Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-11
NASHVILLE TENN. SUNDAY. JULY Il. 1875.
A FALLEN PILLAR.
The Lamentable IndiscretiOn Of ReY.
JnO. w. Hammer, Sr.
What Came Of an Obscene Letter to q
Lamb Of His Flock.
Investigation Of His Case by a Church
Commission.
His Suspension Pronounced By the
Presiding Bishop.

His Suspension Pronounced BY the
Presiding Bishop.
Within the past few days sweeping cir
culatiOn has been gained by a report Affect
ing the moral character Of one Of the most
eminent Methodist preachers in the State
and one of the ablest, intellectually, in the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South, tO-Wit
Rev. John w. Hammer, Sr., Presiding
Elder of one of the Middle Tennessee dis
tricts. II originated from letter placed
in the hands Of the authorities Of the
church in this city, addressed 10 certain
young lady in Rutherford county and in
tcrcepted in its transmission The exist
ence Of the letter and gossip about its con-
tents are now on the lips of thousands Of
people, even having been published in pa
pers 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 immedi-
ately, and we were urgently requested by
leading members of that church TO await
the result, before making publication on
the subject Out Of consideration for the
great denomination directly concerned we
yielded seeing that they intended to put
the accused upon trial a. once, and estab-
lish his innocence or guilt.
Friday having been fixed as the time
and MurfreesbOrO as the place for the in
vestigatiOn, q special reporter was sent
there, in order that full and authentic ac-
count might be laid before our readers at
the earliest moment. The reporter found
that place all aglOW with excitement.
The committee, consisting Of Bishop Nc
Tyeire, Rev. j. r. PlUmmeT, Of Clsrksville;
Rev. VIM. Hughes, OF Lebanon; Rev. j.
B. Barbee, Of Mu-freesbOrO; Rev. l.. Z.
Bryant, of Mill Creek Circuit, and Rev. Il.
d. Rivers, President Of Martin Female
Institute Of Pulaski, arrived and began
their session, with closed doors, IN the
Methodist Church, al 1880 O'Clock a. NJ
They remained in session until O'Clock,
and examined Miss NailOr, Henry NailOr,
John J. Nelly, who married Miss Majors
sister. and Rev. Sumner McFeTiD, pastor
at Fosterville and Bell Buckle.
Miss Nalor was the young lady whose
reputation was involved. The examlra-
ti0n of these witnesses resulted in her COM
plete vindicatiOn, she proving an excellent
character. DR.. Hammer, who was present,
admitted that what she stated was III every
respect the truth. Bishop McTyiere deliv-
cred the opinion Of the committee, during
which, it is said, that several Of the minis
tiers shed tears freely.
The committee, a little after 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 Murfrees-
bOrO al O'Clock.
The young lady has an intelligent face,
but she is by no means beautiful one ap-
peared TO be about twenty years OF age, and
is said 70 be very sOciable, atectionate and
kind in her disposition. She IS q MEMBER
If the Methodist Church.
The only charge that our reporter could
hear Of, was that DR.. Hammer wrote very
indiscreet letter 10 TIE Young lady, having
references in it that were somewhat out oi
the bounds of deceucy. The reporter made
diligent efforts to obtain copy Of the let
ter. but his efforts were in vain. De
learned from one OF the witnesses, now
ever, that the letter was dated June p, al
Nashville, and was signed Sad but True"
and was enclosed in one Of the Methodist
Publishing House envelopes, and addressed
10 Miss Paralee NailOT. The witness said
The letter commenced by calling the young
lady ssdear one" that the writer of the let
ter wrote that as he had been disappointed
so often, and seeing her excitement
and agitation on the morning she came
out TO the buggy to get an Overskirt, he
wOuId avoid the cause of his trouble by
writing her that letter. The letter referred
TO a CHAPTER OF SOl0mOn's songs, which the
witness thought Was either the 7th 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
| CesiTed 10 be with him, TO make an ap-
I pointment and he would be there; there
would be no failure on bis part. he said
! that he would be at FOsterville on the Tth,
| Sbelbyyille on the 10Lh, and return TO Eos
| terviIle on the 18th, and named the last
place as the best. Witness did not know
| what this meant.
We give the above Just as the witness re-
| heated it 10 our reporter. The letter ar
! rived at Fosterville on the 26th Of June,
| and Henri NailOr, who, in connection with
| his brother John, keeps store at thai
! place. seeing the Methodist Publishing
| House stamp upon the envelope and think
! ing that il was a dun for subscription 10
| the ChrisitdH AdCOcgte or. a request tE
| renewal. opened il aud read its contents.
| He Immediately became very U'uch en-
| raced and took the letter to his sister Para
| lee. aud af.er telling her the
| contents. asked her what it meant.
| She seemed % be almost heart
broken and again and again ayowed
| her innocence Of any knowledge OF 1t, and
continued 20 do so up TO her eXculpatlon
! Friday. The cnraged man then took the
| letter TO Rev. Sumner NCFeTTin and showed
/ il to him. He retained the letter and
| prOmised TO have the matter Investigated.
| Henry requested him not to say anything
| TO DIR. Hammer about it, but let him come
! to UUiOnville and preach II he could. ms
was deemed by some as threat.
Mr.. McFerrin kept the letter few days
| and then brought il to Nashville, on Mon
day. Juue 2S, and showed it to Bishop Nc
| Tyie-e and a consultation was held as to
! what stems should be taken in regard 10 the
| matter.
| Bishop AIcTyiere went down TO Poster
| Vile promplly and looked into the matter,
The result beiug the temporary suspension
] Of DIR. Hammer, and fixing Friday, the 9Th
Of July, as the day for trial.
! II is said that after DR.. Hammer learned
of his suspension, he Immediately WrUte a
| letter of apology to the young lady, dated
! Tuesday, June %, ard mailed July l, at
/ Nashville. There Wa 40 signature TO this
/ letter, which was alsu intercepted by Henry
\ NajIor. OuG If tie Witnesses told our re-
| porler that hg could H0- remember all the
/ contents of the letter, but that it was an
| apology for the drsG letter, and stated that
| tie writer E.,4 not been able TO sleep any
| az all since lie wrote il; that upon retlec-
tiOn he felt sorry for what he bad done and
asked her forgiveness. He said that the
| suggestion he had made was terrible, and
that he could not think Of it without feel
ing a perfect sense of horror.
| Henry Nailor received a letter from
! DR.. Hammer last Saturday, dated at
Murfreesboro, in which he said that
if the first letter had been received
bv the one for whom it was intended, 1t
would have been consigned to its proper
destination, and none Of this trouble would
have come up.
The reporter was unable to get copies OF
the letters, and hence had to rely upon
What little the witnesses could tell him.
1t IS thought that il they we're published IN
full they would shed more light upon the
subject, and would be better understood
than 5y giving . mer5 synopsis.
/ The Young iady's relations say that she
looked upon DR.. Hammer as a father, and
treated him in as kind and cheerful man
ner as possible, not thinking for moment
that this kindly feeling would prompt him