The New York herald., 1878-11-10
A METHODIST SCANDAL.


A METHODIST SCANDAL.
HOW THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE REV. MIR.
BEALE's KISSING PRoCLIvITrEs AT wALLINo.
FORD, CONN, ENDED-THE COMMITTEE DE.
CLARE HIM NOT GUILTY.
New HAVEN. Nov. s, 1878.
'eYes, thought it rather odd he should kiss me:
but he being so much older than ]. and minister 1
guessed it was all right Thus spakc buxom Emily
Andrews. Of wallingford. to HERALD representative
recently Tall for her age. free spoken but not at all
bold. of light complexion and pleasant manner. she
made very attractive picture she stood in the low
doorway Of the house in which she lived a
servant The "he' mentioned by Miss Andrews
was the Rev. Joseph H. Beale. pastor Of the
only Methodist church in Wallingford. Mr..
Beale came very prominently to the front
during the late tornado excitement. and mad; it his
special labor collect money from charitable Visitors
who focked from far and to visit the ruins Of
the terrible cyclone. Hat in hand he passed up and
down the platform Of the little depot in front Of the
crowded excursion trains narratng the great disaster
graphic detail and making appeals for help for the
surviving victims of the great storm. He collected
many hundred dollars by his unceasing personal
efforts. Mr.. Beale also very prominent at the
trial in Madison Of the Rev. II. H. Hayden for the
murder Of Mary F. Stannard. It is not over . dozen
miles from Wallingford to Madison and nearly every
day OF the trial Mr.. Beale, sometimes accom-
panied by his wife. would drive over. He was . Arm
believer in Of the Madison pastor and in
his own energetic way bitterly denounced Mr.. Hay
denis so-called enemies. He knew Mr. Hayden in
college Middletown, where both were constant
panions and nothing could induce Mr. Beale to listen
to word against his brother pastor. OF late. how
thair
terest In Mr.. Hayden s case and now kept very
busy taking sides for and against their own Methodist
hinted at in nearly every paper the State the
object of the HERALD mans visit to the centre OF the
| great scandal.
| Miss Andrews who first visited answered.
without hesitation, that her pastor had kissed her
The circumstances these:-One evening she ana
| her sister Nellie sat together in tent such Al
those who went to spend meeting week" usually
cupied Mr.. Beale and friend entered and chstted
with the girls until late hour. Both to CO. out
after being absent short time. the minister returned
and kissed the sisters. To question to whether
Miss Emily did not think such proceeding strange.
she gave the answer quoted above.
Mary Pierce also about nineteen years Of age, and
is healthy. fun loving country girl; She was qusss
intimate with Mr.. and Mrs. Beale She used to keeu
house for her two brothers. the three occupying
half Of the minister's residence. Miss Pierce too.
said Mr.. Beale had kissed her number OF times. but
could remember. She thought il nothing strange
that this married man should kiss her. for she is
r. =
splendid man. and could not think 1t possible ~
would act improperly toward any one.
Mr.. Joseph Bronson keeps small carriage factory
shop in his working clothes. Bringing his huge fist
down with a thump on his workbench he said. Il
don't know of my knowledge that Mr.. Beae ever
kissed my wife. but do know he is an insinustng.
oily fellow. have every confidence in my wife. so
never asked her any questions; but heard she did
tell friend OF mine that he had kissed her. You
when he came here two years ago we couldn't pay
him much. so we all tried to make mp for it by
arlan aa le 70
my house, introduced him TO my wife and left him
alone with her. Then he got to coming quite fire.
quenty and he used to bring over poetry he wrote
and read It to She admired it, of and he
got quite intimate and came and went at will; But
got TO dislike him. he was so soft. and tell
you he don't come to my house now.
MRS. HAwxHURsT's STATEMENT.
s. Hawxhurst might be said to have founded the
Methodist Church in walingford. He brought
preachers from Brooklyn and New York ut his own
expense. and spared neither time nor money to build
up the Church he loved He In saddlcry and harness
manufacturer and does apparently thriving bust
ness. His wife is fine looking lady and of most
gaging manners. Mr. Hswxhurst would not as
first say anything against his pastor, but ON
repeating tho street rumors to him he finally
admitted that his wife had averrcd TO him that Mr..
Beale had kissed and made improper advances to
her. 'It is understood she drew up and signed .
paper containing her statement Of facts tho
reporter .and I should like to it." Mr.. Hawk
hurst replied "s5hc has not signed 1t yet and then
became dumb as An oyster refusing TO utter another
MR.. BEAIE DECLARED GUILTY.
L. M. Hubbard is wallingford's Postmaster. but II
famous Madison murder trial. Mr.. Beale saw At to
ask trial that the many charges against him might
be examined into. Presiding Elder Hill accordingly
summoned the Reys. j. b. Merwin, II. II. Loomis A. H.
Mead, George p Main. Charles \. Wing u. M. Adams
and Lansing. Methodist preachers In this district
~ n committee of investigation. The Rev. DIR. Dean
presented the against Mr. Beale and Mr.. Hubbard
defended. The investigation was conducted with
closed doors All that has been officially announced
s the following signed by the Presiding Elder and
the seven members of the committee
We the andersgned msnbcrs q the eommi,ce Of n
Rev H. Beale after careful hearing Of al the evidence
guilty.
Tho reporter thought Mr. Hubbard might answer .
few questions That gentleman said that the minister
shown at the trial to have been the victim Of q
plot. Mr.. Hawxhurst and few others became dis
gruntles some time ago because they could not run
the church they wished. They withdrew and then
began TO circulate these malicious stories. Yes Mrs.
Hawxhurst before the committee and she made
very poor showing. contradicting herself on every
the absence Of his wife and he sent
the domestic ont that he might make improper adj
vanccs TO the witness. Mr.. Hubbard said that this
story at disproved for Mrs. Beale testified
that she was sick abed all that month"; and the girl
domestic was positive that Mr.. Bcale had not sent
her out about that time any pretended errand as
alleged This domestic was Nellie Andrews. who.
Emily Andrews, her sister. said. kissed ut camp
meetings by Mr. Beae.) Mr.. Hubbard said In con-
cluson that the kissing question was not gone into
by the committee. as IL was thought to DO too silly.
THE MINISTER
All that Mr. Beale would say the reporter with
respect to the charges against him was tnat ne was
ready to meet his accusers at any tribunal this side of
Judgment" When talking he differed greatly from
his esteemed friend Mr. Hayden in that he grew very
nervous and contradicting the statement that
he had kissed Emily Andrews refused to stand by his
contradiction. but fell back upon his general denial
He would not make specific denial, although he :
denied improper advances proposals to any one,
and characterized the ruors against him as being in
stiqatcd by malicious persons former members OF his
church. who diskcd him because he refused 10 lei
them s.ruie or ruin The trial of Mr.. Hawxhurst for
sander, 40. is soon 10 take place before church