Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-09-16
gus Anseles Aerala.
The Heresy Inquisition in San
Francisco.

The San Francisco papers give
full reports of the proceedings OF
the Presbytery Of San Francisco,
which Is now sitting in judgmen t
on the heresy of Mrs. Selby Cooper,
the teacher of q bible.class In the
Presbyt yterian church. That our
readers may have an idea of how
this extraordinary examination is
being conducted, we give the fol-
lowing extracts from the reports of
the proceedings at Tuesdays ses-
sion:
Mrs. Cooper then took the stand
and detailed at great length the in
cidsnts OF her religious life and her
version of her long controversy
with Mr.. Roberts. Her story was
given with wonderful velocity of
tongue and considerable dramatic
force, and was spiced throughout
with sarcastic illusions and person.
al hits at Mr.. Roberts, which con-
siderably enlivened the proceed
ings. She acknowledged that once
when Mr.. Roberts speered in her
presence ut the portrait of her
loved "Cousin Robert" otherwise
"Bob" Ingersoll, the noted infidel,
she warmly resented 1t by declar-
ing that il she "believed that
heaven was made of such men as ].
b. Roberts and hell of such men as
Cousin Ipgersoll, she would prefer
to go to hell.p
She acknowledged that she once,
when very angry, spoke of Mr..
Roberts as 'the celestial hound on
the eternal huntfor heresy that you
are; you can put your nose on the
groupd and trace my trail back to
my childhood, and you will never
find anything that will not grace
Christian woman's life" She said
she had been accused of being a
rebel sympathIzer. 1t was false;
she was ardent for the Union dur
ing the civil war. She said she did
not write the eulogy on Colonel In
gsrsoll in one of the city papers, as
charged by Mr.. Roberts, and
added: ~ could have set Brother
Roberts's dear mind at rest on that
point long ago, only / wouldn't"
Then she read the only letter which
she had written about "Cousin
Robert" being a criticism on the
pulpit replies to the infidel lectur-
or, and the ecclesiastical assaults
upon him. In fact, she and "Cousin
Robert" We're SO In unison that she
omitted q formal Acknowledgements
OF his present of $500 10 the char
tiles of the city. Then she re-
marked: 'Brother Shearer said
something this morning that hurt
me very much"
Mr.. Shearer-I object. 1t is not
the business of witness to criti-
else the Judges at this point. I
have kept my temper pretty we'll
thus far, but
A voice Qnterrupting)-Not very
we'll; sit down.
Rev. Mr.. Woodward-Oh, go on; I;
a display OF temper from Mr..
Shearer would be very refreshing
just now, after what we have had
from others.
Mrs. Cooper take back all l
said on this point.
Mr.. Shearer-And l recall all I
have said about it. (Smiles all
around.)
Mrs. Cooper was cross. questioned
by her accuser as follows:
Q.-You write articles for the
newspapers called star notices-ad-
vertisements? Al do.
Odd you write such an article
on the qualities of Nabob whisky?
Al did not.
Odd you write such an article
decr1ptive of K0hler's wine cellar?
Al did; but don't think you
ought to be allowed to question me
about such things.
The Presbytery agreed with Mrs.
Cooper on this point.
Odd you say wheD 1 pre-
sented that paper against you in
the session that was mean hyp.
ocrlte. Al shouldn't wonder If
I did; / took it back, though.
Q.-.What did you mean by say
ing that I sneersd at Colonel In
gersoll? A.-Because you had q
sneer on your face when you raised
your face after looking at his pic
ture.
Q.-What did you tell me before
that about him? A.--That he was
q relative OF mine, and 1 loved him
very much.
A PERCH IN HEAVEN FOR NIGER
SOIL.
Odd you ever make this re.
mark with regard to Col. Ingersoll, +,
that he would have perch some
where In heaven? Al said that
thought he would be leaning over
the parapet to pull you in; that he
was large enough and good enough
to do it.
Q.-Large enough and good
enough to do it? A.-Yes; 1
thought he must be very kind
hearted to do that.
Q,-You remember the Sessions
resolutions disappearing OF your
proposed diamond bracelet rattle
for the benefit of the Kindergarten?
Al shall never forget them on
account of the spirit that actuated
them.