Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-13
CHURCHMEN IN COURT.
The Presbytery Of San Francisco
ct al. Sued for Libel.
Rev. John w. Ellis Again Appears
Before the Public.
He Wants 100000 Damages-His AT
torney Makes Statement-The
Plaintiff on the Wit
ness Stand.

There was an unusual air of sanctity
about. Judge Wallace's court today, says
the San Francisco Report OF Wednes-
day. 1t was caused by the presence OF
a number of deacons, elders, divin es
and church pillars generally. belonging
to or interested in the Presbytery OF
San Francisco. They had assembled,
not to discuss polemics, but to hear the
trial Of the case OF Rev. John w. Ellis,
ID. D., against Hugh Frazer, Henry Hui
schmidt, Thomas G. Easton, Alexander
Kerr, and the Presbytery of San Fran
cisco.
The suit grew out of case which is
quite celebrated. DIR. Ellis was arraigned
before the Presbytery in March, 1891,
and his trial lasted about two months.
He was charged with misappropriation
OF funds intrqsted to him tor the use
and benefit of the Central Presbyterian
tabernacle, of which he was pastor. He
was also accused Of deception and false
hood. The trial resulted in the loss OF
his pulpit, and he then brought suit
for 500, 900 damages, alleging that he
had been injured by the defendants,
who had conspired against him for the
purpose of running him and depriving
him of the means of livelihood. He
alleges furthermore that, as result OF
the conspiracy, all his future hopes and
prospects in life had been blasted, the
work and education of his whole past
destroyed and himself and family dis
graced.
Attorney Allen made the opening
statement in which he explained the
nature of the Presbyterian church or
ganization.
He said that under the rules of the
constitution of the Presbytery defend
ants Huffschmidt and Frazer were not
rightfully members of that body and
could not have participated in it's delib-
erations except through fraud. He pro-
posed to show that DR.. Ellis had been
for twenty years trusted servant of the
most eminent divines; that he enjoyed
the full confidence and respect Of the
leading boards of finance connected
with the church in the east. He would
also show that all the defendants were
Scotch, Irish and Germans, and that
they were of excitable temperament, ac-
customed to dissension and contention,
and that the Presbytery of San
Francisco had record for couten-
tion and diecord. It would be
proved that DR.. Ellis had never acted or
spoken except as gentleman, scholar
and Christian, and that he had been
suspended from the performance of his
sacred duties for no other cause than
that he had appealed to the civil courts
for redress after having been the victim
OF malicious prosecution conducted by
the defendants. 1t would, furthermore,
be shown that the Tabernacle church
had been allowed to become dilapidated
to disgraceful extent owing to the
parsimony of the trustees, and that it
was well-known fact that number of
members OF the congregation were
obliged to carry insect powder in their
pockets. 1t was at the plaintiffs most
earnest and repeated requests that the
trustees paid to him sufficient money to
improve the condition OF the church
edi6ce, and evidence would be in
troduced to prove that he
had handled the money in
a wise and economical manner. satisfac-
tory to the members of the congrega-
tion. Testimony would be given to
prove that the birth of the conspiracy
against DR.. Ellis dated from the time
that he had expressed desire to accede
to proposition to form an alliance with
Rev. DIR. Mackenzie. 1t would be shown
that Rev. Chalmers Easton, of Bell case
notofiety, Hugh Frazer and DR.. Kerr
constituted the main force in the ma
licious prosecution; that witnesses per-
jured themselves, and that some of the
witnesses against him were members of
the jury that tried him. Allen also as
serted that DR.. Kerr was the prosecutor,
and that he caused his address to be
published in Los Angeles paper for the
purpose of injuring the plaintiffs g repu-
tation in that city, and that it was tis
sue OF malicious misrepresentation filled
with billingsgate.
Major Mhoon made statement to
the jury for the defense. He said it
would be shown that DR.. Ellis did dis
burse a large sum-Of money, and that
when asked for an accounting presented
a statement which would be submitted
in evidence and which showed that he
had put the church $500 in debt. 1t
would be shown that the statement
contained false items, and that when
questioned about the matter DIR. Ellis
could not give a reasonable explanation.
mOIcOtcI, IL WOulu Uo pTOV6u CudI uc
had received money for which he never
accounted.
In the afternoon DIR. Ellis was put on
the stand. He testified that he came to
San Francisco in October, 1889, and that
his present residence was at 1016 Eighth
street. He had done great deal of
work in Chico and in Los Angeles for
the Presbyterian synod, and they had
found no fault with his work. That he
was 30 years of age, and had come to
California in 1877. Lived in Chico
three years and in Los Angeles ten
years. In both places he had accom-
plished great deal for the churches
there.
Mr.. J. P. Blaize, an extensive real es-
tate dealer in Des Moines, Iowa, mar
rowly escaped one of the severest at
tacks of pneumonia while in the north
ern part of the state during recent
blizzard, says the Saturday Review. Mr..
Blaize had occasion to drive several
miles during the storm and was 80 thor
oughly chilled that he was unable to
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