Smyrna times., 1884-10-22
The Easton NIinisterinI ScnndnI.


The particulars in the case of scan
dal at EastOn, Md, to which we re-
ferred last week, are these. A young
woman named Mason, in the employ
of Mr.. Lightbourne, the pastor of
EastOn station, was found to be
eacieRte. Her condition being discov-
cred about the same time a letter was
found, signed f. p. A. addressed to
her, and as she had been living in Mr..
Aldred's house, it was inferred that he
was the author of the letter; and upon
its presentation to the young woman,
she made a confession accusing him of
having ruined her. Mr.. Lightbourne
Immediately sent the girl to a house
for fallen women in Philadelphia, and
wrote to Mr.. Aldred acquainting him
with the facts in his possession. In his
reply to the letter he did not fully con-
fess the crime, but did not positively
deny it. Indeed he admitted that his
conduct toward the girl had been i'm
proper, and he begged Mr.. Light
bourne not to expose him, especially
as the immediate trouble was not
chargeable to him, but to another per-
son. Willing to shield Mr.. Aldred
from exposure, and intending to quit
the ministerial calling, Mr.. Light
bourne resolved he would not say any
thing about it. But in little while
the EastOn community were discussing
the whole affair freely, and as Mr..
Aldred had stood very high in the con-
tidence of the church, and the other
had not been so highly esteemed for re-
ligiOus character many believed Mr..
IL. was the real offender. However.
the matter was duly investigated at
HillsbOrO, Md, on last Thursday, the
10th inst. Rev. DR.. Caldwell, the
Elder, presiding. The committee con-
sisted of the following ministers.
members of the Wilmington Confer
ence, c. w. Prettyman, J. O. Sypherd
Alfred Smith, Thos. i. Terry, J. p
Otis, n. McQuay, n. NJ. Browne. r.
II. Adams and r. X. Stephenson. We
understand the result was Mr.. Aldred's
suspension from all ministerial services
and church privileges until the ensuing
Annual Conference, at which his case
will be fully considered and deter
mined.
The reports, as far as they affected
Rev. A. w. Lightbourne, were also in
vestigated on the following day. He
was entirely exonerated from any com
plant of immoralityi but was never
theless suspended for refusing to at
tend to the work assigned him in the
interim Of the Annual Conference. :"
The action in both cases, it is said.
was unanimous on the part of the com
mittee. 1t will be seen by the above
account that Mr.. Aldred suffers the
loss of support for himself and family.
His reputation is blasted, and a good
name, won by years of devoted toll in
his calling, is prObabably gone forever
He is temporarily out of the ministry
and out of the church, with the GER
tainty that, unless the presumption of
his guilt can be remQved, his suspen-
sion will be followed with expulsion at
the next session Of the Wilmington
Conference, A sad ending to a career
which, until this Offense, was one of
great honor and credit. Mr.. Aldred
left ChestertOwn to-day with his family
(who have the strongest sympathy of
the people of ChestertOwn) to visit
friends in Pennsylvania and mature
plans for the future, the probability
being that he will take up his abode in
some Western State in secular business.