Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-04-10
BRIST0R OONVICTED.
The Charges of immortality SuB-
tatned-He Appeals 10 the General
Conference.


The New York Sun OF Thursday
thus reports the closing act in the Bristor
investigation
The committee appointed by the
Newark M. Il. Conference to try the Rev.
George r. Bdstor, d. D., on charges OF
immortality, listened to testimony for the
defense on Tuesday night until IL
O'Clock. Dr.. Bristor denied the charges,
and called as witnesses some members Of
the official board of st Luke's Church.
The Rev. Mr.. Fitzgerald, the appointed
prosecutor, called no witnesses in re-
buttal, and at IL O'Clock the summing up
was begun. II was o'clock in the morn
ing when the committee heard the last
argument and adjourned. The Rev. Mr..
Parsons spoke little while for the
defense, and then DR.. Bristor addressed
the committee Tor three hours with argu-
mentB and entreaties. A member of the
committee said aiterward that 1t was the
most vehement and able address he had
ever heard, and that he WAS unaware
that there was man in the conference
gifted with 30 much ability and eloquencs.
Brlstor's final appeal, he said, was
tremendous.
ho OohNtbCtA nkolh ht "
O'Clock, and conferred upon its report.
THIS WAS agreed upon by O'Clock. Two
hours later the chairman, the Rev. DR..
Todd arose in conference and, stepping
before the presiding officer, Bishop
Andrews, said the committee desired to
present report. All the members Of
The conference were present, and the gal.
lerieS Of the church were well filled with
women. The brief report was listened to
with hushed attention. The clerk read
1t as follows:
To the Ne'1drk Annual Conference: The
select committee to try the case of George II.
Bristor respectfully report that after de-
liberate and careful consideration of the evi.
dence presented i'll the case they find that
specifications 4, 5, 6, z, 8, 13, IA, 10, 16, IS,
1920, ~, 80, Al and AZ are sustained, and that
Specifications /, 2, g. 0, 10, IL, IL, II, 81, %,
"a, 25, 26, %. 20, 80, 81, so, 49, 34 So, Sc, 81,
80 and 40 are not sustained, and that they
unanimously find that the charge of i'm
moral conduct IL sustained and that the
said George Il. Bristor be and hereby is ex-
PEELED from the ministry and membership of
the Methodist Episcopal Church.
JACOB ToDD, President,
GILBERT II. WINANs, Secretary.
As soon as the reading was finished the
Rev. Mr.. Parsons arose and said =" am
requested by the accused brother to
make an appeal to the 6e.efai Con-
inreIce. L qtest the secretary to make
3ote of tdl, appeal" FL bishop
.reclet ths secrata : to m Is ;he note.
vlah 0i iAt .. ! i-a gl.t wa tax sn
tLe report. ur. +nz, ta.d was ap
IuW j II repi'se s,.5 cUvi-tence at the
,sCinK % the Appssi. The Rsv. Mr..
iii nipvef = vote Of thanks to the COM
ti.tee ~ ts fidelity in diortargine it's
lty," hut, as the case stands appealed,
ne conference thought 1t was unwise for
it to express an opinion on the commit
ee's work.
DR., Bristor was not In the church when
the report was presented, having left the
city for Philadelphis in the morning,
He said before going away :
sit was all cut and dried and the only
thing | could gain by o0uiirg hers was to
get the testimony reduosd 10 writing for
luture use"
MIR Bdstor's father said the meetings
of the committee were unfsir. He took
occasion to deny report that his son
was expelled from Dickinson College ior
immortality.
many pcibuhb III lFtHhth hlbuRhb ihht
DR.. Bri5ter would be srrested ss coon as
the investigation ended. One of the
newspapers of the city cal ed upon the
public prosecutor to bring him 10 trial in
court. Yesterday Methodist lsymsn
who has poen officially connected with
the case said:
"Dr. BristOr would have been arrested
last week but for the Interference of a
certain man The latter found that some
Of the buys who were witnesses against
Or. Bfistor intended to have him
arrested. Their fathers had the same in-
temtion, while the other boys aud Their
fathers did not want to take the case into
public court. Well, this gentleman
whom | sefer to persuaded the boys not
to make the necessary affidavit. As for
Prosecutor Ksene, know that he felt that
1t was rot his duty to make the charge,
only to prosecute it should somebody
| else make it,
"Brstor's address last night was
wonderful. He is an awfully smart man.
He has studied law since he lett Newark
last summer, aud his speech was orderly,
lawyer like, aud almost overwhelming in
| power. Bnt his cause was weak, and the
committee we're unanimously sgainHt him.
"Some Of the specifications were rs.
| jected on technical grounds. For instance,
one alleged an oifense on July 2lst, but
the testimony showed that it was COM
mit.ed after midnight, and, therefore, on
July 22i, Others simply alleged that
Br!5tor told the buys that it was not
wrong to do certain ihipgs, and It may
be that some OF these were rejected.
Those specifications which charged one OF
the other of two gross Offeuses were
mostly sustained. Some members of the
official beard of St. LGke's Church testi
fed that Bristor admitted at the f rst in.
yestisation having committed the Lesser
of the two offenaes."