The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-08-15


officially notified him that his services
were no longer desired. Despite the
expressed wish Of the church he per-
sisted in imposing upon US, and by per-
sonal abuse and unchristian conduct
alienated great majority Of our mem
bership, and advertised I'm our village
papers 20 preach as usual. When we
discovered his plan of action, and were
made aware of his intentions, the
church requested the trustees To lock
the doors Of our house of worship
against him, deeming il improper that
il should be used for any such purpose
as he proposed. He needs none of our
requests and submits to no action on
our part. He characterizes the largest
gathering of our church people | have
ever seen as the flag end Of bob-tailed
meeting" and when, after much effort,
he succeeds i'm inducing nine of our
members to meet him at his home, five
of them voting as he desires, he calls
that an action of the church. We have
no disposition to be unjust or to deal
unfairly with Mr. Bell. He came here
and was enthusiastically received by
the church rs q whole, and no man ever
entered upon pastorate- with fairer
prospects or more hearty support; but
he abused our confidence and we lost
faith in him as christian minister.
Reports came to us with regard to his
department elsewhere, and these, COM
bined with our own experience, satisfied
us that danger threatened us. He re-
turned from Duluth and reported hav-
ing received call to the church there,
in proof of which quote A. G. Martin,
w. j. Sellick, II. A. Cole, Eli Wise, and
others. In response to letter of in
quiry Il. ID. Scott, of the Baptist church
in Duluth, says: 1.-The action of the
church was to not consider his candi-
dacy, as it was evident it would result
unfavorably." Another member of the
same church says: Mr.. Bell came
here, announcing himself as Rev. Ed
ward Bell, ID. d., manifesting very
anxious desire to become our pastor, on
almost any terms. None of our
members took kindly to him or his
style. We did not give him "A call
unanimously decided not to consider
his application" H. M. Walker clerk
of the Baptist church of Shelbyville,
ILL.,, says: "Mr. Bell came To the
Presbyterian church here from Con-
gregational church. He was known in
the Presbyterian church as Rev. Garlic
ton. Trouble arose and he was engaged
by the Disciple church. only to cause
dissatisfaction there"
The Journal and Messenger of Cincin-
natl, o., the central national Baptist
paper, pays him this tribute. After
commenting on his earlier history, it
reads thus: For several years he
(Mr. BelD has been lost sight of, and
had been almost forgotten, till on
Wednesday last the telegraph an
nounced his trial and condemnation by
two church courts-the one in Char
don, o., and the other in Shelbyville,
Ill. To Chardon he had come as Rev.
Edward Carleton from Canada, bearing
a letter from the Presbytery of Chat.
ham, Ont. He was received and
fellowshipped until he asked for and
received a letter diminishing him to the
Presbytery of Mattoon, Ill. There he
was known as Rev Edward Bell, DID,
but he got into trouble and the brethren
in Chardon, being notified, began in
was forged and that he was the same
y. Edwards Bell who had figured as a
Baptist"
From the same paper we clip the fol-
lowing: 1.-The Rev j. Edwards Bell,
times, and they may hear of him again,
for he is still roaming up and down the
country. He is probably the biggest
fraud now, or at any time, recently
getting out of Baptist pulpit. He has
been Baptist, Congregationalist, a
Baptist, Presbyterian, a Campbellite,
Baptist, but fraud all the time. y
We last advertised him as deposed
Presbyterian, and warned our readers
in northern Ohio against him. Then
we heard he had set down in Paw
Paw, Mich"
G.. w. Lasher of Cincinnati, Ohio,
editor of the above named paper, says :
THAT man Bell has been advertised
again and again. He is one of the
most notable of imposters has been
bounced by several different denomina
tions. To give all the facts bear
ing upon his dishonesty and filthiness
would require ream of paper. He be-
gan as student. His own class would
not allow him to graduate, and he has
not drawn an honest breath from that
day to this. You might as well ask me
to furnish proof as to the character of
Satan himself"
Had he not made a public display of
his grievances and put us on the de-
fensive, these facts i'm his history
would never have been made public
here, but / deem it duty, which / owe
the church which has honored me with
membership, and the cause of Christ
which we would sustain, To make this
statement, which is done solely on my
own responsibility.
Pm