The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-02-13
THE ISABELLA NINE.
THE ETHIOPIAN IN THE FENCE
Dragged out to the Light OF Day by a Lawyer.
Rev. Graves Comes In for sharsOr COndsn.
natIon-SerIous Accusations Made
Against the Church Authorities. b.

/ >
New York, February l2.-The Herald
to-day says in relation to the Isabella mine
controversy A new and startling feature
was added to the case yesterday, and
charges both verbal and written were made
against leading actors in the drama. Messrs.
Beach and Russell are attorneys doing bus
iness at No. III Broadway. The senior
member, Mr.. Beach, is son Of the Rev.
DR.. Beach president OF the Wesleyan Uni.
verify, ut Middletown, N. Y, leading
college in the denomination and the
grandson Of Methodist preacher. Mr..
Isaac F. Russell, his partner, is son Of the
Rev. W. II. Russel, Of Brooklyn: He, also,
claims Methodist minister fora grand.
father. "T mention these relationships" !"
said Mr.. Russell to Herald reporter, ITO
show you by what authority can speak
regarding the organization and methods OF
the Methodist Episcopal Church. The tes.
timony which l wish to present relates to a
branch Of this unhappy subject which has
only been hinted at and which l believe
ought TO be thoroughly aired, for ! think
il is the worst feature OF the whole case-
mean the base and scandalous use
which was made OF the organization OF
our denomination is forcing the rank and
file OF our ministers to put their hard.
earned savings into this detestable swindle.
1 am the possessor OF fifty shares OF the
Globe City stock" continued Mr.. Russell,
exhibiting certificate No. $50, emitting
Isaac f. Russell as trustee" to that mum.
Der OF shares in the common stock OF the
Globe City Mining Company, 80 you see
Ispeak feelingly. My special information
consists Of my familiarity with the meth.
ods by which the Isabella stock was i'm
posed upon the clergy in this vicinity.
While have no desire 10 enter into any
controversy, my partner and myself feel
that it is my duty TO lay bare the disgrace.
ful facts which are in my possession In
order TO make plain the influences which
know to have been used, It is necessary to
explain the organization OF our Church.
The form Of government OF the Methodist
Episcopal Church invests the presiding el.
ders with terrible power over the destinies
Of a large majority Of the preachers. 1t is
practically, form OF government as despot-
ic as that OF Russia. In each conference
the Bishop, with three or four OF the pre-.
siping elders, forms what is called the
cabinet The elders advise the Bishop on
points OF discipline, &c. The appointments
TO pastorates, which are made at stated in.
tervals by the cabinet, usually follow out
the recommendations OF the presiding
elders, each furnishing the Bishop with a
slate for his own district. Itis regular
political machine, and the presiding elders
are the bosses and have the distribution
OF the patronage. II the elders are not
honest you can see what frightful power
they WELD. Nineteen.twentieths Of the
preachers do not know whether the next
appointment will take them to fat pasto.
rate, with S, 500 salary and parsonage
thrown in, or send them ont to Murderer's
Glen or Skunk's Hollow at salary OF $3.50
q year. Salaries as low as this arepaid 10
hundreds. The fashionable preachers in
the cities, OF course, care very little for the
presiding elders. Their churches are pow
erful and have no trouble in persuadiDg the
bishops to retain them term after term. 1t
is the rank and file 10 which desire to
call attention, and they are the ones, poor
fellows, who are the chief sufferers by that
outrageous swindle, the Isabella mine.
A QUESTION OF RESPONSIBILITY.
81 know the Rev. Mr.. Graves, who had
an interview in Wednesdays Herald"
continued Mr.. Russell. "He was for four
years presiding elder in the New York
East Conference. He was very active in
placing the Isabella stock on the market.
He says in the Herald that he would not
like TO take the responsibility OF Dr. Fow-
Ter in the premises. For my part, should
not want 10 assume the responsibility oi
Mr.. Graves. know personally that while
presiding elder Mr.. Graves advised several
OF the preachers in his district to purchase
Isabella stock. He did it in this way: He
practically SO recommended the stock, al.
fecting perfect familiarity with the work.
ings OF the company, that by personal ap-
peals for subscriptions or for loans 10 him,
without any security except his own unin.
dorsed notes, he placed many Of the rank
and file Of the clergy Of his district In the
awkward dilemma OF either acQuiescing
in his proposition or by refusing to
do so running the risk OF meeting
his vindictiveness in the Cabinet OF
course he did not say, Rev. Mr.. So.and,so,
you must take some stock or you must
lend me some money 1t was, My dear
brother, this is very worthy object.
Bishop Simpson and DR.. Newman and all
the leading men OF the Church are taking
stock in order TO hel along the cause OF
that dear institution in the South, and It
seems to me as II we oughtto do something.
/ am creditably informed that the invest.
ment Is d safe one and promises large profits.
Mr.. Cornell, Mr.. Stout and General Fisk
are warm endorsers OF the enterprise, and
II you were to put a few hundred dollars
into the enterprise know that you would
not regret it. That was the style OF his
approach" "
"Were Messrs. Fisk, Stout and Cornell
interested in the lsabella?" inquired the
reporter:
II cannot say as to that. Their names
were very freely used in order to facilitate
the sale Of the stock"
"As ! said, this was the dilemma in
which Mr.. Graves placed these men. To
my certain knowledge many felt them.
selves in just the predicament have men
toned, and succumbed TO the inevitable,
A political assessment so to speak, was
levied upon the 500 or $500 they had
managed TO save out OF the pittances OF
salaries which had been paid them. Mr..
Graves declared that he paid S. per share
for some OF the stock. What did he pay
for the rest? He sold 1t at So and more.
Our professional advice has been solicited
by more than one reverend victim touch.
ing their remedy against Mr.. Graves"
"Is Mr.. Graves presiding elder at the
present time?"
"No. He was removed some time age" "
"Is there any quarrel between him and
DR.. Fowler" -..".-
lido not know Of any, though his re.
mark would imply that thete has been
one Hnwayar / do not cara 10 chronicle