Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-25
PROSECUTING HEK PASTOR.
A Philadelphia Dominic in Court on
n Serious Charge.

A Philadelphia Dominic in Court on
Serious Charge.
PHILADELPHIA, PA, Dec. %. The trial
of the Rev. Waldo Messaros, pastor of the
Northwestern Independent Church,
Nineteenth and Master streets, on a
charge of criminal assault upon one of
his flock, Mrs. Mary Coulston, of No.
1,S49 Master street, began this morning In
the new court house, before Judge Fell
and jury.
The defendant was represe nted by Mr..
James II. Heverin and Mr.. A. 8. L.
Shields, and the prosecution by Assistant
District Attorney Breezy and Lawyers
Siner and Breezy. The prisoner entered
the plea OF not guilty. Mrs. Coulston has
summoned about forty witnesses. and the
reverend defendant is equally as we'll
fortified. The trial will probably last out
the year.
Mr.. Bregy opened the case for the COM
monwealth with a statement OF the al
| legged facts which led TO the trial. On the
conclusion OF his address he called the
prosecutrix, and Mrs. Coulston, who had
tripped into court wrapped In genial furs.
| took her place in the witness box and was
sworn. She testified that she was an at
tendant at Mr.. MessarOs' church and had
charge OF a Bible class. Then she pro-
ceeded, under cOunsePs guidance, TO go
into the details Of the episode, the relation
| OF which at the time startled this COM
munity and was Tor many days sensa-
ton, Tbis occurrence was on the morn.
ing Of June 21 last. She had seen Mr..
Messaros the Saturday evening previous
| at his residence, in the presence of bis
family, about letter Of dismissal from
the church for herself and husband. MIR.
Messaros declined to grant the letter
then, but said he would see her again
about this matter at her home the follow.
ing Monday.
PREPARING FOR A PASTORAL VISIT
In her testimony Mrs. Coulst0n went on
to tell how she then arranged for the pre-
| sence In her house at the time of Mr..
| MessarOs' call OF her friends Mr.. Turpitt
and DIR. Butcher besides her husband and
her sisters. She proceeded with her tes-
Jimony as follows:-
"While ! was talking TO DIR. Butcher in
the parlor the door bell rang. | walked
to the dining room with DIR Butcher and
lett him there with my husband. then
vent to the door and ushered In Mr.
Messaros, who went into the parlor and
sat down. After Mr.. Messaros had sat
down in the parlor | asked him about the
letter. He spoke the same way he had on
Saturday. He said 1 was too strong a
woman TO go tagging alter my husband
and playing second fiddle to him.
should let him 20 and stay In the church.
He then went into a resume OF his sermon
OF the night before and at the end of that
time be rose as If to go, and rose think
Ing he was going. | moved toward the
manteI. While talking he walked up and
down the room, perhaps twice.
THE ALLEGED ASSAULT.
GAS he came up the last time he had
tyht t4st.
| one arm. At the same time saw his
clothing was seriously dIsarraneed. a a
cried, 'Cbarleyl Charleyp hardly know
what / screamed. Then Ar. MessarOs
erasped me with both arms very tightly
and did not release his hold 1Htil he must
certainly have seen people entering Ghe
parlor. / was struggling to get away
from him and he let 20. My husband and
| he. and Immediately after DIR. Butcher
and Mr.. Turpitt and my sister were all
there together. / was so prostrated ]
only remember thinking OF my husband
and his peril, because the attack seemed
TO be 80 desperate all around. My hus-
| band. as he catered, j know jmmedi lately
rushed at Mr.. MessarOs, and a severe fight
took place. Mr.. Messaros was thrown
upon the floor and held there by my hus-
band, Mr.. TurpItt and my sister. DIR.
| Butcher did not seem to take hold of him
4
will behave like a gentleman Then he
said something about physician. NY
| sister and myself went out for "A police
man. A crowd was gathered there, and
asked some one TO 90 for an officer.
went Into the yard In front OF the house,
but did not go inside again. Seeing no
policeman, and knowing the man ought
to be arrested, went over TO the livery
| stable for a wagon, | got into car, rode
to the public buildings and then went to
Magistrate Clements office, on Juniper
street, below Filbert, where Mr. Messaros
had a hearing and was bound over"
| While Mrs. Coulston gave this testi-
| Inony the defendant alternately took notes
OF it upon a tablet and eyed the witness.
| ANTERIOR RELATIONS.
Mr.. Heverin brought out on cross
examination that the pr0secutrix is 33
years old, Philadelphian by birth and
mad three years. acquaintance OF the
defendant; that she has been married
thirteen years, and her maiden name was
/ Mary Ballanger, and that sbe became a
member of Messaros' church In June,
| 1884. Mrs. C0ulstOn also said she told
the elders OF the church previous TO the
| alleged assault about stories she had
heard of Messaros' improper conduct
toward lady members OF mis- church that
she regarded him as morally unfit for
the pastorate, and tn at hiP conduct toward
her was, to say the least. suspicious
and unpleasant. Her intimacy with the
pastor before the assault was brought
out and showed very pleasant relations
so pleasant that he suggested little
trip TO New York. saying, "Pm going
over IN New York soon; when are you
goingW "What do you meanp she
asked. He explained that they were TO
20 by separate trains, but she took offense
| at this and replied: III you expect me
to 40 over TO New York with you, you are
mistaken"
The witness explained many OF her in-
Situations about the pastor, and the court
adjourned at 3 O'Clock till tomorrow
morning.
| THERE Ia sorrow in one family In Harrison.
N. j., because daughter has been born with
| a hnrnnla nnr Ii ia tho Left anr ~ Ia ahnnA