New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-10
THECASEOF YOUNG MESEROLE
HIS ADMISSION TO PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
WHAT THE COMMITTEE SAYS ABOUT IT-rAhhs
on THE SUBJECT.

~
Darwin J. Mcser,le an application to become "',li.
Aha. h,rch. and that this application was
| d o,r,r last week. when he had been relcaocu
from Ravmoud street jail just two weeks ~ "'''
night Of December the Jury broueD' IL a -
that the shooting OF Theodore larbis III ''o ''
- Mrs Doyle ComstOck had been zone by '"'
- al, dotercc and the next lay the defendant was
released from prison ,., ,rourcod
| ., aic, ., the iury rs contrary to the la'S
brought ont I'm the trial, and SAID tIat thl' wa o''
one more Of the many cases w1'r' u" c"S V, a.,
, had bccn defeated before brooklyn jury WIZ" %
/ drdart v.,s a rich man. But scarcely have inc
words az m. District Attorney ceased 10 TINY VIM"
II Is nolsed about that MeSerole was cohVerte" :"
=, soo, ot-cr his Incarceration under the ministry
NJ rhapaIn lass. Of the Raymond street '"l'' an"
is cndeavoring to c-esabl,h his social 'uhuinS y,
knocking at the door for admission To tie ""''
nromincnt church in America MIS- Do'Io ''
Stock il seems. was also converted about me S''0
Time as Me,eroe and both have expressed their p'r
Nos. ~ dcvotiug their lives b Warmly people not
=, FOLLOW in the footsteps Of their tear hers l"9'
extraordinary circumstances ana pfoceounS' nav
led The Tribune TO inquire Of the commtte' ." '
missions on what grounds they cohslucFeu
a fiji person for admission 10 their church' il ''i'
bcon converted previous 10 his trial for nnrier ~
did not dare to run the risk Of going on the WINGS
| ,a,d himself but on the other hand took advantage
NJ cunninrlv arranged plots to work on the sS"I'
| thies Of the court aud the jury
The committee have unanimously decided to report
! f,vorabv On his with some nine OF u" ""''''
which came mp at thc same time. TINS c'"""u'
| consists " the Rev DR. Lyman Abbott, pastor ID "'0
church: the Rev Howard :. Bliss, assistant p""r'
The Rev Richard H. Iosworth. assistant pastor, -
C. Marvel clerk Of Plymouth Church "ehcr"l - -
cbristensen president Of the Brooklyn Trust Oonl'
| many: Henry L. Pratt and Hcnoni g. Carpenter
uc.crolc il seems made his application hoping 10
he reported favor-bly 10 the church IL coh'"''e'
~ the whole on New Years evening ana then on "9
SUNDAY morning 10 would have been taken mo Iu'l
membership Of the church. there IS no system oi
| rrobation nj Plymouth But this proposed rap"
system Of alliance was little more than even the
liberal views Of the Plymouth people could siahu
and his nauc with those OF the other candidates. W."
not proposed on Friday evening because th'fc were
certain obstacles ahead. and on the giouhu 'l'
Friday was the first day Of Jnnunry the matter "ns
deferred to the March communion. 50 after tn" hr"t
sunday Of March Darwin !. Mcserole hopes TO polht
fo - membership of Plymouth Church when his past
life /, referred 20.
Howard : Bliss, No. g Mlddaghst.. who has hnf
the best advantages for tultivating Meseroles ar
auainiaucc in the last two weeks. tald " I"7' th'
committee was unanimous in IT. decision to report
favorsbly on Mr.. Mcserole. We were impressed first
If all bv his evident sincerity and deeply rooted de
sir. Z, amcliorntc the condition 81 OTTER prisoners
who Ike himself Lad been leading vicious lives. u"
came to the branch mission Ia see me- number OF
tines and WIS greatly interested In the work. lie
doe, not seek notorlcty. for when the reporters 'hn'
10 see him while talking t, the prisoners II the JAN
fc Immediately went away. We talked tn" matter
over and then sent for him to come before the com
rntt.c where be told his experience and 81 his con
version. Ills manner modest and quiet. ana we
were Impressed by his strength % purpose aud De
sire 10 d, batter. A. 10 the circumstances oil M'
trial / was not that he elected 10 remain on
the witness stand but understand that he Insisted
u.a his trial De- conducted the lines u strict ana
absolute vefnctv. He was regularly acquitted by
Jury who declared that be- acted in SELF defence.
=. To- his presumption ia asking for admission
IN -..ch .hplt ilmo. probably should nave
waited a little longer myself had been lh
ni. place. Iut hc fit that ne wanted L"
talo H., stand on the side Of right and put himself
on record ~ once The reason, he assigned and his
answers 4, all M our question, satisfactory. and
wc felt that ,yc ought help him Il We could, ana
| t,nt help now would Doe Of IN" greatest service to
him After all. ain GRITTY 4, the great Dc dcntum ana
that 1, h,r-l to judge but ~ said. our examination
wa. thorough. and We fccl warranted ~ recommend
| ius him
Tn, Rev. Dr. Lyman Abbott said IL srould Ike
Il md I am sure Mr. Mc,crolc would. too. II tho
pr,s, aid not discus, the question at all; sill. the
stop we have taken Ia, been carefully considered and
We are prepared To endure criticism ana censurc u
I need be- since conscious Of doing that when
l l.
tle law. neither did o" lie In III, own defence
| WhctLc or or not II wls the suggestion Of himself or
M, counsel TINT he should remain oil the witness
/ .tand do not know. At all events he was In the
| hand, of u, lawyer and II wa not for Inn To de-
eide the course and method Of defence any m'rr
than A Sick man should dictat" TO bis physician what
medicine he will take. who are We that We ,h'1h
Indigo orr f,Ilowsi DID not Christ 10 the lnrl't
.NcIihc- do I accuse thee! Unless some one g. pre-
| pared 20 show that he at sun when they H'd
ids defence his Silence the proper thing
~Fir,t-We do not 90 back OF tie jury, verdict
on that We rest ana are satisfied. II h" was ar
quilted We mus, accept the acduittal a. true aud
| proper finding and must assume ncgigenc" ON th"
| mart Of the District Attorney n he did not secure
the best aud strongest evidence he oIald FOR the
| prosecution.
"sccond-The Rev. ". H. g. Temple. pastor Of
Philips Church. south Boston visited HIN in Septem-
! Der and was present during the whole trial, and he.
say knew all OF the circumstances and fully coucurs
in the acqulttal Mcscrole leading vicious
life II IS true that offer no excuse. no paluatOn
whatever. But he Ia, expressed RS purpose to
lead Il good life and | stand ready. and 80, | he
! lcve. does Plymouth Church, to give hand Of help
and welcome to nny man. no mater what his sin
In, been. when once thorOug ly satisfied that
hc has turned about and is sincerely and honestly
trying TO lead n righteous and Christian life
You may also say. from me- dat / followed
all the evidence closely and fcnrcs,y assert that
the jury would stuliihcd themselves ~ intelligent
and honest had they brought I'm any other
verdict. According 10 the Judges Interpretation o:
| the law land he the very pcr>onincuton Of I'm
! parLaiityJ McscrOc codld have shot down his as.
,aant in The where the assault began Instead Of
this he backed out Il rough hall into the middle of an
other before h. fired. lie Wa, Sex and AL while
Ms assailant VA, muscular and brutal man. Had
he fired. the evidence made II 81 ar that nj, ul,
| would not have been worth TWO Tic shot I'M
| sell defence
Ne sent for hl, father. who said lie Thought nj,
son trying TO do better. ana that he never WAS
a bad boy II was only his infttuatiOn for this woman
that had led him astrHy TINS that he Womb
! be glad II would Take him In Az. h. ID him Ne
| also talked with Others who have known Mcscrolc
since hi, conversion. and all the evidence we can Sc
eur Ia SIN "a he hu rupd frtn hi.