Los Angeles herald., 1891-04-09
DIR. ELLIS ON TRIAL.
THE wELL-KNowN DIVINE BEGINS
HIS ORDEAL.
He Is Charged With Misappropriation of
Funds, DECEPTION and Falsehood-The
Proceedings.

A quiet, dignified body OF reverend
gentlemen representing the Presbytery
of San Francisco, met in Calvary church
yesterday. says Tuesdays San Francisco
Chronicle, and Rev. DIR. John w. Ellis,
pastor of the Central Presbyterian
church, was placed on trial for his posi-
tion as minister and his reputation as
an honorable man.
Rev. w. A. Sample, d. d., was moder-
ator. Rev. r. F. Coyle, Rev. j. G. Bur-
CESS, Rev. George Burrowes, Rev. A.
Loomis, Rev. Robert Mackenzie, Rev.
James Matthews and Rev. f. E. Shearer
were excused from participation in the
trial.
DR.. Ellis stated that he had determin-
ed to request Rev. 4. S. Chapman to
assist him in his defense.
The accused pastor spoke slowly and
calmly. A stranger would never have
believed him to be the defendant.
DR.. Chapman begged to be excused, as
other duties would certainly prevent
him giving DR.. Ellis the assistance and
counsel to which he was entitled. This
announcement only seemed to nerve the
defendant to proceed alone and he said,
"Very we'll"
The charges and specifications were
then read.
The charges against DR.. Ellis were
many, including misappropriation of the
funds of the Central Presbyterian
church; deception in having deluded
the church trustees as to the use made
OF church money; falsehood, in having
testified falsely in suit brought against
HIM to recover 500 on note given by
him to Thomas Magee. The names OF
the witnesses, some forty in number,
were appended.
A determined-lo looking gentleman with
a close-cut brown beard and mustache
arose from the midst of the assemblage,
holding several papers in his hand. 1t
was DIR. A. j. Kerr, the reverend gentle
man selected by the prosecutor. "The
committee on prosecution" he. said, sis
ready to proceed"
The moderator bowed, and DIR. Kerr
called John Mccullough, the clerk OF the
board of trustees ofCentral Presbyterian
church. He and all the other witnesses
were sw orn. The witness identified
financial statement submitted by DIR.
Ellis to the board several months ago.
1t was the minister's account of how he
had disposed of the $500 intrusted to
him after it had been secured from a
bank on mortgage upon the. church
property. 1t was intended to show that
DR.. Ellis had not paid all the bills he
certified to, and had used some OF the
money for his own private uses. The
mortgage was presumably made in or
der to obtain money to repair the church.
Rev. DIR. Adams. Rev. r. S. Chap
nr
and Rev. HI. III. Rice testified that they
were present at the meeting of the
Presbytery in February last, when Hugh
Frazer, treasurer of the Central Presby-
terian church, had submitted a financial
statement rejecting on DR.. Ellis. They
all testified that they had heard DR..
Ellis make statement in reply, where
in he admitted using some OF the money
secured for himself, declaring that his
salary was insufficient to support him.
To several OF the witnesses DR.. Ellis's
statement had appeared to be confess
zion that he had misappropriated funds.
| Hugh Frazer testified that DR.. Ellis
had, when questioned about the pecu-
liar financiering, said that he was out
| $1,000 since coming here; that he had
property in Los Angeles worth $3l 900
| above the mortgage on it, and that he
would 60 down and sell it to pay back
to the Central Presbyterian church
what he owed it. ssn
"Did he ever say why he used the
money!"
"He said, believe, that he spent it
for things in addition to his board and
| lodging expenses"
| 1t came out from this witness that
DR.. Ellis was getting salary OF $110 per
month and enough from the home mis-
sion to make up 5000.
HI. W. Hufschmidt, president Of the
board of trustees of the Central Presby-
terian church, testified that the board
had accepted the statement of account
as rendered by DR.. Ellis in good faith,
! having full confidence in his integrity.
1t was believed that all the bills had
been paid, with the exception Of SOL 80
| for music.
"Did DR.. Ellis intimate that any OF
them were not paid?" asked the prose-
cutor.
'tNo."
"He said everything was Maid ?'