The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-06-27


was drunkard and who now says it
was all a mistake, came before Judge
Barnard in the supreme court Mr..
shober produced a score of witnesses to
prove that he was never addicted TO the
liquor habit. They included physi.
clans, but the majority were men and
women OF the Barrytown parish, where
the deposed clergyman preached for
eight years
Mr.. shobers story, so much Of 1t as
has been made public, has already been
told. Upon the witness-stand to-day lie
said:
Il was a student at AnnadaIe when !
married Miss Helen L. Aspinwall on
April Ii, 1882. had no means, and
this was well Understood by my wife
and her mother, Mrs. Jane w. Aspin-
wall. John Aspinwall, my wife's
brother, belonged to the same college
as /, and we were close friends for
years. Alter our marriage my wife and
ltraveled in Europe with Mrs. Aspin-
wall and then went to Middletowli,
Conn, where finished my theological
studies aud became minister. We
went to Nlessena, the Aspinwall couh-
try place on the Hudson, ~ live. My
wife had $4,000 from her fathers es-
tate and the income paid our Lying eK-
penses. Mrs. Aspinwall built the,
chapel at Barrytown and was installed
as rector at $500 a year. Afterwards
my salary was made $1,000 and a rec.
tory was built for Us upon the Aspin-
wall estate. We always spent agood
deal OF time at Mira. Aspinwall's.
Then Mr.. Shober told of the more
than cordial relations that exi,ted be
tween himsel; and his wiie's family for
many years. Four children came to
them, two boys and two girls. The
young rector established missions at
Pine Plains, fifteen miles away; at
Rhinebeck and at Upper Red Hook.
He drove all over Dutchess county in
sunshine and storm. ministeaing to the
people OF three parishes. Heorganized
societies and guilds and worked with
out ceasing in his Masters cause.
One day last December he came home.
from New York wet and cold. He had
gone to the city TO buy gifts for the Sum
day school Christmas trees. Something
occurred at the rectory that added men.
tai worry to his physical ailments.
What that was Mr. Shober has never
told. On Sunday he drove to Upper
Red Hook and conducted service there.
Without eating breakfast he drove five
miles more to his church at Barrytown,
where be administered communion. At
2 o'clock he ate a slight dinner, pre-
pared his evening sermon, visited sick
child, and at Z o'clock read the evening
service. He walked a mile to his home
and the next morning he was sick.
For q week he was delirious His de-
lusions included the visits OF mice, the
appearance hosts of tiny brownies" in
toboggan caps, the opening OF great
cracks in the ceiling and the advance OF
monster plastic body, like huge
snowfall, which was to crush him. He
had no tremor and no fear OF any OF
these visitations The doctors treated
him for the grip. One day they were
told that Mr.. Shober was hard drinker,
and that he had been intoxicated just
before his illness. Dr. Losee diagnosed
the case as one Of delirium tremens.
On the stand Mr.. Shober said he felt
that the time had come when he must
leave his wife. When DIR. Losee told
him that he had been suffering from
alcoholism he was still in weak con-
dition, and he accepted the statement
as perhaps the best way out OF his do
nestle worries He wrote to Bishop
Potter, saying that he was unfit to beoa
minister. He wrote to his motherin.,
law, telling That lady that he was un-
worthy to be her son-in-law, that he was
a drunkard. Then he went to his wife
and said:
"The time has come when l must
leave Barrytown for reasons that you
know very well. have no money. II
You will give me enough to go away
with in few days will send you evil
dence from New York upon which you
can get a divorce"
"My sole object was to divert any
breath Of scandal from my wife and
children" said Mr.. Shober to-day. II
thought it best to assume all the dis
grace" -,
left the Aspinwall estate and started tor
Mexico. BE got as far as North Caro-
lima, where he saw his father and moth
or, and they told him to come back and
clear his name. So no returned, and
for months now he has been seeking a
restoration to that place in the ministry
and in society which, his friends say,
only Quixotic notion OF se.t-sacrihce
deposed him from.
In the shober household lived a
young theological student, Harry B.
Carver. Carver left Barrytown one
night before shober did. Barrytown
people say all manner OF harsh things
about him. VIII Lown said last winter
that If Carver ever'fell into the hands
Of Shober's friends they would throw
him into the Hudson. Carver was one
OF those who tried to spread the delir-
Jun tremens story. MIR. Shober's
friends say that Carver was at the bot
tom OF all OF the pastors trouble. OF
Carver the minister will not speak.
He always stops at that point in his
story.
The Rev. DR.. Henry L. Zlegenfuss.
archieacon OF this diocese, has stood
steadfastly by Mr.. Shober. He came
into the court room to-day and was in
vited to seat on the bench beside.
Judge Barnard. a few weeks ago the
archdeacon organized commission OF
inquiry and they examined into Mr.,
shobef's case. A unanimous report
was made to Bishop Potter that he
should be restored to the ministry.
Then Mr. Shober asked the court for a
writ OF habeas corpus to compel his
wife 10 produce tho four children. Mrs.
Shober and lier mother spent the win-
tor on North Washington Square, New
York city. and the Young clergyman was