The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-24
THE REV, FRANCIS /. SMITH.
THE CIIiRGES THIT THE UIDOW ma
IILD.I kITTELLE MIDE
The Committee OF Plymouth Ucthci, amer
their InNestignticn, Henching the Conclusion
that the Reverend Gentleman IL Innocent.

!
Brooklyn was going to his Office in the Bethel,
arm in arm with his father. stately gray
haired man. Mrs. Matilda kittclle. u widow, aged
about 80. who was dressed in n becoming suit
of brown silk. heavily trimmed with velvet.
stepped up to him and said cxcitcdly. waving
her parasol: " Frank Smith. | want you to deny
to my face the charges that make against you.
dare you to do II. lfyou are innocent YOU can
do it, ask you M n man to do It," Mr.. Smith
braccd himself up and tried TO pass along She
put out her parasol to stop him and said. oh.
liar. scduccr drunkard. hyporritcl"
Mr.. Smith. the elder. said: Poor soul. poor
soul"
" Don't poor soul me-" she exclaimed; say
that to your SON"
Mr.. smith, the elder. graspcd hor by the arm.
holding herwith tight grip and pushing her
along She demanded OF him to let her go, say-
Ing that ho had no business to lay his hands on
her; that she would have him arrested for as
sault and battery. The Roy. I. L. Smith dartcl
into n butchers stall. and the enragcd widow.
shaking her parasol at him said. SEQ. il he
was nm innocent man, would he hide himself in
A number of persons Witnessed tho scene. nl-
| tnough II lasted but minute. and the publicity
| that followed II has led TO the uncnrhing of
scandal that will doubtless give the Examining
Committee OF Plymouth Church much increased
| work.
The Rov. Frank l.. Smith ia about thirty nvo
| years OF age, portly and proud. He prays in
| Plymouth Church. IL conspicuous in temper
| ancc and religious meetings. Is a sweet singer.
| ana is persuasive in his mnnnor. IL" hns largo
blue eyes thick lips that are full ~ express ion,
| wei. kept side whiskcrs. and rich brown hair.
| He has been at the Bethel about a ycar aud a
| half. succeeding there the Rev. Charles W.
! Morton. He came from Rochester, whore no
! bad boon secretary Of the \. VI. G. 4. Mrs. Ma
! tlda kiitcnc is q, widow. with two children
years ago. in Michigan. She has been 1--WE years
| a member q the Bethel; She IS IN poor circum-
| stances. and is personally Of pleasing presence.
| She is frank and modest in manner, dresses
quietly. has large. ttust!ul gray eyes anu
| lives on the top noor Of n frame house At 259
! High street. Brooklyn. whore she sews Tor
living. Her brother John Lewis, is a ma
On March 8 last. Icvls told Mr.. .Laieh;on
who taught ine Eibls class Of which he Yas
sister. nnl accused him Of drunkenness and Of
ard playing. He said that he was forced to
reprOve MIR. Smith who is u married man with
I've children. Tor over.attcntlon 10 his sister In
with him AT his homo until liz f. NJ. and that
| the following wcek he came TO the house drunk
| He had observed that his sister spent great
deal OF time ai the Bethel and that sheGot homo
| late. He said that he had told his mother that
which shc aGreel While Mr. smith
often or stay out SO late. but when he returned
in september she renewed her visits and her
Tuesday. OCT, .. Mrs. Kittelle went down 10 tho
9S Rsko6 r0Pt bt.is sA"nd iS@ cor 5n seat s
| the Clinton House. and then being suitably dis
2ds and ns dsFnRea FRoh qq ss Tar n run
and in few minutes took seat by her side
They got ont at Pacific street and Flatbush ave-
| nuc. and took long walk. in which Lewis fol-
lowed them. They parted on Vanderbilt ave-
nue.. Tho next time he saw Mr. Smith he tod
lac was on the car. nnd said that hc
went home early. because his. wife WIS
asked & ihem il Mr. iSs icyiss had had "id iiod any any
| one. and said that If II wa- known at the Bethel
It would Kill him. lie promised not t, rcpoat.
than have itknown: for, in the light oi the ro-
cent Fred. Bell is.losurcs, he would not be
| able To acquit himself He repeated these state
| ments to Mr. Isaac Signor. Superintendent ot
the Bethel aud member Of the plymouth
Mr. sicnor told il to Mr smith, who denied eli
except the conversations. Lewis. in the last Of
Shcarman and Reuben Ropes, ,who. said that
| they would Put them before the Examining
| Committee but never did.
ON March Is Mr.. Smith says he received the
| following postal card:
Are YOU satisfied now hat meant business in my
e@ySdre @ aGdrc'ed o s,e,oa NgS wy yofR % cS Il
,. yoa DO not reipond at once viii push things Pride
Mr.; Smiths father put decoy, letter in at Sta
Ton d. ms Iity' ~ no one called Tor t. 9nd then
ing written the card just quoted. as follows;
ltisa hard case but We don't wan, any more scandal
ssn 3 wS M smith @ a "a SSd Sdd T dr s o a an S S n9 m5i s
place viii he named come down Be merclfu IN your
Orange street MARI It private on envelope,
Lewis sent nm acknowledgment of the notc to
the above numoer bqt heard nothing further
| mtee Of teachers Of the Bethel. comprising
Messrs. signor, Lane. Kellogg. Lloyd. Laighton.
| and others. and make his statements.
On May he met the committee in tho Bethel
tqld him II L ,hG e story which Is given above. md
a statement Of which the following il the sub
|
in February 1877, then in March ana whom
they moved into High street. he called frequent
y. He called one day, and learning that she
turn by way Of Fulton ferry. he met
ake oh1 rnt asked Of bs% PSr"9s taxa K Fs9%
oysters. She met him soon afterwArd near
Knox's hat store on Broadway, at Fulton street
mentcd on the lovely weather and asked her 10
go TO Staten Island with him. She., asked If IL
DG re on tho sand slam wRere they S oGa @
ner. At his request she drank one glass Of ale
%th him b ana Wngp Ws she rfiSSed to take an
have so good a chance in Brooklyn, and he took
another. Then he asked the landlord for prl-
would not do; and when She sa!l no. nc
seemed dissatisfied; He paid the bill for the
dinner but said TINT h9 didn't want to 20
had some soda and sarsaparia. As they
passed lager beer garden he invited her IN.
drank one. and she drank half ofthe other. and
threw the rest on the ground. He asked for a
| private room, and they We're shown into ono
where there was lounge, on which Mrs. Ket-
| tee, being very tired, threw herself. She
describes what follows thus
| " | said / could go to sleep. He began to kiss
ard caress me, and asked him to stop did
not like such nonscnec A shower came np
and il was after six o'clock when we left Ilc
said it would be funny i / was called
lie broke my umbrella and | carried his wfes
until it, was, nXed. lie told mo he loyed me
when he first saw me at the Bethel. |
told him he had no business 10 love
He asked me il had n secret from him would
ever tell it. If thought that | was dying. |
should be afraid to tell met him at
| Catharine ferry toward evening one Friday. He
talked about the Bethel and the pe2ple ,cqn.
mo- lie said viii you go with me anywhere
where want to tako you-to beautiful little
narlor whore we con sit and talk about one
thing and another
nothing only to he with her, that she might tell
| him how his talk sounded. lie told her in ono
| of the walks in the Park that he was miserable,
for his wife did not cnre for him. For tho last
ten years We're nothing but sorrow. and disnp-
pointmcnt; lie begged and pleaded that she