Los Angeles herald., 1891-04-12
STILL ON TRIAL.
REV. ELLIS STILL HAVING HIS
CHARACTER INVESTIGATED.
Dr. Easton Gives Some Strong Testimony
Against the Accused-Mr. Ellis Gets
Somewhat Excited.

The trial of Rev. John w. Ellis by the
presbytery of San Francisco is still GO
ing on, says Fridays San Francisco
Examiner.
When the ecclesiastical court met
yesterday DIR. Easton, the pastor OF
Calvary church, was placed upon the
stand. He was chairman OF the COM
mittee appointed by the presbytery to
investigate the financial condition OF
the Central church. -.
DIR. Easton said the committee OF
which he was chairman had been in
formed by Hufschmidt and Frazer that
DR.. Ellis had presented statement OF
the manner in which he had disbursed
the $500 loan secured from the Hi
hernia bank, returning bills as paid
which had never been settled.
We called DIR. Ellis before us and
questioned him about many of the bills.
We did not inform him of what had
been communicated to us, because the
two trustees asked that nothing be said
until they could lay the matter before
the full board of trustees. Itwas hoped
that DIR. Ellis could explain everything
satisfactorily to his church, and we
desired to give him every opportunity
to clear himself. As he was about
leaving I asked him if we were to under
stand that all those bills had been set
tied. He must certainly have under
stood that the bills in his statement
were referred to. He answered yes, that
the bills, with the exception of some
small ones, had been paid,
DIR. Ellis moved his chair forward close
to the witness and looked him squarely
in the face while he conducted his cross
examination. DIR. Easton returned the
gaze.
"Did you or any member of the COM
mittee inform me of the charges that
had been made against me" he asked.
''No," replied the witness. "But you
were interrogated about the bills closely.
You must have known that something
was wrong"
II must have known it?"
"Yes, or you are very obtuse.''
''Indeed?" remarked the defendant,
smiling sarcastically.
"Yes, sir" returned DIR. Easton, hot
ly, "and don't propose to be laughed
at or coughed at"
DR.. Ellis smile faded away and he re-
sumed the examination.
A few minutes later the defendant
asked, "Where did you first talk with
Mr.. Frazer about this business?"
"On railroad car between San Fran
cisco and San Jose."
''Did you not state little while ago
that it was at Mr.. Frazer's house? ?"
sIf 1 did SO it was wrong"
Dr El1ic cnropo I'M nuiol-1xy onI shot
out some remark like, "What's that
One of the presbytery remarked that
the witness should not be menaced.
"Ah! He can't appall me if he tries
till the day of judgment" The reverend
gentlemen looked at each other mo-
ment and the moderator tapped his ia
BILE.
In the following half hour DIR. Ellis
failed to shake the witness, but brought
out the fact that DR.. Easton had been
informed by Thomas Magee of DR.. Ellis
testimony given in the note suit, and
also that some one had written to him
of some alleged shortcomings of the de-
fendant in Chico.
The defendant in his next questions
rather reproached the witness for not
informing him. a brother in the church,
of the charges made against him the
they were preferred.
"You were given the longest latitude
that mortal man could ask. We held you
a pure and innocent man, as we hold
you now, until you are condemned" re-
piled DR.. Easton.
For fully an hour the witness was held
on cross-examination. The two rever-
end gentlemen sglared steadily at each
other, the defendant putting his quess
tions sharply and the witness replying
curtly. DR.. Easton's usual pale features
were flushed, and even DR.. Ellis took on
a bit of color. When the duel of words
was ended DR.. Easton gathered himself
together, cast one last glance at the de-
fendant and passed to his seat.
Rev. DR.. Chapman and Rev. Mr..
Thompson testified that they heard DR..
Ellis say to the pastor of Calvary that
all bills included in the statement had
been paid.
The investigation goes on today.