The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-23
FIGHTING THEIR PASTOR
PARsoN LOVES CoNGRE3 ALTON
At OUTS ALL AROUND.

1 Al OOlS ALL ahOONO
The Charge of Criminal Libel Against
r. L. Foster Dismissed by Justice
Naughtin-Fostsr Claims He Wrote
What He Did at the Instance Of Other
Members of the Church-Parson
Loves story of the Trouble.
The affairs Of the First African Baptist
church are in a muddled state, and charges
and counter charges from the two factions
are the order OF the day.
The examination of E. L. Foster in JUS
tioe Naughtin's court yesterday morning
for criminal libel against Pastor Love
attracted big crowd, and the court room
accommodations were not equal TO the occa-
sion. Foster denied that be Intended TO
libel Rev. Love, aud claimed that be wrote
the offensive articles for the malcontents at
the dictation of Joe Williams and Others.
The evidence was of such contradictory
character that Justice Nsughtin discharged
Foster.
Williams denies that be had anything TO
do with the article or knew Foster until
long after il was published. J. II. Brown,
whom Foster summoned as a witness, denies
emphatically that he had anything TO do
with the articles against the pastor. he
said he never knew Foster until Aug 10,
and only became acquainted with him then
by Foster calling upon him and asking that
he write upon q card that he knew Foster,
so that the latter could show IL
when he went to Augusta as an
introduction TO parties there. Instead of
using the card for that purpose, however.
Brown claims that Foster took the card to
parties III the city and used it in the magis-
trate's court 10 try and show that he had
been connected with him In the publication
OF the article.
CHARGES OF CONSPIRACY.
Brown said that the prosecution was
really blind 10 get himself and others who
are opposed to the pastor into court, so as to
make use OF their statements in a prosecu-
tion before the church. He denied that the
indictments ever published anything
against the pastor, and intmated that Fos-
ter is tool 10 the hands of Rev. Loves
supporters, and that the whole arrangement
is a conspiracy.
Brown stated that the reason Williams,
Collen, Fuller, himself and others are OPP
posed to Rev. Love is that serious charges
have for some time been made against him
by A. w. Wimberly, editor of the Meth
odiSt Union, and they wanted the pastor to
Alh pAOfO bt1CSO SAAesA koo W . u
nal prosecution against the editor or meet
ing him before a committee. Instead of
doing this, Brown said, he appointed
committee of his own, and was exon
Grated without evon giving Wimberly a
chance TO prove the charges. In view of
these circumstances, he and quite q mum.
Der of others don't think the Rev. Love Is
doing the church any good by remaining
its pastor, and want him to either resign or
olaar biunSalf nnu1y,lakaIxy ha Ill
which Wimberly has raised over his char
acter.
PASTOR LOVES SIDE OF IT.
Rev. Love was seen by MORNING NEWS
reporter yesterday afternoon aud was asked
for q statement Of his side of the case. He
said he was 10th to have the matter become
public, but since the issue had been made it
was better to meet it openly and frankly.
as he has never done anything of which he
has reason TO be ashamed.
Politics, Rev. Love said, is at the bottom
OF the charges and subsequent troubles. He
is editor Of the Weekly Sentinel published
i'll Augusta, and when X. Il. Wright was
candidate for the Augusta postmastership
against j. I. Denning he editorially in
dorsed hun for the position, and said that
if President Harrison didn't appoint Wright
it would be better to let Maj. Ker Boyce,
the democratic incumbent, remain in Office
in preference to Denning. Wimberly was
stGunch supporter of Denning. He
took otfense at Rev. loves
editorials aud began making personal
ate at Waynesboro and Brothersville in
1878
INVESTIGATED BY THE CHURCH.
81 paid no attention to them for some
time" said Rev. Love, until the attacks
became broader and more scurrilous, mon
tioning certain names. Then l asked the
church to investigate them, saying that /
was willing to have every light thrown
upon tho acts of my life. A cons
mittee OF five. two Of my friends,
two of those supposed to be
against me. and one disnterosted party
WAS appointed to examine into the charges
aud report back to the conference. per-
sonally paid the expenses Of the committee,
amounting TO BAL, to Waynesboro aud Au-
gusta 60 see the parties claimed in VIM
berlys articles to know Of my a.
legged misdeeds. Each was carefully
examined, and the committee sub
mitted its report to last Sundays
conference, at which 1 200 members were
present, completely exonerating me and
branding the charges as malicious aad I'M
founded.
AS regards Fosters card,n continued
Rev. Love, ''or the statements of any
others have nothing to say except that
will not carry the matter iato the courts
because I consider that any matters CON
corning the church should be settled by it
alone"
TO PUSH THE INVESTIGATION.
The pastors supporters are mad, and they
say that the matter is not ended by any
means. They believe Fosters statement
that he wrote the obnoxious card at the
solicitation of the maloontents, whom they
claim do not number over fifteen. It is in
tended to cite all of them before the disci-
pline meeting of the church TO day, and if
they can't prove themselves innocent Of the
attempt to blacken toe reputation of tue
pastor they will be expelled.
Indications point to lively times ahead
for the church.
TO GO TO ATLANTA.