The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-05-25
TROUBLE IN The CHURCH
4 IisseulA Preachers Business Propsn-
stiles Gets Him Into Hot Water.
Rev.Mr.Wood Preached az PastIn,e
and Moved the Church Furniture
to His Ranch for Safe Keeping
Whom He Quit the Job.
Special 10 the Standard.

was rumored that something rich, rare,
and racy was about TO be sprung upon the
public In the form of big Islander salt, by
one minister OF the gospel against n
brother clergyman, The attorneys who
had the matter in charge were silent.
Nothing could he learned at the district
court. And now there is talk that some
settlement will he made before the case
comes to trial. Whatever Is done the mat
ter has become known and the pub.
lie Is entitled to know the alleged facts In
tho case.
About two years ago the Baptist Home
Mission society sent Rev. l.. L. Wood to
Missoula to look after the interests of
their denomination here. The society
paid him 500 year and the congrega ton
them his full time. Mr.. Wood seems to
have been essentially business man. So
deep was this element implanted i'm his
nature that he found II impossible or dis
advantageous to give all his attention TO
church matters. but entered into few
little schemes on the side. He got ranch
up near Stevensvillc and lived there part
OF his time and managed II. He COM
menccd the publication OF the Mountain
cer, little combina,ioi church, Sunday
school and temperance paper. made up
largely Of letters from workers In these
various lines In the region round about
here. He embarked In the real estate
business. He sold organs, Indeed, he
found his time SO much taken up that he
could not attend to church matters much
further ~; ss,rs than To to preach and .o.aS draw
In accommodating some chairs, q desk, an
organ, bible and some hymn books, but
he did not effect church organization;
and some OF the good people here found
themselves not n Baptist congregation,
but some Baptists who had a general
business man TO preach for them as q
kind OF side issue. II can hardly he COLI
sidered strange that they were not en-
tirely satisfied. As the reverend gentle
man did not keep his side OF the contract
they became slack about keeping theirs.
Al length they held a council of war and
informed Mr.. Wood that II was their de-
sire that he should move down from Stew
ensvillc and pay more attention to the
things Of the world TO come and not quite
SO much TO the things Of this world. He
demurrcd, indeed, he kicked" on such
an arrangement and went back TO his
cows and chickens where he might COM
mupe with Nature, and took with him
chaiss, organ, hymn books and all the
rest of the church accoutrcments. The
Home Mission society got wind OF the fact
that all was not lovely here, and sent the
Rev. j. l.. Benedict out from New York to
he arrived Mr.. Wood undertook 10 dictate
to him how he should run things and inti-
mated that one who had done 50 much
for the church had right 10 dictate.
Rev. Mr.. Benedict reminded him that he
had left the people none Of their church
property. Moreover. Mr.. Benedict re-
ported the whole case To the Home Mis-
sion society. He organized q church,
has built "a very neat little house of
worship To he dedicated soon, and has
done more In six months than Mr.. Wood
is said 20 have done In n year and "a half.
Now Mr.. Wood has his attorneys, Murray,
Musgrave and T. e.. Marshall, preparing
the complaint on which he proposes 10
bring $1,000 slander suit. II Il comes to
| trial Reeves x Stiff will defend Mr.. Bene-
dict. Whether Mr.. Wood can prove that
MIR. Benedict called him "A thief and
liar, rs be claims he did, remains To be
seen. The facts, as given above, are
CLEANED from conversation with some
prominent people who know whereof they
| speak. Some vt the same people think
that the suit, IL brought, will strengthen
Mr.. Bencdicts position In the community
rather than weaken IL. II hardly seems
| probable that man of his experience
and ability would make such statements
as he Is charged with unless he could
prove them.
Deputy Sheriff Ike Abernethy thus re-
lates his experience in arrcstiDR "A man
| yttPftiay tt DDflf1tf, WHO 10 pay
his poll tax: ~ did not know the fellow
and the men at the mill would not tell me
who he was. Finally i went to the clerk
and asked him where the fellow was. and
for description OF him. Said he, 'Yol 20
out there and when You find fellow with
bigger nose than YOURS, You take him;
went out and looked around and finally
saw a man with very large nose.
pulled him and.he proved to be the man
wanted" The mans name Is Alex. Bow.
man. Judge Evans fined him IS and
costs.
Judge Reeves returned from Helena
last night. He had a nice time while
there with some of his old friends ant
comes back happier than usual. by the
way. the Judge is prominently spoken o
for congress. The Helena Iadepsnsien
on Thursday said among the Missoula dis
he does receive the nomination he viii
make rs hard fight as any man In Mon
| tanu. He is an old-tine politician, bu
not 50 old as To be behind the times. II
Kentucky hc was n member of both TIN
J house Of representatives and Of the sen
ate. He has great many warm friend
all over this state. who have known hin
AS "A mepiber Of various secret societies
In Missoula county he has been phen
omenally s,sceessful, being elected on on'
. or two occasions when nearly all demo
Gratis were showed under. Not only arr
those Of other cities are doing likewise
and is nomination for congress woul,
not be ~ subject for any surprise.
Wright 4 Woodward's Missoula dircc
! tory made its appearance to-day. IL is
! very neat book of 25O pages, giving no
only the directory Of Missoula but a lie
scription OF the city and of Stevensv lille
Corvallis, Riverside, Grants,ale an,
, Thompson Falls, list of pioneers, aud di
rectory Of county, city aud state officers
schools, churches, clubs, institutions
military companies, as well as a full stree
directory. Sales have been good and th,
book will be found in all business houses
Howard Brayton yesterday sold fou
stag hounds To Hon. Marcus DAILY 10
! 500.
: Under Sheriff McClurg got back thi
morning from his chase after the Band