The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-08-08
DOINGo OF A DEACON.
A Member of the Protestant
Methodist Church Accused
of Criminal Intimacy
With Miss Lou Lapee, One
of Rev. Shepherds Re-
cent Converts.
He Denies the Charges Pre-
ferred and Asks for an
Investigation.
A Young Man Named Joe
Robinson Called to Verify
Statements Made.
One Hundred Persons Assem-
bled on Saturday Last to
Hear the Evidence.
Present Trouble Smoothed
Over, But Look Out for
Fun in the Future.
How it Originated, Together With
All the Facts Governing
the Case.
In Reaching a Settlement, q Free
Fight Comes Near Being
the Result.
Flat Creek Church, Two Miles
West of Ionia City, the
Scene Of Trouble.
Present Trouble Smoothed
Over, But Look Out for
Fun in the Future.
How it Originated, Together With
All the Facts Governing
the Case.
In Reaching a Settlement, a Free
Fight Comes Near Being
the Result
Flat Creek Church, Two Miles
West of Ionia City, the
Scene Of Trouble.

As has been remarked on many previous
occasions, the BAZOO is paper published
for the people now on earth; and, as such,
il gives all the news, without fear or favor.
As the recorder of home happenings, ii
has no rival; as society journal, it bears
of the palm; as the chronicler of news
items throughout the length and breadth
of the land, it ranks with metropolitan
publications; and last, but not least, when
it lays hold upon
CHOICE MORSEL OF SENSATION,
il gives i. to its thousands of readers en-
tire, showing up, only too often, the basest
of crimes where, to the outside world, vir-
tue is supposed to reign supreme, causing
oid-fOgy journalists TO turn green with
envy. and remark: "Such articles should
never appear in print; they have demon
aiizing effect upon the community, and es-
pecially upon the cause OF christianity"
Such, however, is far from being the truth,
and it is this latter class the BAZoO pro-
poses ventilating to-day.
Twas only last Sabbath morning that
the shortcomings of Rev. L. ] Shepherd, of
the Methodist Protestant denomination,
were held up to the gaze of the public,
wherein he was charged with
ATTEMPTING THE SEQ; CTIoN
of Mrs. Wells, wife of a brother pastor, at
the parsonage at MI Olivet church, in
Benton county To-day the scene of trouble
is Flat creek church, two miles west of
Ionia City, in this county, over which con-
gregation Rev. Shepherd presided until the
recent trouble caused bis retiring from the
ministry, clothed with infamy, and bearing
the contempt and loathing of all true
workers i'm the Lords vineyard.
For some weeks past it has been rumored
throughout that neighborhood that James
with wife and almost grown children, had
been on
TERMS OF CRIMINAL INTIMACY
with a member of Brother Shepherds"
flock named Lou Lapee, Young lady aged
about twenty-One years, who embraced
religion in March last. having been con-
verted by Rev. Shepherd.
Purcell is a weli-knOwn farmer, an elder
of the church above referred to, possessed
of monies and lands, and until the present
difficulty has always been looked upon as
an honorable, christian gentleman.
Miss Lapee is brunette, and rather in
clined to he handsome. Her father lived
in Henry county, where he died some six
wears ago, and her mother still lives i'm
that county, ten miles from Windsor, south
LEFT UPON HER OWN RESOURCES,
Miss Lapee engaged as a domestic in that
neighborheOd, and remained with different
families there until about two years ago,
when she removed to Green Ridge, and
secured employment at the Phillips house.
- A. Ill 4
the next heard of her was i'm the
family Of Mr.. John Anspaugh, a merchant
of Ionia City, where she first gained noto-
riety.
While at Anspaugh's she occupied a room
in which Mr.. AS little son, Logan, also
slept. One night about twelve o'clock a
scream was heard which emanateG from
Miss Lapee's room, and Investigation on
the part of Mrs Anspaugh revealed the fact
that Mr.. Anspaugh had
ENTERED THE GIRLS ROOM,
clad in costume calculated for summer
weather only. This fact, of course, fright.
ened Mics Lapee, and caused her to cry
aloud, and when the lady of the house en-
tered the room Miss L Informed her that
she would not remain longer, as when she
awoke she had found Mr.. Anspangh
fooling around her bed The lord and
master was called upon for an ex-
PLANTATION by the sharer of his Joys
and sorrows, and he hooted at the idea that
anything wrong was intended. He was, he
said, looking through the bed occupied by
his little son, merely to see whether it con-
tanned bugs-only this and nothing more.
His explanation was received by Mrs. |
Anspaugh with satisfaction, but not so
with Miss Lapee, who, at early dawn,
donned her apparel and
LEFT THE HOUSE, |
going to the residence of a man named |
Harnes who lived In the neiahhorhood