Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-12
PARsoN BRIsT0R's RECORD.
Ais Steps Dogged by Scandal Wherever
He Goes.
From he Ne1o York star

He Goes.
From the Ne10 York Star
WILMINGTON, DEL. April 1.-Dsgrace
and shame have long logged the heels
OF Rev. George r. BrIstor, d. D., once the
pet and alteration of Methodists between
the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays, and
yesterday permitted to withdraw from the
Newark, ID, conference under charges
OF gross immortality. a graduate OIL
Dickinson College is authority for the
statement that Mr.. Bristor left bad rec
ord behind him at Carlisle, and was eN-
! PEELED from mis- fraternity for grossly i'm
moral conduct. Since then half dozen
Ike charges have been made against
him and he mas been a constant subject OF
gossip.
According to the recolleetions of pro-
minent Methodist clergyman, Mr.. BristOr
! first connected himself with the W Winning
ton conference IN 1871, and was assigned
to fill station at Easton, Nd. From
EasJon he was transferred TO chesapeake
City, and thence TO the double charge at
Bethel and Summit Bridge. Unpleasant
stories were told of him here. From the
latter charge he was sent to Newcastle,
Del. lie was reQppOinted to Newcastle
on March 20, 1878. Scandal arose, but he
was cleared OF charges at the quarterly
conference, and transferred to the
Louisiana conference in March, 1879. He
was stationed at New Orleans until
March IL, 1881, when his transfer back to
the Wilmington conference was an
nOunced. On the 22d he was reappOinted
to Newcastle. Here lie renamed until
he went to Newark, n. j., in the spring of
1882.
Shortly after bis advent into every new
field OF labor i'll reports always arose re-
fectlng upon MIR. Bristot's character. At
Chesapeake City gossip connected his
name disfeputably with a young woman,
but positive proof was lacking 10 verify
the charge. At New Orleans trouble
arose between MN and the congregation
which resulted in his being locked out of
the church. He awaited his opportunity,
finally gained admission to tue building
and, it was charged, DESTROYED the floor
and some Of the church furniture with an
ak. While in New Orleans Mir. BrstOr s
said to have been in financial straits,a and
he wrote to members OF his former congre-
cation at Newcastle, Del, appealing for
aid to enable him to leave the city and
come north.
In nearly every congregation over
which the young clergyman has had
pastoral charge there have been whispers
OF his scandalOus conduct with the WOm-
en- OF his flock, but in most cases the mat
ter has ended in mere gossip. Up to the
summer of 1888 the various presiding cid
ers over the districts in which he was
stationed at different times, upon hear
ing these reports, tried to get at the truth
of them, but could never satisfy them
selves. Several members of the Newark
church before making the call for DR..
BristOr came to Wilmington to learn il
the reports concerning his character,
which had reached their ears, were true.
AS they could get no information sustain
ing the reports, they concluded that no
foundation existed and extended the call,
which was accepted. The members of st.
Luke's church, Newark, n. j.. were en-
thusiastic over his admirable work as
pastor, and after he had been there q
year his congregation had grown TO such
a size that the church was always
crowded.
On Sunday, July -, 1885, DR.. Bristor
failed to appear in his pulpit at st. Luke's
church. On the following Monday he
presented his resignation from the pastor
age and ministry in the face of charges
preferred by some of his congregation.
The resignation was presented after the
church trustees had gwen him the choice
OF standing trial in an ecclesiastical
church or yielding up his parchments."
| Dr. BristOr retreated to Baltimore, and
| some time later he was reinstated as "a
minister in good standing. Little more
was heard of him then until his recen
trouble at Spring Valley,N ~, which has
resulted in his withdrawal from the
conference. He is now under criminal
indictment growing out OF those charges.
In Wilmington, and the Delaware and
Maryland peninsula, Mr. Brlstor's pulpit
| elOquence, even when he was little more
than a youth, created considerable en-
thusiasm Among the efforts cited by his
admirers was temperance lecture at the
| Wilmington opera house, and an adj
! dress at the centennial anniversary Of st.
/ Michaels church, EastOn, Md, district.
| He was looked upon as the finest orator
| and brightest light among the younger
Methodist clergy.
! MIR. BristOr earnestly worked for at
| least a part Of the Mosaic law. In the
| eleventh annual session Of the Whining
ton conference OF the NJ. +. church, which
! was convened in the New Castle Del.
! church Wednesday, March, 10, 1879, Rev.
| &. Il. BristOr was one Of a committee Of
| five to whom was referred a paper on the
! Dissertation of Sunday at camp meetings.
! On Saturday of the same week this com
| mittee made its report and expressed its
disapprOyal OF the traffic carried on on
| such occasions. Mr.. BrstOr offered an
/ amendment to the clauses in the resO-
| lutlons offered which referred to "anceut
! uSageS, ana maintained that the Wllm-
! ington conference should not only look
with frowns upon the desecratiou Of the
| Sabbath at camp meetings, but that it
| ought to say 1t shall not be allowed Mr.
| Bristor is credited with an eloquent
! speech, in which he called attention TO
the abominable practice OF selling ice
cream, taking photographs and cutting
| hair on sunday.
| While in favor at New Orleans the
! young preacher attracted a great deal Of
| attention by his sermons. and the New
| Orleans University hOnOred aim with a
| degree Of doctor OF divinity. While liV-
| ing on the Peninsula Dr.. Bristor was mar
! ried TO a granddaughter OF Thomas T..
] Tasker, Of Morris, Taeber Co., the
! Philadelphia iron firm. His wife is said
| to be a highly educated aud cultured
| woman of prepOssessing manners and
/ remarkable beauty. DR.. Bristor's face
! has been made familiar by photographs
! prominently exhibited in public places
and eagerly bought by the many admir-
ers whom he has retained in the face OF
evil report.