The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-06
A PLUCKY PASTOR.
A Connecticut Minister Exposes the Sins of
Wealthy Parishioner.

Wealthy Parishioner.
Hebron Special.
The pastor of the Congregational fold here,
Rev. G. B. Cutler is in big row. The
wealthy man of the town, ]. B. Fillmore,
one OF his own hearers, sues him for $1,000
damages. The trouble arose from q sermon
which Cutler preached on a polygamist in
Hebron, and although Mr.. Fillmore's name
was not mentioned, yet everybody recognized
the picture presented by him. The speaker
spoke of Mormons as having plurality of
wives, but they, he added, are compelled to
take care of them. The Hebron polygamist,
however, instead OF supporting all his wives,
adopted more economical method of
taking care of one at time
He was vile and smooth-spoken
man and oily-tongued. The sin of the Heb.
ron church member was the breaking of the
seventh commandment The speaker went
on and described this member coming to
Hebron; told how he looked upon one of the
fair daughters of the village, and wanted
her, and how he estranged himself from and
divorced himself from his wife. Then he
looked upon the daughter of Hebron and she
upon him with favor and they were mar
ried, and his lawful wife sat on one side of
the church, while his unlawful wife sat with
him on the other Continuing Mr.. Cutler
spoke of the member as man of talent and
one who took a more prominent part in
meetings than the worthy deacons of the
church themselves. He was a man, the pas
tor thought who ought to be excommu-
nicated, for the church itself was not
safe while this breaker of the seventh
commandments man rotten to the core,
and one with whom you could not talk an
hour without some vile blackguardism or
vile story escaping from his iips-remaned
in the fold.
1t appears to be true that the rich Fill
more has had four wives, two of whom have
attended church here for some time past
Mr. Fillmore came here several years ago,
bought small farm and settled upon it
with his wife, which at that time was num-
Der three. The first two wives are not known
of here. He had not been here long before
he met Mrs. Gates, woman who unfortu-
nately, perhaps had husband, though not
living with him at the time 1t is said Mr.
Fillmore liked Mrs. Gates better than his
wife, so much better that soon afterwards he
was divorced from Mrs. Fillmore Mean
while Mrs. Gates was divorced from her hus-
band, and not long afterward she became
Mr.. Fillmore's number four. The couple
went to Lockport N. Y, remained there a
year or more and then returned
to the Hebron farm again. Mr.
Fillmore and his wife number four were
welcomed gladly unmindful that she was
dropped from the house of worship years
ago, and also unmindful of the alacrity the
man had displayed in getting rid of num-
Der three and marrying number four Some
time last summer Mrs. Fillmore number
three came back to Hebron. 1t may have
been owing to the fact of his having two
wives present at evening meeting that dis
heartened Mr.. Fillmore and made him pre-
serve silence for time. Calls unon Brother
Fillmore to speak finally brought him to his
feet, and he talked of the camel and the
needles eye. Wife number three sat in
front of him. She swung around and gazed
contemptuously upon the speaker during
his remarks. The tabieau made more of an
impression than anything that was said
What will be the effect of Mr. Cutters SER
mon nobody presumes to guess Mr..
Seymes, another divorced man, has been cir
culsting paper for signatures, which re-
quests the pastor to resign. Mr.. Fillmore is
an active Republican, and has his followers
Mr. Cutler has many warm friends, and the
people here are very much worked up over
the affair,