Smyrna times., 1892-01-06
THE SMYRNA TIMES.
Smyrna, DeI.,
Wednesday Afternoon, Jan. 6, 1892
A Storm Brewing.
CHARGES TO BE PREFERRED AGAINST
THE PRESIDING ELDER OF THE
DOVER DISTRICT AT THE COM
ING SESSION OF THE WILL
MINGTON CONFER
Died of a broken heard


ENCE.
Died of broken heart
That is what the friends of Rev. T. |
o. Ayres of Delaware City say he died |
of, and that his enemies in the Will |
mington NJ. E. Conference are respOn-
sible for his death.
The Rev. L. o. Ayres, pastor of the
NJ. Z. Church at Delaware City, died |
on October IA, aged So years, and the
testimony of the physician is that his
death was the result of deep mental
anguish"
The Rev. G. w. Burke, of Onancock,
Va, in a letter TO the Peninsula Meth
Odist, the organ of the Wilmington
Conference says: Those who treated
him with that inhumanity must be
held responsible at the bar of God for
his untimely death. Appalling az in
such thought, it is the logical con-
clusiOn from the Judgment of his phys
ician.,' Further on the writer says:
81 often find myself wishing for the
return of those times, when u Thomp-
son, Kenney, Matlack, and other
kindred spirits, stood in the forefront
and led wisely and in love, but never
sought to drive by bride or threat"
The Rev. Benjamin G. Warren, of
Sheffield, Mass, but formerly of the
Wilmington Conference, boiled over
with indignation when he heard of the
Rev. T. o. Ayres' death. He said:
1--WE have not yet learned the immedi-
ate cause of our brothers. death, but
we well remember the hour when we
sat in his home in Salisbury, Md, and
looked upon his blanehed cheek and
quivering lip as he spoke to us of the
treachery of some of the brethren tow
ard him. All yes, you official
men of Annamessex and of Stockton
Circuits who signed that paper when
it was presented to you by your pastor
! paper traducing your presiding elder,
paper that was written by the very
hand that grasped his place, come up
to your annual conference next spring
and in company with other men, no
better than yourselves, build We his
sepulchre. Why we see no wounds p
| All, no, he lies upon them they are on
his back and you, riding upon the
! high places Of ecclesiastical power, you
who sent his letters that burned with
| indignation against the injustice you
are doing him-who sent those letters
together with copies of the Peninsula
Methodist to Bishop Fowler last spring
come down, say, from your lofty
station and stand beside his lowly rest
ing place and build his sepulchre.
Grave charges, these > know it, but
they are the truth and we stand ready
to face them in any place of justice
| human or or diVihe0
The smouldering fire which has been
glowing among the ministers of the
Wilmington NJ. E. Conference for over
a year past, have broken out into this
flame. The story is now an old one
but an interesting one.
The impassiOned language of the
Revs. Burke and Warren was evidently
the heat of the moment, when their re
sentiment against the prosecutors O
the Rev. Mr.. Ayres was strongest and
but newly made on their memory
Both have since moderated in tone
and have regretted the use of sucl
strong language. The fact remains
however, that there is serious trouble
brewing in the Wilmington COnferenc,
and the storm threatens to break GU
at the coming annual session, which
will meet in Grace Church, Wilmington
on March Is next Back of the who'll
surface trouble, the dissatisfaction
among the Methodist ministers i
charged to the consuming ambition 0
the Rev. J. A. B. Wilson, Presiding
Elder of Dover District. Big brawny
brainy and clever sChemer, the Her
cules presiding elder has been tn
most aggressive leader in the Whining
ton Conference for more than a decade
He has been presiding elder for man
years, contrary to the precedent in thi
conference, and was influential enoug
to secure his present position when
was felt that he had presided owe
Salisbury District long enough. He
n a natural born leader, and his positive
L aggressive nature and long service
# positions of high honor and power i
IS his church, makes him loath to retur
to the ranks and resume the ploddin
IS mOnOtOny of the itinerancy. His en'
9, mics in the conference say that tn
!" goal for which he is striving is bishOl
ID re. He was candidate for the seer
ID taryship of the Freedman's Aid Sociei
at the last general conference, ar
would, undoubtedly have been electe
8. if he could have secured the suppO
of his own conference. The faction
H, fight in the Wilmington ConferenC
however, defeated him.
= The reason for the imprisoned la
guage of the Revs. Burke and Ware
at the beginning of this article,
D found in the charge made by the Re
D Mr.. Wilson's enemies. namely that
influenced Bishop Fowler to remOV
Y without cause, the Rev. Mr.. AyTes
E. Presiding Elder of Salisbury Distri'
n in furtherance of his own interests al
= designs, and because Mr.. Ayres won
mt not allow himself to be used by {
,le Dover presiding elder.
~ There was a deep-seated OPPOSITE
)" to the Rev. Mr.. Wilson at the last co
w ference, but he out witted all his opp
. nents. The Rev. w. F. Corkran,
Wilson adherent, was appointed Pl
siding Elder of the Salisbury Distri
The Rev. Mr.. Ayres received the 6
pointment at Delaware City, and di
within eight months of deep men
anguish. He had repeatedly express
himself to friends, to the effect that
had been made victim of plot, a
the stigma placed on him by his
mOval, without apparent cause, wOuI
ed his sensitive nature deeply a
preyed on his mind.
The opponents of the Rev. Mr.. "
son openly announce their intentiC
of bringing charges against him, at I
coming conference, and not only h'
ing him shorn of his power, but ii
also want him cashiered and remON
from the ministry. The Dover pres
ing elder has host of friends who c.
slider the opposition a persecution,
sulting from jealousy and envy. I
Peninsula Methodist has given vo
the opposition and has champion
their cause.
1883 Said a member of the Whining
" Conference, in speaking of the Rev
Z A. B. Wilson He is undoubtedly
man of brains and ability, and Ia,
church councils on the Peninsl
what Barney Salisbury is in Delaw
n politics. He would have made a 2,
politician but for one serious fa
He will insist on furnishing his enem
instead Of trying to placate and con
late them. He is a born leader,
orator, a persuasive speaker, gu
and original thinker and has force
with character enough to attract large