Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-11
COL. DANKS ON TRIAL,
A Methodist Committee Try.
ing the Veterans Case.
SECRET SESSIONS HELD.
The Emphatic Letter Which Stirred
Up All the Trouble.
THOMAS BLASHFORD PROSECUTOR.
Church Members Give Their Varying Views
of the Quarrel.
THOMAS BLASHFORD PROSECUTOR.
MORE EVIDENCE TO BE HEARD TODAY

Elder johnson, of the Blairsville district
aud Presiding Elder Eaton, of the Allie
gheny district. The latter was applaudeC
when he said that every congregation in hi
district was unanimous for prohibition
Rev. DR.. William Cox was removed from
the superaGnuated to the effective list
Bishop Foss called the attention of thu
conference to the Methodist Ecumenical
Council, which will be held in New YorL
in1s91. This is the great international con
ference OF tine denomination, and each con.
ference is entitled to one clerical and ono
Law delegate. Rev. Messrs. Nesbitt and
Meachram were appointed to nominate dele.
gates at the conference session next year.
Tarentum, Uniontown, Monongahela City
and Greensburg were nominated for the
conference meeting in 1890. Greensburg
was selected. Conference adjourned until
this morning.
A M'KEESPORT SQUABBLE.
Some interest has been excited among the
conference attendants by the case of Rev.
r. B. Mansell, of McKeesport, but it is
generally stated that the disagreement be-
tween that minister and a large minority OF
his church will not come before the confer
ence or aDy of its committees. Whether he
will or will not be returned to the First
Church of McKeesport rests entirely with
the Bishop and his cabinet of presiding
elders and their decision will not be made
known before Monday afternoon.
Rev. 7. j. Leak, chairman of the Danks
committee of inquiry, called the members to
meet him in the church lobby after dinner,
and he conducted them thence to the meet
ing place, in hall over the hardware store
of Hall s. Nelson, at No. 6231 Penn ave-
nue.. The committee cOnsistsef Is men,
bers, of whom Rev. Mr. Leak is the only
minister from either OF the two cities The
members seem TO have been taken from dis
tant points, so that they would be without
personal prejudices in the matter Rev.
DIR. W. B. Watkins, secretary of the con-
ference, was elected secretary of the COM
nlittee. Mr.. Thomas Blashford, the insur-
ancs agen,. who is a member of the Mt.
Washington NJ. E. Church, and its Sunday
school superintendent attended as the
prosecutor, and was represented by Rev. r.
I. Miller as counsel. Colonel Dauks and
his counsel, Rev. j. Franklin Gore, were
also present,
THE CHARGES AGAINST HIM.
The general charge made against the
militant preacher is that he has been guilty
of conduct unbecoming a minister of the
gospel. The principal specification is based
upon a threatening letter which Rev.
Na L
letter was read TO the committee, and is as
follows:
Mt. WASHINGTON, PITTsBURG,
October 26, lSSS.
SIRI am going to move away from Mt.
Washington next week. D do so to avoid meet
ing you. for 1 am only human and have an
infinite disgust for liars. Sneaks and slanderers.
In my past life have seen better men than you
ever were bite the dust. 1 am afraid of myself
If should meet you it is possible you might
IA.
to avoid me on all occasions for rest assured
l hate liars, sneaks and towards aboye every
body else on earth 1 say, when you look into
the mirror, rememberi you are looking at
coward, a sneak and ALTAR. Remember Tom
/ know few things you have been thinking no
one knows, but they do, and 1 say You are
liar, coward and sntak. What have you to
say, you Shiny, douhle-dealing wretch2 But
am wasting my time writing to a coward. am,
JOHN A. DANKs,
Late Colonel Sixty-third Pennsylvania Volun-
teers.
At the Latrobe Conference held a short
time before the date of this letter, Rev.
Colonel Danl1s was retired from the effective
list and made So pernumerary. 1t is said that
he accused Mr.. Blashford and other
members of the Mt. Washington church
with having caused his retirement from that
charge. Shortly after the letter was written
MIR. Blashtord had Rev. Colonel banks
placed under u, 600 bond to keep the peace.
A REPORTER HEARD.
TIE committee yesterday afternoon heard
the testimony of Mr.. E. B. Sawyers, a re-
porter on an evening paper He testified
that he had several talks with Rev. Colonel
Danks and other persons involved in the
matter, in October 1889, and that Colonel
Danks acknowledged the authorship of the
letter, Saying that he meant every
word Of it, and that it ex-
pressed precisely his opinion of Mr..
Blashford. The latter was examined. He
produced some documents, signed by men,
bers of the official board of the church, hear-
ing upon the dispute and sustaining Mr..
Blashford in whatever action he had taken.
The witness went pretty fully into the con-
dition Of affairs in the Mt. Washington con-
gregation, and alluded to the alleged disrup-
ton of the church choir by Rev. Colonel
Danks. At 6 o'clock the committee took
recess until 7:3O o'clock.
During the recess Colonel Danks said to a
reporter for The DISPATCH that be
had not yet found out what all
the specifications charged against him
were. He added: "This trouble will
not be understood until all the details are
laid before the community" Numerous
rumors concerning the charges against the
minister were in circulation at the East
ylAuN gCSlcIud1s " WAS Sdlu Dy numDer OF
the members of the conference that new
charges had been filed which had no rela-
tion to the letter published above, but no
one could say what these charges were.
CALLING MORE WITNESSES.
At the evening session, which was held at
the Emory Street NJ. E. Church and con-
tinued until midnight, James Morris and
DR. W. L. Phillips were called on behalf of
Mr.. Blashford; John 7. Hedrick, Henry
Zilk and Thomas Eodkinson on behalf of
Rev. Colonel Danks. The investigation de-
veloped into sort of trial of Mr.. Blashford
as well as the actual defendant. Rev.
Colonel Danks defended his act of writing
the letter by alleging that Mr.. Blashford
had resorted to underhanded methods
to prevent the congregation from
paying to Mr.. Danks his full salary. Much
OF the evening examination was directed
to this point The testimony differed, some
witnesses upholding the pastor, while Mr..
Morris stoutly defended Mr.. Blashford.
Both he and DR.. Phillips claimed that Mr.
Blashford was opposed simply to the
Church's entering into obligations which it
could not perform. Mr.. Morris showed
considerable feeling in the matter, and said
that the best interests of the Church re-
CURED Rev. Colonel Danks' withdrawal.
HE DIDN'T TELL ALL HE KNEW.
After coming out of the committee room