The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1891-03-19
A CLEVELAND ACCOUNT.


The Cleveland Plain Dealer says:
Rev. Howard MacQueary's fate is not
only sealed but it is signed and delivered
as we'll. Rev. A. B. Putnam, president of
the ecclesiastical court left the verdict at
Bishop Leonard's residence in person at
about o'clock yesterday afternoon.
The verdict is guilty aud the punish
ment recommended by the court is that
the Rev. Howard MacQueary be suspend
ed for period of six months, during
which time he is to have the privilege of
retracting his views regarding the virgin
birth and the bodily resurrection if he so
| desires. II at the end of six months he
| has failed to retract those views he is to
be degraded from the ministry.
OF course Mr.. MacQueary will do no re-
| tracting. He had the opportunity to re-
tract quite early, long bJfore he was pre-.
sented for trial, and he did uotdo so. He
was tried on the prcsentment against him
on the full understanding that his ground
was that he could hold those views and
stay in the church. The church, by the
court, says that he cannot. II is not likely
now that he will take a step back or make
a. tSOhNCooitlilO lOl AiiD oesht Va
ing in the church. Indeed it is generally
supposed that on having official knowl-
edge of the verdict he will at once resign
from the Episcopalian ministry and ac-
cept an offer which he has had from a
church of another denomination.
1t is also safe to say that Bishop Leon
ard will not exercise his prerogative of
imposing lighter penalty than that
recommended by the court. The verdict
is weak enough already by the refusal of
Rev. Messrs. Smythe and Gallagher to
join in it and the bishop will no doubt GO
to the entire limit allowed him by the
court, beyond which he cannot go.
Plain Dealer reporter called twice
on Bishop Leonard last night. The first
call was made at about 8 o'clock and the
domestic who opened the door replied that
Bishop Leonard was out and that he was
not expected home that evening. The
second call was made at about 10 O'Clock
and although bright light was burning
in the parlor nobody came to the door.
No member of the court would tell the
verdict. Each one said that he had PROM
ised the others that he would not say a
word, now that the matter was out OF theil
hands and in the hands of the bishop.
The Plain Dealer will not say where its
information was derived. 1t did not come
from the bishop. 1t did not come from
the court. But 1t is. nevertheless authen
tic.
The court went to dinner at about
o'clock yesterday afternoon at the Hollen
den. After dinner il did not go back tC
Trinity house, but finished it's work in the
Hollenden, had typewriter copy OF it,
verdict made in the office there and ad
journed from there. Meanwhile III
actions were observed. The minority fac
ton had deserted the scene. Mr.. Putnam
devoted himself to the task of seeing tha
the verdict was properly transcribed an,
that none OF 1t got away, while Messrs
AYES and Morgan waited in the reading
room, pens in hand, to sign and get away
The front room down stairs in Trinit!
house was deserted. This is the room
which serves as Dean Morgan's Office ant
in which most of the deliberations of tn,
court were held. On Dean Morgan's desl
are two copies of the canons of the genera
convention. One is a big volume whicl
seems to be the journal of the doings o
: the general convention. The other, whicl
lies on top of row of books on top of tn
| desk, lB n Httle VOluIne Oi VIC cduOu law
with Bishop Leonard's name on the fl
leaf. The bigger book makes inter estin
reading. A leaf was turned down at tn
following interesting paragraph:
"Wheneyer the penalty OF suspension
shall be inflicted upon bishop, priest o
deacon In the church, the sentence shal
specify on what terms or at what tim
said penalty shall cease"
A little ahead of this in the book wa
| found the paragraph:
sand on being found guilty he'shall h
admonished, suspended or degraded az
: cording TO the canons OF the diocese !
8 which the trial takes place until otherwls
+, provided for by the general convention,
/. Another paragraph provides that !"
: any presbyter shall abandon til
:, communion of the church by an open r.
o nunciation of the doctrine, discipline {
r. worahip of this church or by a formal a,
d mission into any religious body not
communion with the same or in any oth'
wayp II shall become the duty of tn
standing committee TO so notify the bisho
). who shall thereupon suspend the clerg!
| o.. ID. ~. Cd ~