The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-07-28
REV. GEO. R. BRISTOR IN TROUBLE.
Charges of Highly Immoral Conduct-A
Tr;a1 ond Ver1ic+ re Gu;ltv

Charges Of immoral and indecent con-
duct, of character unfit for publication,
we've recently brought against the Rev.
Geo. X. Bristor pastor of st. Iuke's NJ.
/ +. Church. of Newark, New Jersey, and,
him by the official body of that church.
on Monday evening hearing was given
1T the hearing, which lasted all night,
the charges were proven and he was re-
quired to surrender his credentials as a
minister and resign his membership in
the church, which lie did. The principal
witnesses against him were two or three
young boys, who testified to the most
disgusting and immoral practices upon
the part of this clerical fraud. 4 dis
patch from Newark to the Philadelphia
Times says:
The rumor of immoral and indecent
practices by the Rev. DR.. George r.
Bristor, the pastor of ST. Luke's Metho-
dist Church, eliminated in an investiga-
ton by the officers of the church on
Monday, which lasted until ) o'clock
Tuesday morning. After taking testi-
mony in the presence of DR.. Bristor, who
was allowed the opportunity of cross
examining witnesses and of defending
himself, verdict of his guilt was unan-
imousIy rendered, and he formally re-
signed his position and surrendered his
credentials to the presiding elder, Rev.
DR.. knowles, Bristor was a favorite
pulpit orator and preached successfully
in New Orleans. lie has u wife and
child and has family connections in Bal
timOlc.
The father of the young minister is
Mr.. W. T. Bristor, Of Baltimore. Mr.
Bristor lives on Exeter street, near Gay,
and is retired merchant, having been
engaged at one time in the flour business.
The Rev. DR.. Bristor is his eldest son.
The other sons are dealers in hardware.
The family did not know of the rl-
mors against DR.. Bristor until he gave
the information himself. AS soon as he
resigned his charge lie left Newark and
went to Baltimore. where he is at pres
cnt. lie is native of that city. is about
thirty-thrce years old, and good looking.
He tried to give connected account of
the trouble to reporter of the Sun, but
was So weak physically and so upset
mentally that he had to stop talking.
He was taken to his room and carefully
attended by his parents, who fear he
will lose his mind.
Dr.. Bristor said: "The statement that
there was official investigation is a mis-
take. When | heard of the rumors
called together the trustees and stewards
of my church and told them of the mali
cious whisperings which had reached me,
and then asked them to take action in
the matter. Some of the trustees have
bitter feelings against me and are very
unfrendly. When saw that there APP
pearcd to be disposition to believe the
rumorS | was 50 mortified that | resigned
on the impulse of the moment and came
home. lam sorry that surrendered my
credentials and would not have done so
had not been SO grievcd and Devil
dered. | shall demand thorough in
vestigation by the conference, which
meets in May. There is not the slight
est doubt about my being able to clear
myself of those absurd and disgusting
rumors. The only thing that worries me
is the mental torture of having suspicion
directed to me in such way"
Dr.. Brlstor's father says the rumors
originated with some young men of the
congregation whose immoral practices
had attracted his sons attention. DR..
BristOr had gone to them and given them
good advice. He promised the young
men that if they would reform he would
not tell their parents. He told them
also that they would have to cease visi.
ting the young ladies of the congregation
until they learned how to behave them
-. fl,af no
his promise and did not inform the par
ents of what he had discovered, bat the
young men thought otherwise and con-
cocted the rumors for the purpose of
getting even with him. He had recently
visited the people of his flock prepare
tory to going off on his vacation, and the
boys thought that his visits were for
other purposes. 1t is said that another
reason for starting the rumors was that
DR.. Bristor had declared his intention of
exposing young man who had misled q
girl belonging to the church.
DR.. BriStor was educated Dicki nSon
College. where he also studied for the
ministry. lie has been stationed sue
cessively at st. Michaels Easton and
Chesapeake City, Maryland; New Castle,
Delaware; New Orleans; then back
again at New Castle and finally at New
ark, where he has been two years, and
was building q fine church. While at
New Orleans Il report was published in
the newspapers that he had torn up the
seats in his church 50 that his successor
could not preach there, but the reports
were afterwards contradicted. He mar
ricd Miss Mamie Tasker, of Philadelphia, |
by whom he has one child. His wife is
now at Ocean Beach, New Jersey, in
delicate health, and does not know of
what has happened A brother of Mr..
Brstor left Baltimore last night for
Newark to demand return of his Gre
dentials and demand an inve stigation.