The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1877-10-30
A BIoAn0Us CLERGYMAN.
The Career Of o Preacher Who
Lays Henry Ward Beecher IN the
Shade


; a brief account ri the career 81 Rev. John
Foster. nf Hannibal, a bisamous clergy
man belonging to the Congregations
church. Tie association of Missouri
churches now in session at St. Louis, hat.
his case under advi>emcnt. lie preached
in Hannihai last winter and spring.
! During his ministry, however, it Wa
! learned that his life had been 4 notorious
7 IL bad nn. and there were grave sras";iS 's'
..,,bt the gennineaess at his reformation.
An investigation Was had AMI il.c clergy
man lef; Hannibal mn.ler a very .iara
cloud. II is said that he is now practicins
law in Troy, New York.
A, the meeting al the Hannibal As-"-ia
ton Yesterday morning, T.. II. Seward ac,cd
A Chairman. The following report oi ihe
; committee appointed by the Hannibal
church WAS presented, accompanied hy the
announcement thst upon This rrp,r; The
churci, mad sumn,arily dismissed Mr..
. Foster.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE
. The committee 20 whom WAS referred Oh.
/ case oi the person lately acting a. oar pas
tor. and known ~ the Rer. john fr-'''f
wonld report As follows
Mr.. Foster MAS regularly ordained hy a
council Of Congregational ministers a'"n:
two years ago, in ihe State "a! hams. a.
papers in his possession. purp"lii,'s :" 4"
certificates Of the officers al the e"mnc'i.
are genuine.
When called 10 this church in November.
1876. he Was preaching in Hro"s!ie:d, Ia.
ln January last paper came ini" tie
hands al ihree officers al this church
signed 10y \ responsible person resi'iin: IA
Kansas, making the gravsst charges against
Mr.. Foster, with specifications aEd Te'er-
cnces.
/ lie Was at tina; time engaged in the nni,"
meetings then in progress, an.i these hrrih-
rem hopcd that there was mistake a. I"
identity. or that the charges would prose
To I've
UNTRUE AND sLANDFRor-,
and IL would be unnecessary TO disturb hini
or the church with the matter aiaJ they.
therefore. thought hest "a investigate ii:c~s.
charges first, quietly.
They accordingly set about the inve>:is.-
lion, until they lad accumulated a ma>s al
evidence, bv letters from ministers, LAWYERS,
and others Of responsibility ia uarious sc
tions If the country, confirming the worst
statements made in the original chaiges,
! AMI revealing still greater offence.
| His name Is probably Jones L. Fosier.bni
. he has at diiiere..i times passed under as
sumed names. Ia 1859, while in college, h..
) was professor oi religion, and studying Tor
the ministry. but afterwards chose The pro
fession of law.
: He was first married In 1852, but aroG.
lS6:; he deserted his wife. leaving heT
With five children dependen, on her for sap
port, lie
H:GANerSI.Y MAEEiED
a Young girl in Vermont, persuaded her pa
rents 10 sell their lit.le home, and viii! him
move West The iather-ir-law soon al.er
died. Mr.. Foster, having -quandeIed ii,ir
woman's estate, embezzlcd large SUN Is.
money and ahsconded, leaving her with cr'e
child and her aged mother in destitute cir
. cum-tances.
Without waiting for decree OF divorce
mcnt he marries the third, fourth, fifth
and sixth time. His plan Of operation
seems Ia have been 10 abandon ;he vonn-';
when her money was gene. and his credi;
among her relatives MAS ic>i. lie H.
charged with various entertainments, and
forgery, and has been confined in prison at
least upon two occasions as the re>ul; al
these crimes.
The details of what has been thus briefly
stated show \ heartiessness. a depth al
depravi;y and Of deliberate villainv scarce
~ eIualed.
lie has, at various times, played
THE ROLE OF PREACHER
II the gospel, but il seems Tia: he has moi
been able 10 conceal his true character iur
a great length Of time.
Wien the three brethren before reierres,
to became satisfied of the truth al the
above facts, Mr.. Foster was confronted
with them. Time was offered him io dis
prove the charges ar 10 show any facts ia
explanation or mitigation of them. lie
offered nothing and wanted no further in
vcsiiga,ion. lie denied The particulars ia
part, hut his statements made in EXPLAIN
tisn uf few of ti,e charges are known Ia to
untrue. and rs 10 Others, lac r,sici :i!h
n simple denial.
These brethren then referred the matter
To the proper committee "i the church,
who requested from Mr. Foster his rcs,sna-
ton, which was rendered.
Your committee also find from evidence.
produced before il. that. Independent ci ala,
facts above stated. Mr.. Foster has, since h.
became member al the church, te.n guilty !
al oflenses wicked IN themselves, but mnr. |.
important rs Indicating that his conversion |!
in Kansas, rs were other pretended CONVEX !
Sions above referred Ia. was
SHAM AND A Tgatp .rSrL:. !
Facts haze been brought Ia light, n;"r.
particularly since Mr.. Foster left Hannibal, |
though IL seems to have been known ia par, 4
10 number 81 the church before lie icii, i
that the fa!se!.oods he has told upon the l
most solemn occasions, AMI uls.n the mos. /
important! susj-ci-. are wiihou, nunisr, .n.. .
that in short he has no regard whatever ior l
The truth. That he has borrowed money /
and obtained credit ga false preieIScS. Thsi .
since he LEFT IA hc has preached IN Western,
New York, AID il now attempting - find q /
pulpi, To supply, falsely representing him
sell 10 bc the pastor of this church. enjoying
4 six months vacation granted him by his
indnlgen; parisi.ioners.
Wherefore, the COMMITTEE, in view Of the
above facts do not hesitate ;o recommend
that The said John Foster i'c cxeomn,rni-
Gated from this church. All 81 which j.
submitted.
II. l.. Picrson, :. II. Barnes, G.. IL.
jesse Watson, j. II. Wheeler, J.
Y. HILBERT, John Volk, Committee.
The Hannibal Association endorsed the
action of the Hannibal Church. The fell
lowing report was drafted for presentation
10 the General Association, nv which body
i was adopted later in the day.
After Especial meeting Of the Hannibal
Association, convened at ST.
[ouis, October PC, 1877, to consider certain
rumors which have become quite general
.gainsf tLc Christian character o: Rev
John Foster, OF this body, he having been
July notified Of the same, the following ac-
ion was taken, viz:
From the evidence set before us, we find
hat Rev. John Foster has been found
utility Of wiIlful deception and habitual
alsehood during his ministry at BIookie.d
md Hannibal. We therefore feel called
lpon. ss an Association, to withdraw from
Inn the hand of fellowshin and In sfriloI