The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-04-21

Rev. Charles Shelley Hughes
and His Record.
Opium, Whisky and Women Cut
. an Interesting Figure i'm an
Interesting Life. King
of the Tramp Printers
"A Cold Dupe
Fiend.

There is some decidedly interesting
gossip in church circles in this city,
and Mr.. Charles Shelley Hughes, the
poet, printer, preacher, lawyer and
newspaper man, is the central figure
of it. Mr.. Hughes came here about
six weeks ago from Fl. Worth, Texas
and began work in job printing Of
flee at his trade. He also cultivated
the acquaintance of the church peo-
pie, was exceedingly well liked by
some and much condemned by others.
His name became connected in some
manner with the passionate of the Sec
ond Congregational church. Mr..
Hughes said he had never applied
for the pastorate, but the i'm
preston prevailed that he was
seeking the charge, when some of
the members commenced looking up
his record. The result of this inves-
tigation was that Mr.. Berry local
ticket agent of the Missouri Pacific
received a letter yesterday from Rev.
j. B. Thompson of Mt. Vernon; Ill.
in which Hughes was characterized
as a fraud and a scoundrel and that
the attention ofthe next conference
would be called to his case and that
he would be published in all the
church papers.
Mr.. Hughes was seen by BAzoo
reporter last night. He said that ne
had authority to prove that On the 1st
day of March 1889 he was licensed
by Rev. Thompson of Mt. Vernon to
exhort in the NJ. E. Church; and that
ON the Goth day of May 1887
he was licensed as a local preacher
at Benton, Illinois; where
the Mt. Vernon District M. E.
Conference was held. William Wal.
lis presiding elder signed the license
and it has not yet been revoked. He
says be was admitted on trial in the
travelling connection of the NJ. E.
Church at the annual Conference of
1890, at Mt. Carmel, Illinois, Bishop
Bowman presiding and was assigned
to the charge at Thompsonville, and
held it about three months. The
trouble at Thompsonville is best told
in his own language
81 was young man when / took
charge of the church end had been a
very hard man in my younger days.
had contracted the liquor habit to
break which, / began the use of opium
and morphine. The habit as every
one knows Is fearful in its results and
| | have been years In breaking
away from it. While pastor at
Thompsonville, the women of
the congregation thong bit l should
get married and the young ladies o.
course thought well of me. There
was that jealousy which always creeps
| in in matters of that kind, some OF
the sisters alleging that had been too
| intimate with some of the other sisters.
As soon as / heard it | demanded an
investigation of the stories and there
was not a person in that town who
would make charge against me. The
matter was investigated by Presiding
Elder Willis after | had rendered my
resignation and the following is copy
of the letter he gave me-"
Thompsonville, ILL.,, Dec. II, 1890.
To all whom it may concern
In the case of Rev. G. S. Hughes
as touching rumors concerning his
moral character, it is my con-
viction that Bro. Hughes while he
has been indiscreet and impru-
dent has not violated moral
law.
(Signed) WIN. WALLIS, P. E.
"Of course since l resigned | am a
local preacher and that is all | have
represented myself to be and that
stands good until revoked upon
proper trial or by the action of the
next district conference which will be
held next May in Mt. Vernon
Hughes early history is decidedly
interesting. For years he was known
as the "King of Tramp Printers" He
has tramped all over the country and
set type in every state and territory in
the Union and Cuba. He went from
New York to San Francisco in box
car in Is days, beating the record Of