The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-26
A DETECTIVE IN A PULPIT
PREACHED BsERMONs WHILE
HUNTING DR. DILLS FOES
Plot to Tar and Feather the Pastor
and Drive Him Out of Town Results
in Indictments Found by the Morris
County Grand Jury Against the Con-


IN Indictments Found by the Morris
County Grand Jury Against the Con-
spirators.
From The Neg York World
| MoRRISToWN, \. j., Oct. 22.-Rev.
Arthur C. Dill of Stirling recently lodged
a complaint with the grand jury of Morris
county charging Herbert Gray Torrey, an
employee of the United States assay Office Of
New York; Gray Torrey, his son; Dick
Thomas, Frederick Taft and others with
conspiracy and assault. After a weeks
elaboration the grand jury has indicted
those complained against, and has found an
additional count against Herbert Gray Tor
rey and against Clarkson B. Maffett, one of
the justices of the peace of Stirling, for con-
! spiracy.
The trouble between DR.. Dill and his
| neighbors is the outgroWth of a row in the
| little Presbyterian church at Stirling. Ii
was said that DR.. Dill manifested an over
! Jealous interest in certain women of his
| flock, aud the report SO irrltated the young
men OF the parish that they began a sys-
temetic persecution Of the clergyman.
The scandal resulted in a hearing before
! DR.. White OF Summit the moderator for
| the district. DR.. Dill was asked to resign
his charge. The young clergyman re-
| manned III Stirling after he vacated his pull
pit and defled his tormentOrs The residents
| OF Stirling who favored DR. Dill procured a
| hall for him in which to hold serv'ce He
| preached there for some time, while the
Presbyterian churchs pulpit was unoccu-
! pied.
In the meantime several young men,
| sons OF members Of DR.. Diifs former
church, stole the cergyman's horse one
! Sunday night and, after painting the ami
mai red, white and blue. led it away to a
| lonely spot, where it was afterward found.
DR.. Dill stood these attacks as patiently as
he could and did not attempt 20 have his
| tormenrors arrested.
DR.. Dllrs brother James B. Dill, is New
York lawyer, The staid residents OF Stirling
wondered why the lawyer did not come to
his brothers. rescue. Lawyer Dill was,
| however, quietly collecting evidence
| against the unsuspecting young country
men. He had scouts in all directions, and
attidavits were obtained from persons who
knew all about the plot to tar aud feather
| DR.. Dill on the night of July L
w bile the detectives were hunting evi-
| dence 1t was noised around that the Presby-
terrain chapel was TO have a new pastor, and
| the members Of the church, who had been
anxious for a good old-fashioned revival,
were overjoyed. The new incumbent aD-
peared at the appointed time. He preached
acceptably for three consecutive Sundays,
| and then his store OF biblical knowledge
| suddenly gave out. Some one heard him
use profane word, and then it was dis
| covered that the congregation had expert
enced the novelty OF hearing scripture pros
pounded by full-hedged detective.
Another detective called on the sister of
| one Of the accused young men and before
long was in possession OF receipt the young
| lady held for pistol that her brother had
| purchased. As soon as the Dill party had
secured all the evidence necessary four OF
those concerned were asked TO make attida>
vits without the Knowledge of the others.
When the case was presented to the grand
jury great deal Of contradictory evidence
was given By tne young men, who did not
know OF the existence Of tie aifidavits. One
Of these affidavits follows:
The witness declared under oath that he
was Of age, and that he resided at Stirling,
Passaic to wnship, Morris county. New Jersey,
that he knows and is personally acquainted
| with the Rev. Arthur C.. Dill and several of
| the young men identified with the assault on
| Or. Dill. and saw them on July 4, 1891, at
| Stirling. He said that on the afternoon of
July 4, 1891, he was In Stirling and was ap-
| preached by Gray Torrey, with whom be is
also personally acquainted; that Gray Tor
| rey said to him that he CTorrey) was intend
ing to get some boys together that night
4
tie him Ii sack and TO carry him Off over
| the mountains into the woods and to tar
| and feather him, and to leave him there. He
| declined being party to the tar aud feather
| business, but said he would be arouRd In the
evening, Gray Torrey having said to him
that the boys would meet at the barn of
| Clarkson B. Maffett at O'Clock. Torrey
| added; I'VE intend to drive DR.. Dill out of
| the place"
| Torrey further said TO him that he had
arranged with some ofsshe parties identified
| to be present at that time, and asked him
TO see johnnie Ferris and request him TO be
| present. This conversation occurred in the
afternoon at about 2 o'clock. The witness
further saws he went to the barn of Clark
son b. Matfett In company with James
| Travis. A conversation occurred there In
| which Matfett took part Fred Maffett was
also there Soon after Dick Thomas came
with Gray Torrey in Gray Torrey'S buck.
board with Gray Torrey's black horse. It
| was then proposed to tar and feather DR..
| Dill, and there was some discussion with re-
| gard to what was to be done with him after
that. The witness repeated that he would
not be a party to the tar aud feather busi>
ness, but would go and see how the
affair turned out. Clarkson B. Maffett also
| said that he thought it would be unwise to
| tar and feather DIR. Dill, because it might
| be discovered and would then lead TO seri-
Jus consequences.
after some discussion. the witness con-
tinued, ''Gray Tcrrey left, telling us that
| we should meet ct my 1ouse that evening
| about II o'clock. Torrsy added that DR.
Dill could be- caught between II and II
| O'Clock that night at the appointed hour,
| Mr.. Travis, with Johnnie Ferris, came 10
my place, and were followed by Dick
| Thomas and Frank MafRett. They waited a
! half hour, ana when sdey heard a wagon
| coming up the road they went out to see
| who was in it. The party started up the
| road toward Millington and met q person
| coming toward them on horseback. They ran
out and hid in an apple orchard until he got
| past, then they went on TO DR.. Dill's house.
! DR.. Dill was not home. and when Maffett
knocked at the door Miss Catherine Boyle,
with whom he boarded, answered She
said Dr.. Dill was not at home, and might
not be that night. She asked who wished
TO see him, and Maffett said August
| Walker
Then all hands hid under the shade Of a
cherry tree because Maffest said the doctor
would arrive about midnight. Ii was about
| midnight when DR.. Dill arrived and as coon
as he approached the house one of the BOYS
brandished pistol in his face and cried
Halt, or will firer DR.. Dill retreated to-
ward the house and the command was given
again: Halt, or 1 will fire. DR.. Dill, on
bearing the command a third time, Halt,
or / will firer turned the knob and ran into
the house. Pistols were fired in the air and
. H..