Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-04-24
THE JAMES TRIAL.
The Charges Being Investi-
gated at Long Beach.
HE TRIES TO GET HIS CHILDREN.
Queer Literature Placed in Circula
tion Among the Children-The
Testimony introduced.

Church at Long Beach, betoIe commlt-
tee of Ministers, commenced yesterday
morning, and at that town was the most
interesting event which has occurred for
a long time. The Rev. James, it ap-
pears, is well-known in other parts of the
State and in Nevada, and the people
elsewhere take as much interest in the
affair as do those who have listened to
his words from the pulpit during the past
year. Before he came to Los Angeles he
resided in Oakland, and R.v. E. R. Ollie,
in speaking of him, says;
al first heard of Rev. Mr.. James in
Sacramento, where he delivered lec-
ture before the New Zealand Astronom-
ieal Association. He told several people
after that that he had been asked by the
Lick Trustees to deliver lectures on the
great Lick telescope. The Ebell Society,
in Oakland, afterwards took him up five
or six years ago, and he lectured before
them for an evening or two. He said
that he was on the most intimate terms
with Disraeli, Ruskin, Tennyson and
other great men, and pretended that he
was Fellow of the Royal Society (F.
r. S. and Fellow of the Royal Astro-
nomical Society (F. r. A. 81, and
he wrote those initials after his name.
''He said and did many silly things that
bore on their face the impress of false
hood. For instance, he said that he told
the Royal Astronomer at Greenwich how
the cupola of the Lick telescope was
worked, and that the Royal Astronomer
bent his own head on the table and ex-
claimed, "Ahl how stupid was not to
have thought of that myself" On an
other occasion, in one of his lectures, he
told about battle in the Mediterranean,
when the shot and shell of one of the
contending forces gave out and they
loaded their cannon with several thou
sand gross of Bute's liver pills. When
these were discharged the enemy left
their guns and went to the side of the
vessel completely overcome by the
alimentative power of the pills. Housed
to talk just such nonsense as that.
l asked him how it was that he had
been given fellowships in SO many
learned societies without having gone
through the regular collegiate course, or
without having been the author OF some
notable work, and he replied that the ex-
ception had been made in his case be-
cause of valuable services that he had
rendered to those societies. Certain
scandalous reports followed him to Oak
land from Nevada and Cedarville about
his treatment of his wife, and scandals
arose here because of his ungentlemaEly
and unprofessionai conduct toward GER
tain Oakland church ladies, but the
ladies wishing to avoid notorlety made
no formal complaint against him. A
lady came to me only a few weeks age
k1l A1~ - !, aIskor Of n Co
Francisco paper and have the misdeeds
of James made public. He was crank
on the subject of social purity. When he
wac here about year ago or more he
preached to my congregation, and in his
sermon he said that he had been around
town the night before, and had learned
from actual observation that there was
between 800 and 400 fallen women in
Oakland. This the Chief of Police after
wards informed me was not true, and
that the number OF professional lewd
women did not amount to tenth of that
numb ber Mr.. James also published q
pamphlet here on the subject of social
purity. He contended that man sh ould
discipline himself so that he would have
perfect self control to resist the tempta-
tions of the flesh. and he instanced him.
self as an example,"
THE TRIAL YESTERDAY.
The ministers who were to engage in
the trial went down to Long Beach or
Monday evening, and were as follows
Presiding Elder, Rev. j. w. Van Cleye
Rev. Mr.. Bovard, attorney for the prose
cution; Rev. A. E. Williams, attorney
for the defense Rev. W. A. Knighten
Rev. r. S. CantiDe, Rev. Mr.. True, Rev
T.C. Warner, Rev. s. F. Woodcock
Rev. DR.. Wilson, Rev. DIR. Pole and Rev
F. Cobb. The Rev. James also went tC
Long Beach on Monday an0 upon disem
barking from the train, was lost sight o.
by his acquaintsnces. Some time after
wards he made his appearance al
the residence OF Mr.. Fell, where
Mrs. James has been stay
ing with her children for come
time past. He was excited in his de-
meanor, and demanded his children.
His demand was refused, and he became
very angry and swore, vowing that he
would have them before sunrise, or bis
life would be sacrificed in the attempt.
He then left. and as soon as he had got
ten out OF sight, word was sent to City
Marshal Davis, asking him to keep a
watch over the house through the night.
No further attempts to obtain the chill
dren we're made, but it was said that the
Rev. James wandered about the
streets until very late hour
in an excited condition. The
report of these occurrences apread about
the streets and only served to increase
the interest that was taken in the trial
A large number of the residents of Long
Beach ana probably fifty people from
Los Angeles and other places, gathered
at 10 O'Clock in the vicinity of the place
where the trial was commenced. As
soon as the doors we're opened, reporters
from the various papers entered, and q
discussion followed as to the advisability
If allowing them to remain. The Pre-
siding Elder was opposed to
euch action, and It was finally
decided to keep everybody except the
witnesses from the room during the trial.
1t was learned afte ward that the open
ing speech was made by Rev. Mr.. Bo-
ward, who said that grave charges had
been pre- erred against the Rev. James
CHARGES which would, if made against a
lavman, be very grave, but which be-
came most serious when made against a
minister OF the gospel. He hoped that
tue proceedings would be conducted
calmly, and that all the evidence bearing
on bo h sides would be brought out. He
then read the charges and specifications,
which were as follows:
LYING.