Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-01-21
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Tho Jury Of ministers BRING in =
Verdict OF GUILTY.


Tho Jury Of ministers Bring fn =
Verdict OF Guilty.
JERsHx Cry, Jan. 12.-The trial of the
Rev. G.. r. Bristor for improper relations
with Ida Downes was continued to-day.
Ida Downes was called TO the stand by
Prosecutor Fitzgerald. She told her story
as previously printed and answered the
| questions of DR.. Fitzgerald and DR.. Craig
promptly and inteligently. DR.. Bristor
conducted the DISCRIMINATION himself.
She became nervous and confused ard
when he asked her why she had not
spoken Of the assault sooner did not reply.
DR.. Bristor insisted that his question be
answered, she broke into tears. The Pre-
siding Elder interfered and said that DIR.
Bristor was Fostering her. He then ex-
cused her from answering the question.
DIR. Bristor, in continuing the examination,
questioned her about her former life,
when she became Nhysterioal. When
oross-examined about her two retraetions.
she pointed her inger at Mr.. Bristor and
said.
~ wrote the first to save you and you
frightened me into writing the other"
Ida was on the stand for nearly three
hours and underwent terrific cross-iire
of questions. When she left the stand
she was suffering with nervous prostra-
ton.
Mrs. Scott, member of the Spring
Valley Church, testified that she was at
Bristor's house when Ida made her retrac-
ton, which was voluntary and without
duress. Mrs. Rupell, the nurse in the
employ of Mrs. Bristor, testified that she
was a domestic in the Bristor household
at the time of the alleged assault on Ida
Downes. She thought the assault could
not have occurred without her knowing
It. Presiding Elder Craig then adjourned
the case until tomorrow morning.
|
Fifty million people, through their rep
resentatives in the press, clamored vainly
at the doors of the Centenary Methodist
| Episcopal Church, near the boundary apex
Of Pavonia avenue, Jersey City, yesterday
week, where the trial of Parson Bristor
was being continued. The doors were all
locked and bolted, and even the keyholes
were covered. All the witnesses, or the
best looking and most important ones,
from Spring Valley had been kept at
hotel over night at the expense Of the
parson. The first of these testified yes-
terday that in conversation had with
Ida Downs after the latter had made her
accusations she Ida Downs) had said that
the charges were made in fit of temper
and were not in any respect true. ida
had kept the door of her room locked,
the witness said, because she was afraid
of falling down stairs while proving
about III her sleep at night, and hence no
one could have reached her room.
Another witness said that both before
and after the charges were preferred Ida
had said that for years she had been
seriously troubled with horrible dreams.
and that she lreamed the crime of which
she had accused the parson, and owing to |
its vivid reality related the circumstances
as facts to u neighbor. Ida had once
dreamed that her father had told her of a |
murder for which he expected TO be |
hanged, and this was 30 real, too, that she |
caused her parent the greatest difficulty |
in counteracting the effect of the yarn |
when related to and spread about by a |
companion.
A justice of the peace said that he had |
kept Ida away from the pdrson when she |
fled to him, and he admitted having
kissed her ON the cheek that the parson |
had slapped to assure her of his friend |
ship.
The old lady whose face has been de.
scribed as bearing strong resemblance to |
well-known Brooklyn divine said, on
overhearing this latter testimony, that |
she was glad to learn how friends are |
made, and the trial was then adjourned |
again until Thursday morning.
When the ecclesiastical grand Jury who |
are hearing the evidence for and against |
the Rev. DIR. Bristor assembled in the |
Centenary Church, Jersey City, Thurs. |
day, Presiding Elder Craig explained |
that he had been misrepresented. Some |
one had been garrulous and diyulRed a |
portion of the proceedings that pertained |
to him and put him in false position. |
He was accused of having ignored DR..
Bristor, who wrote him on January 9Th. |
Inns letter, 1t was intimated, he had not |
answered lie wished to state that he |
WROTE the reply as soon as he received |
the letter and had not displayed any |
prejudice or discourtesy TO Mr.. Bristor. |
ne accused Dr.. Bristor of having sup |
phed this information to the reporters,
and the accused pastor Indignantly denied |
it. An acrimonious discussion ensued
but it was suddenly checked by Stephen
Burr taking the stand
He is one of the officers of the cbnrcb
He testified that the accused had admitted
to him that he struck Ida Downes the
doctor was angry and said, ''I'll tear her
throat out )" he had just chased her out
OF the house; he then narrated what Ida
had told him about the assaults.
The witness was not cross examined,
and the prosecution rested.
Mrs. Louisa Sneden, who was called bv
the defence in rebuttal, testified that
Ida had informed her that letter
she wrote to the Brooklyn Orphan
Asylum, complaining of her home with
DR.: Bristor, had been written at the die
tation of Mrs. Gemmel. Ida had told
witnesses that Mrs. Gemmel was not
present when Mr.. Gemmel kissed her
DIR. Bristor desired to produce wit
nesses to impeach the testimony of Mr..
Burr that he had tried to evade m inyes.
tlgation. The presiding elder declined
to admit the testimony. .