The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-02-25
The CONVERSE TRIAL.
THE CHURCH COURT FROM An
OUTSIDE VIEW.
How the Memphis Ministers I'm.
pressed an Innocent Louis
vile Spectator.

Times. The Louisville Presby terry met
in this city last week and / was
tempted TO att md some OF its sittings.
Have done 30, aud having also
read the accounts given by the re-
pofters OF the daily papers, on which
reports / have few words TO say after
q while, would like 10 give some OF
the impressions made upon my mind
by the whole concern.
Upon entering the court my eye
naturally sought the men who, hav-
ing constituted themselves "the Pres
byierian Church of the United
States" have, in the name Of the
Prince Of Peace, stirred up a strife
whose baneiul Influence upon Chris
tisnity will be felt long sfter this gem
GRAFTON shall have passed away.
was not long in singing
out the men in question.
After the discussion Of some
technicalities Mr.. Boggs rose to speak.
He is what might be called a soft man,
with soft, light brown hair ana whis-
kers, and mild, placid expression. His
speech was very remarkable one, so
much OF gushing affect on for every
body, especially for the dear brethren
against whom he was bringing
the charge of intentional and
persistent lying, that / became
perplexed, and wondered what
could actuate him in the course he
was pursuing. But the mystery was
solved when, at the end, he said that
the object in 1t all was to give these
brethren a chance to fit themselves for
heaven. confess that this mode OF
fitting ones brethren for heaven
struck me as something very original.
This effort seemed to exhaust the
brother entirely, for after the first
evening he did not appear, and so the
prosecution was left in the hands OF
Mr.. Daniel.
This gentleman is very small, very
angular, with keen, snappy black eyes,
and with small fringe OF b ack hair
around his face and on his upper lip,
He is cat like in his movements, and
speaks with a deliberation that, to
man who wants to see things go ahead,
is thoroughly apg'avating. But II he
il small in stature, be 10 colossal in
keenness, cunning ond malice. Ii was
very noticeable thing that while the
accused sat alone and never moved
from their seats, the prosS cutor
glided noist lessly about, whisper
ing in the ear OF this brother or that,
looking over papers, and swaying at
his own will the thirty.odd men who
composed the court. have heard Of
the power that men like Mr.. Daniel
and Billy Malone Whom, by the way,
he very much resemblee) have over
people, but never Jaw it before.
/ don't know anything about the
book Of church order OF the Presby-
terrain Church, but / do claim to un-
derstsnd the English language. Now
the accused real out OF this book that
no frivolous charge, no malicious
charge, no personal charge could be
considered by the couit; but when
they wanted 10 throw out, az coming
at least under the latter head, the
charge that when Messrs. Daniel, etc
said that the character OF the accused
for veracity was not good, and
the accused falsely and maliciously
said that it was" the court refused to
sustain the demurrer against this and
twenty other charges equally friv-
olous, and voted almost in a body Just
as DR.. Daniel had planned for them
to do. must make come honorable
exceptions TO these charges against
the court, for among the ministers
there were several who voted
consistently against the wishes Of
this Memphis Malone. The indig-
nation of one hard.sensed old gentle
man, the Rev. Mr.. Duncan, when the
court yielded its last point to the
wishes OF the master spirit was I'M
bounded. He denounced the court
and the prosecution in unmeasuTed
terms. He declared that the whole
business had it's origin in that evolu-
ton down yonder, and that Woodrow
aud his evolution were at the bottom
of it." From what can learn,
it looks very much that way
to me, too. The accounts in the
daily papers, not being very full, give,
unfortunately, an inadequate idea OF
the strength q the ofense. i under
stand that the family of one of the
Converse brothers is connected with
the First Presbyterian church of,lIhis
city, and the other with the Second
church. From what | heard OF this
trial think one of them has reason
TO feel strong in the love OF his pastor.