Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1881-03-26
The Rev. MIR. Banister's
Statement.
Eds. independent /:


of March 18th, under the proceed
ings, Of the Methodist Conference,
the following statement was made:
eat the request of John Lama
han, Z. s. Fort made the follow
ing statement:
In September, 1880, George
CuIlison, a member of the M. Z.
Church, st. Mary's Circuit. died. -
| was requested to otficiate at the
funeral. 1t was determined, at
| the solicitation of his mother, to
bury him in St. Mary's Cemetery,
situated near st. Mary'S Femal lie
Seminary. When the funeral pro-
cassion reached the cemetery, |
was met by Rev. Mr.. Banister,
Rector of st. Mary's Parish Prot.
estant Episcopal Church, who
said, MIR. Fort. / will now take
charge of the funeral L replied
Mr.. Cullison was member of my
church, also his wife and son.
At the request of his aged mother,
who desired him to be buried by
the side of his father, we have
brought him here for interment.
Mr.. Banister said, You cannot
ofnciate ia this burying ground
it is consecrated, Oar law does not
allow any but Episcopal ministers
to read the burial service in the
ground A member of the vestry
said substantially the same thing.
"The mother of the deceased
then said Let us bury him here
and have the service elsewhere
"Mr Banister then said, That
will be burying him like a dog. Ii
you do that, will read the service
after you leave
The widow here interposed and
said, we will bury him at Eben-
ezer.'
The family and friends then left
the cemetery and proceeded to Eb-
enezer, about ten miles distant,
and laid the remains of Geo, Guilt
son to rest.
After some debate in which
John Lannahan, j. III. Dashiel, j..
A. Price and w. Il. d. GLENN
participated, the previous question
was called on motion to refer
the subject to a committee of three
and said motion not prevailing
resolution offered by &. M. Court
ney that the statement of e. s.
Fort be placed on the Journal, was
adopted"
On Tuesday the 18th, the fol-
lowing copy of postal from the
Rev. Mr.. Banister was submit
ted to the Conference.
Rectory st. Mary's Parish, Nd. !
March l4th, 1881.
Ny Dear Sir:
Your favor received and paper
also. am utterly COMPOUNDED at
the display of malice contained in
the statement enclosed to me,
which is so utterly false in the
manner and matter that it seems
only n mailman could have made
SUCH a statement, the truth of
which he kno,Us can be refttted by
his own people. / will send you a
full statement, the truth of which
will not be denied by our Metho-
dist Brethren here of the oc-
currence at ST. Mary's Church,
at the time mentioned. | write
this hurriedly for the boat When
| say that my relations, with my
Methodist friends who know of
the circumstances ere as pleasant
as ever, you will see how unjust
this statement. Excuse haste.
Very truly yours,
II. LEWIS BANIsTER
Up. S.-Please state to Bishop
Simpson and the conference that
charge malicious falsehood in the
matter"
AT the evening session, March
SHY, of the Conference, amotion
was made after the circulation of
this communication, that the state
ment of f. s. Fort be expunged
from the minutes of Conference
this was lost by vote of6l TO 60.
Had the motion carried, there
would have been an end of the
matter, for it would have reduced
it, very properly, to a personal
! matter between two gentlemen
AS it is we think it unjust to the
Rev. Mr.. Banister not to give
the public his statement, which
came too late to be read b. fore the
Conference. In your paper the
first statement was published, and
we are sure you will gladly do JUS