the means of locating "Warren,
at Quarry street, Ga colony from my church,
in the same city, He told the same story
to me ut conference, prov and We were
all deceived. He is villain everywhere
Yours etc, ALFRED A. WRIGHT.
Rev. Mr.. Wright is well known mem
Der of the Providence NJ. L. conference
The article on 'impostor" to which he re
iers IN lions Herald, was substantially tn,
same, with the same charges of crime a
that copied from the Troy Times by tn,
FsTmonter
For special crime Copeland Warren
| oil Hall Rivar al al n,