Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-09-12
HE WAS BORN so.
Rev. Arney, the Horse Racing
Parson.
A DEFENSE OF his NEW DEPARTURE

His Race Matinee and why He Started
the Entertainment-A Combination OF
Clergyman and Horse Trader Puts In q
Word for Himself = Nothing Wrong
About Properly Conducted Trial OF
Speed with No Gambling-A Plausible
Plea.
MUSHROOM, Mich, Sept 12-The COM
nittee of nine ministers appointed to in
vestigate Rev. j. w. Arney, the horse
racing pastor, was in session from 2 to
nearly o'clock Wednesday afternoon.
The most of the time was taken up by
Mr.. Arney's statement ard his answers to
questions propounded by various mem
bers of the committee. The session was
devoted entirely to the work of getting at
the exact facts connected with the now
celebrated horse trot
Arney's Interesting Statement.
Mr.. Arney made the following state
ment;"My saiaryis not very large, although
large enough, perhaps, to live on. Ihave
during the past year bought and sold
horses on small scale for eastern
parties. have sent twenty or more to
Boston alone, and the proceeds have
helped me considerably. In my dealings
have picked up two or three very prom
Using young horses. am very fond of a
good horse. 1t was born in me, and /
can't help it, and don't know as / would
If could, and l know a good herse when
l see it.
Racing As an Advertisement.
tNan no L., III
for me to keep and could not sell them
to the farmers living around here. l
thought a race might attract some atten-
ton to my horses and that the speed they
showed on the track would help to sell
them. talked to some of my friends and
the race was the result My name did
not appear on the programme and I did
not drive my own horses, as the papers
represented. We had more horses than
we anticipated and better races than at
first intended. and on that account we re-
ceived more advertising than we CON
tracted for. In fact the adverti sing was
far beyond my fondest hopes. My horses
i have three ofthem-would bring 81 900
more at least to-day than they would be
fore the meeting
Went i'm with His Eyes Open.
ELDER Moore came to me soon after the
races The Christian Advocate had Sc
verely criticised me, and the elder desired
me to make statement to the readers of
that paper. He suggested that | should
explain that had / known what the results
would have been l would have had moth
ing to do with the races Among other
things was not prepared to subscribe to
this suggestion, and would write nothing
but personal letter TO the editor, because
4 went into the race with eyes open, with
purpose in view, and do not regret my
participation in it in the least. No gam
bling was permitted, and the prizes of
fered were merely nominal. We had good
order and pleasant time, and there
wasn't feature in the whole event that
could be objected to-
Loves Preaching and Horses.
Il am fond of preaching; am deeply
interested in Christian work; / have
worked hard among my people and the
results of my work are most gratifying
Ii i have an innocent fondness for horse,
that Is my private affair, and hold that
properly conducted horse race is inno-
cent amusement. | think after explain
ing the situation the conference commit
tee will look at it in the same light and
will in their report find no fault with any
thing have done. My own church PEG
pie understand my position and want me
to come back another year"
What viii the Committee Do?
The COMMITTEES excluded all outsiders
and adjourned to meet again yesterday
morning, but had only fifteen minute
session; but at o'clock in the afternoon
they held another lengthy meeting The
committee will probably report to-day.
The report will be confined to a bare
statement OF facts rs brought out aud
established by the Investigation. This
will bring the matter before the entire
conf erence TO be thereafter disposed of as
it shall deem hest