Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-12-31
A REVEREND CONFESSION,
Which Makes Charge Against the
Rev. w. r. Corkrar.


According to the Rov. II. G. Warren, Mr..
Corkran Was Instrumental In Remov-
ing tho Rev. Il. o. Ayres From tho
Salisbury District Presiding Eidership.
In communication published by the
Peninsula Meth0dist, and addressed to
the preachers and people of Wilmington
M. Il. Conference, the Rev. Benjamin
@. Warren, formerly of Wilmington
Conference and now of Sheffield, Mass,
has the following in regard to the letter
which, IL is alleged, was the cause of the
removal of the late Rev. T. o. Ayres
from the presiding eldership of Sails
bury district, now filled by the Rev. DIR.
w. f. Corkran:
at has been stated to me that my
former letters to the Peninsula Methodist
were construed by the public into a
charge against Rev. w. +. Corkran, that
he had been a party to the removal of
Brother Ayres from the eldership last
spring.
"Not wishing to do Rev. w. r.
Corkran injustice, yesterday wrote
letter TO the Peninsula Methodist stating
that l did not SO charge him. / also
gave copy of the letter to friend.
To-day read Rev. w. +. Corkran's
letter. 1t forces me TO state what |
know.
Il am unable to state positively what
w. +. Corkran did or did not do. l can
only say what he told inc he did.
Sin the autumn Of 1890, Corkran was
corresponding with my elder, Rev. II.
ii. Travis, with view to transfer to
this conference and an appointment to
Falls Village, Conn. At my invitation
he visited me and preached two Sundays
at Falls Village. afterwards he con
cluded not to transfer.) On his return
home went with him as far as New
York. Here we spent a few days
together at u clearinghouse.
"lt was one night after we had retired
that the T. o. Ayres matter was men
toned between us. Ispoke of the paper
that Rev. McFarlane had showed me at
Nlilford; of its signature by the Anna
messex official board and that | noticed
il was not written and signed by the
same hand.
II then said wondered who wrote it
and that McFarlane would not tell me-
For moment there was silence; then
Rev. Corkran sat up in bed and said,
We'll, Bennie, if you wont tell it I'll tell
you who wrote it, / promised him /
would not tell. Said he, We'll, did it. )
He then told me the things that Ayres
had done that he did not consider right;
said that McFarlane promised him that
he would rewrite the paper and pu. it
into proper shape.
"He said McFarlane did not do right,
| O Because he did not copy off the
article, as he promised. (2) Because he
did not present it to the bishop; as, after
it was signed he held that McFarlane
had no right to do otherwise with II.
"Many other things were said which
might be mentioned, but have stated
the gist of the matter and stated the
truth.
"As you see make no charge against
Corkran us to what occurred at the con-
ference of '91.
"And now few words to you,
Brother w. f. Corkran. You have
forced me to betray your confidence.
You have forced me to break the word
j gave you. 1t is the first time ever be-
trayed any man and to do so in this case
has cost me great pain.
"for this permit inc to express the
| profoundest sorrow,to most humbly beg
| your pardon. / resolved not to mention
your name. Why did you force me to
do it by your article to-day?
"For some weeks past letters have
been coming 20 friend of mine from
Rev. X. Watt, threatening me with a
bill of charges which he claims to have
formulated. | demand that the reverend
gentleman at once place those charges
in the hands of my elder or cease his
thfeats. ! have no cause to fear bill
OF charges nor do |.
snow word as to why l did not
make these facts public sooner. (1l the
thing was past. believed the paper
destroyed, as Mctarlane had promised
to burn it.
"t2l As Ayres had escaped in 80 l
believed he would not be removed in
'91. After he had been removed it
became serious question as to what
ought to do shout the plot, for such |
consider it, the knowledge Of which
buIdened my soul.
q almost felt guilty myself in keep.
ing such thing, yet there was my word
to Corkran, which it seemed could not
break. tried to persuade myself that as
| was out Of the Wilmington Conference
had nothing to do with it, or with
Ayrcs. But somehow these Cainsh
thoughts would not satisfy me. l felt
that ! was my brothers keeper.
"Once or twice, under strong provo
cation, | stated n part of what | knew
| At last, as Brother II. II. Adams
CHANGED to cali upon me at Royal Oak,
last September, ] concluded to tell him
the whole story and ask him what he
thought ought to do. Almost as soon
as reached home the news of Brother
Ayres'. death reached me. l felt then
that l had acted the part of wretch in
not speaking sooner. thought, agonized
and prayed over the matter. l wrote
the article and the facts are as l state
them"