Los Angeles herald., 1891-04-27
THE ARGUMENTS.
REV. JOHN w. ELLIS GIVEN A Sc
WERE SCORING.
The Speech of the Prosecutor-The De-
fendant Makes Weak Plea in Return.
No Judgment Yet Reached.

A severe and bitter argument against
Rev. John w. Ellis was made before the
presbytery in the Howard Presbyterian
church yesterday morning by Rev. AL
exander j. Kerr, says the San Francisco
Chronicle of Saturday. He began mild
ly enough by remarking that he had not
sought to be appointed prosecutor in the
case, and had begged that his name be
not mentioned in that connection.
After speaking of the alleged decep-
ton in DR.. Ellis accounts of money
which had been turned over to him for
church repairs, the prosecutor said that
on January l2th the contractor for the
glass appeared at a meeting of the
trustees and demanded what was due
him, saying he had frequently dunned
DR.. Ellis.
"Until then" declared Rev. Mr.. Kerr
with emphasis, "not shadow of suspi
cion had rested on this man. The Off
GERS of the church trusted him, and he
betrayed their trust. What must be the
moral color blindness of the man who
could so betray them? 1t was treason
to God, treason to his ordination vows,
treason to the presbytery, treason to you
and me, who must share the scandal and
opprobrium of this outrage. When con-
fronted with the proofs of his rascality
he hid behind a shameful subterfuge,
saying they were his own private bills.
He knew they were not, as they were
| held against the church, not against
him. and the church will have to meet
them. When asked how he was going
to pay them, he answered that he would
do SO either out of his own private means
or would get the money from wealthy
men. What infamy! Who will dare
after that to go out to get money for
church purposes"
The prosecution computed that the
church was out $500 by DR.. Ellis's trans
action.
THAT is blood money" he said
"He opened the arteries of the church
remains ON his skirts and on his soul.
the wall, all the kings horses and all
the kings men can't put him together
again. Public honesty demands that
Justice be meted out to him. Your rep
utation and mine are invoked. The
honor OF the church requires it,"
DR.. Ellis in reply said that the money
had been deposited with him to be used
for the benefit of the church. The
prosecution had failed to prove that he
was restricted to any particular use of
it or to any particular time. The argu-
ment between him and the trustees and
deacons made in February, by which he
became personally responsible to the
creditors for material and labor furnish
ed, was satisfactory to the church
authorities, he said. He argued that
when a transaction is thus settled and
closed, no civil court would ever open it
again, and that this court should not
There would have been no trouble, he
said, had it not been for outside med
dlers, who wanted his church. The
church itself had not authorized the
complaint against him.
He said that Rev. Mr.. Kerr had not,
during the trial, shown him one iota of
personal friendship, gentle treatment or
Christian conduct. He charged Rev.
DR.. Easton and Hugh Frazer, one of the
trustees, with duplicity in their actions
toward him.
"Talk about treachery and decep-
ton % he exclaimed. 'They have led
me and neighboring pastors up to a
precipice for one mighty plunge to death,
hell and destruction. The minds of the
| presbytery were poisoned by that damn
able stuff told about me. Talk about
bearing one another's burdens. 1t is a
farce as they have practiced it."
The fact that no misstatement had
been found in his testimony was proof,
he thought, that the grace of God was
with him when the crowd was against
him.
The presbytery at IL 80 O'Clock went
| inf oH-
journed until next Tuesday morning at
10 O'Clock. The proceedings in private
were not divulged. Only fourteen of
those who sat in the presbytery when
the trial began attended every session to
hear the testimony, and only those four
teen can vote for or against DIR. Ellis.
In case of tie and no verdict, new
trial will be ordered.