The New York herald., 1876-02-27
FRED. BELLS REPLY.
HIS APPEAL TO THE PUBLICAN ALIBI PROVEN
AND INCONSISTENCIES POINTED OUT.

HIS APPEAL TO THE PUBLICAN ALIBI PROVEN
AND INCONSISTENCIES POINTED OUT.
The following letter missive to the public has been
issued by Rev Fred Bell in answer to the allegations
OF immoral practices made against him by Mrs.
Mary /. Morris, a member of the Park avenue Metho
dist church, in Brooklyn
To THE PUBLIC
munication to you, but feel my duty under the cir
cumstances to expose the false accusation made by
Mrs Mary J.. Morris affecting my character as Chris
tan minister | have hitherto received generous
support at your hands, and is due TO you, to myself
and to the cause in which am engaged that you
confidence bring reproach upon the cause OF re-
gion Aud is for the purpose OF showing that this
charge is utterly false and has been "trumped up
aud sought to bo used 10 induce to remain in a
church had determiaed to loaye that write this let
ter The charge against is that the 21st day OF
April, 1875 addressed improper language to Mrs.
Norris and repeated 1t on the 10Th OF the same month
This charge soemnly declare to be utterly false in
every particular never in my life addressed to her
an improper word or gave her an improper look nor
did ever during my intercourse with her commit
any act unbecoming Christian minister
became acquainted with William g. Morris and his
wife at the Park church. which they attended
and after he profcsscd religion and joined the church
took interest In his welfare and tried TO induce Lis
wife to join him In the cause of religion called at
his house, as was in the habit OF calling at others.
supposed he sincere as he seemed 10 take an in
tercst the church. and expressed great desire that
his wife should also be brought to Christ aborod to
that end, and until this false and wicked charge was
made against me had reason to doubt his sincerity
the integrity of his wife. But now tind TO my
great regret. that as to both have been mistaken.
have ascertaned that Notwithstanding his professcd
conversion he is proiane IN his language and that she
is unworthy of belief and Of bad repute l make this
staten upon undoubcd evidence and WITHOUT hesi
taton knowing full we'll the legal consequences to my
self II am not able 10 establish the truth of what
here assert
AND CHALLENGE rHEM
backed up as they have been by Daisey, Stokum and
Taylor 10 give me the opportunity before legal tri
bunal Of establishing the absolute truth Of what now
state 1t IS not necessary to my present purpose nor
do intend at this time to give in detail the evidence
have in my possession but to refer to so much OF t
only may be necessary TO my full vlndication. l
seek not to attack others but to defend myself and
II misfortune thereby comes 10 any they can
not say II did it, When this false charge
first made at once requested and demanded that
the trustees of the Park avenue church should mme
datcy investigate the matter. They undertook in
formally to do so, and waited upon Mrs. Morris and
heard her statement Her statement was contra
dcory that they expressed their disbelief in the truth
OF her story and exonorated me- have before stated
and now repeat that at that interview fixed the date
Of the alleged offence of the 9th day oil April 1875
positively and crcumstanally, stating that Mr. Carson
aud her sister were in the house at the time and heard
my voice, and that Carson mado a memorandum behind
the door and in his diary OF tho occurrence and She
therefore, could not be mistaken as to the date At
that time Mr.. Daisey reminded OF the fact that
the 9th day OF April was attending conference IN
Pennsylvani and could not therefore, have been at
her house on that day. Finding that | was absent
from the city that day she states positively
that il the 21st day OF April that II occurred;
and to fix that as the date beyond all doubt she ad-
duces the circumstance in corroboraon that she
did in her statement as TO the 9th, to VITA friend
was in tho kitchen who asked lne what was the
matterYn She could not DO mistaken its
being the eth because friend there, asked her
what was the matter and noted 1t down. She can
not TO be mistaken as to the 2lst because "a friend
was in the kitchen who asked Inc what tho mat
tery' Now, | have doubt that when she and her
hackers nd out as they will when they read this let
dar that her last statement is false her lrst
they will withdraw the 2lst and substitute another
with the facility that the 9th withdrawn
and the 2lst inserted such act would be in perfect
harmony with the course hitherto pursued and her
statement would be precisely true OF any other date
as II was of the 9th OF the 21st Mr.. Daisoy
what lie may, knows that what here state is the
absolute TRUTH and 1t was he who FIRST called my at
tenton to the fact that was absent the 9th. And
10 the 2lst, which is the date fixed positively
and cIrcumsantiay by my accuscr as the date OF my
alleged offence II so happened that spent the entire
day OF April y, 1915, IN the company OF Mr. George W.
Johnson of Shenandoah Pa, than whom in
that community stands higher in public esteem. When
Mr. johnson saw the publication this false charge he
letter calling my attention to the occur
of the 2ls stating that ''as far the charge
upon the 2ls is concerned |, positively, from my diary
know il TO be false" then wrote TO Mr.. johnson
questng him to send me, under OATH statement OF
what he knew of my whereabouts on that day, which
MR. souxsos's LETTER
SHENANDOAH. Feb. 16, 1876.
MY DEAK FRIKSp-on Friday. April 10. 1875 LEFT my
@ SS%s S% y T 9s ' o DIARY TO or
incidents OF each day a; .se{ ocsqrred for The purpose Of
diary, find upon Wednesday, April y, 1873 visited
ycar housc This visit occupied the whole Of the
Ae & Dim dinner we Rn some tine in ySST study in company
Howard Dasys spending part Of The afternoon aud early
md Mrs Daisey) then accompanied Us TO class meeting
Which we psed 10 yoSr Rse and pn hs balance %
the evening in sccial OF paror guss Mr. and Mrs
Psy 'S hone S about HesS % nSsoS MA
scHurLEILL couSrY, STATE OF PESSsvLvaSIA. s. be
fore the subscriber Justice Of the In and for said
county personally appeared George Johnson and alter
men' is true and correct and u5RsS sS sash axsox
as' s b 1875 1S 'S"'' ''''' ' C. T. wiIISi6H, jP
rms EPvKcruALLY DIsPosEs
OF the charge mado against me- which Is, that
tho 2lt day OF April 1875, used improper language
toward Mrs Norris did her on that day, K
cep at the class meeting IN the evening Inch she
tended, and manifested change in her dcmeanor
toward me whatever. When they next amend their
charge, they had better be little moro careful In fix
ing tho Time aud OF all hope OF retreat by stat
Ing the date crcumstanaly they have heretofore
done
With this brief statement might dismiss this false
and malicious charge, but desire 10 call attention 10
few additional facts Her story, submit Is manifcsty
false upon ITS face. She says that "during the hrst
week OF March the said Mr. Bell asked deponent If she
told her htsband cveryihng she made her husband
her conldant, F" TO which she replied, eyes never do
anything to DO ashamed Of and make him my conhdant
in everything One would naturally suppose that
such language addressed to lady would call forth an
indignant demand for an explanation instead OF reply
such she alleges gvon. During the second week
In March she says, ''Bcll asked depOnent II she
happy with bcr husband" to which she responded
Eyes" Mr. Bell then asked, ''Do you not love and
not your husbandfu replied, III respect you my
pastor, but love my husband" lady who could
respect minister OF the Gospel under the circum
stances she states must indeed. have very strange
notions or ministerial propriety. "Bel said"
she continues, II do not believe you are
happy with your husband" and that this
was followed by 'improper proposals what
did she do aner being thus grossly nsued las
she prctends)g Nothing Did she request me 10 leave
No Did she forbid my visiting her againg No. Did
she tell her husband2 No. Well, what did occur after
that, according to her own statemcnts "Aftcr this
once or twice week until tho 2Ist day Of April ISIS
What cruel thing II was TO induce this poor, weak