The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-05-15
DIR. M'LEOD INDIGNANT.
The Charge Attributed TO Mrs. Billiard He
PrOnounces Cruel and Malicious.

The trouble created by the proposition to
call DR.. James Mcleod. former pastor of the
Second Presbyter Church of this city.
to DR.. Crosby's old church in New York.
has created q vast amount of interest in In
dianapolis. where DR.. Mcleod has hosts of
friends and few enemies. IN special
from Albany to the New York Tribune DIR.
Mcleod Indignantly denies certain state
ments attributed to letter from Mrs.
Catharine Billiard. of this city. The spe-
cial reads as follows:
The Rev. DE-. James Mcleod, pastor Of
the First Con gational Church here. feels
much aggrieved by attacks which were
made upon him last night at a meeting of
the members of the Fourth-avenue Pres
byterIan Church. in New York, when they
met TO vote upon the question whether or
not they should invite him to become their
pastor. He especially thinks that great in
Justice was done him by DE-. w. L. Billiard.
Concerning Dr. Billiards remarks. re-
port OF the church meeting III the Tribune
to-day says: Upon request. DIR. w. T..
Billiard read a letter which he had received
from an aunt OF his living In indianapolis,
in which she spoke in unqualified terms
against DR.. Mcleod. She said, among other
things. that when he began his pastorate
there he had a full church. bnt preached
his CONGREGATION away until he spoke to
empty seats; that he did not pay his debts,
and that he was lacking in intellectual
ity."
Speaking about Mrs. Billiards. letter to-
day, DR.. Mcleod said: II hope the Tribune
will give as much publicity 10 my denial of
this statement it published from Mrs. Bull
lard. that do not pay my debts. as il did
to her assertion that do not. She has
made mos: malicious statement. 1t is an
absolute falsehoOd. ! do not owe man q
dollar. nor did / when in Indianapolis.
Since | entered the ministry | never In
CURED debt did not see my way clearly
TO pay. The falsehood is - most cruel one,
and ii is harmful In the highest degree,
for a clergyman's character is mis- capital.
Like "a woman's character. it cannot DO de-
bated.
I'm relation to the Fourth avenue Church.
permit mo to say that have never sought
to bc it's pastor. No member of it has ever
written or spoken TO me about becoming
it's head. Without authority from myself.
the subject has been discussed by the MEN,
beers. The first knowledge had that the
fact that they proposed tn invite me to be-
come the pastor of the church was being
debated was in a paragraph in a newspa-
per. Lately i saw by another paragraph
In newspaper that the congregation was
divided in opinion as to the wisdom of in
wiling me to become the pastor. This led
me- to write letter 10 one OF the elders
whom knew. saying that had observed
that my name was under discussion, and
that there had been division upon it. and
l.
press 10. That letter should have been
read to the congregation last night. If it.
had been DONE perhaps L should have been
saved from the very unjust attack Mrs.
Billiard made upon me-
The New York World has these inter
views on the subject: Yesterday Mr.. Wal
ter Edwards, one of DR.. McLeod's stanch-
est supporters, said: 80 far there have
been just two reasons given by tho oppOsi-
tion. One is that Dr.. Mcleod is forty
eight years old. which does not seem so
very old to me. and the other Is that he has
q habit of saying. Yes SIR during his ser
mons. This 10 simply mannerlsm he has,
and uses IL TO emphasize his statements
Now these are the reasons given by the OPP
position. On the other hand, the commit
tee has Investigated bis work and. / be-
leve, with the exception of Mr.. George T..
Sterry and Mr.. Reuben Langdon. were all
In favor ofDr. Mcleod"
NJ. +. Sterry. the chairman of the COM
mittee and leader of the opposition. said:
1T 10 a very unfortunate affair. but DR..
Mcleod owes his present position to his
friends DIR. Mcleod is a good man. have
nothing against his personal character, but
do not believe he is the calibre of man
needed for our church. III his case had
gone through the regular channels il would
have been dismissed without all this pub
licity. His sermon which he preached here
on Jan. 10 was great success and the con-
Rregation wished 10 elect him instead of
letting the committee investigate his
work"
Then" asked tho reporter. "the commit
tee did not investigate his recordl"
They did not" said Mr.. Sterry.