Evening journal., 1892-03-19

any Liquor mon-AfounAo ONoh tn0 -"
mission OF Rev. AIoysIus Green-Ths
Bishop Discusses the Charges.
Yesterday afternoon the fifteen min
listers selected by Wilmington Meth odist
Episcopal Conference TO try Presiding
Elder w. F. Corkran of Salisbury dis
trict, on the charge of lying, vindicated
him completely, the vote being 10 to 0 in
his favor.
The Jury selected to try him met inst.
Paul's NJ E. Church. The ministerial
jurors were as follows:
r. d. Adams, J. A. Arters, James Car
rol, R. T. Coursey, Edward Davis. J. w.
Easlev. John France. T. d. Haines, T D.
Henry, Henry s. Th1mpson, j. NJ Lin
dale, E. s. Mace, ]. B. Merritt, E. d g.
Nelson and John P. Otis.
Bishop Foss presided over the meeting
with dignity that became his station.
be decided points of church law with
great wisdom, and would not allow any
foreign matter to creep in.
The counsel for the accused were w
j. Duhadawsy, j. d. @. Hanna and Rob
ert Watt,
The conference was represented by
John d. Quigg and ]. D. Kemp.
q. h. Webster and Stenographer Ed
ward Mahan did the clerical work.
There were originally two charges
against Presiding Elder Corkran-con-
spiracy to remove Presiding Elder 7. o.
Ayres and lying about a paper received
by the quarterly conference Of tAnnames-
sex circuit
The first charge was dropped at the
morning session, aud the prosecution
would gladly have dropped that of lying
had not Presiding Elder Corkran insisted
upon trial in order to have the matter
probed TO the bottom.
The specification was that he wrote and
had circulated In Annamessex circuit a
petition asking for Presiding Elder Ayres' 8
removal, and then lied out Of it.
THREE TIMES MAYOR OF LONDON"
The prosecution opened the case by
calling to the stand Frank Wilmington,
of Annamessex circuit He said:
''W R. McFarlane told the official
board that he supposed the.petition came
from Corkran.'
He was cross examined by Robert
Watt.
''whe presented the paperg' Brother
McFarlane."
'Did Brother McFsrlane state from
whence the paper Gamer" Yes. be
he left the stand.
WITNESS FROM down HAST.
Rev. B, @. Warren Of Sheffield. Mass.
was put on the stand. He said:
SIN a conversation had with Brother
Oorkrsn two years ago he told me that
he did write the paper.
Watt-"Is 1t barely possible that you
may have been mistaken as to that .recol-
lection Of the conversation" mo.
'Do you mean to state that it was sbso-
lutely impossible that your recollection
should be at fault?" ut is impossible,
in this respect"
''You mean to say that after the lapse
of two years you can hold, with absolute
certainty and without the possibility OF
mistake, the exact words uttered on that
occasion3" "Yes."
The prosecution there rested its case.
CONNER TO THE RESCUE.
The first witness called for the defence
was Nathan Conner, secretary of The
quarterly conference of Annamessex cir
cult.
WAtt-"Who presented that paperT
Il did" (Sensation.)
''Did w. r. Corkran send that paper
to your" He did not.
'Did w. F. Corkran write that paperg
''He did not. "
'Did he have any knowledge OF itg
''He did not.
Quigg-"Do you know where it came
frOm2'
Bishop Foss promptly r1led the ques-
tion out, saying that II was irrelevant.
Throughout the cross-examination the
witness remained unimpsached.
''wHO Is THE ANANIAsf7
W. R. McFarlane, who vas pastor OF
-Annamessex circuit during 1888. 1885
aud 1890 was placed on the stand.
Watt-"Who presented that paper ia
the board2' Brother Conner.
"Did w. F. Corkrsn write the paperg'
''He did not"
ibid the paper come from himg It
did not"
Did he have anything to do with
that paperg' Not to my knowledge
Revs. Kemp and Quigg, counsel for
the conference attempted to put leading
questions to the witness, but Bishop
Foss called them down every time. and
they could not shake the witness In any
particular.
THE ACCUSED AND AooUsEBs
Presiding Elder Cochran took the
stand. He said:
"Ideny all knowledge Of the paper.
He left the stand and THE defence
rested. Both sides Submitted the evil
dence and the counsel retired at 5.35
o'clock.
a UNANIMOUS ACQUITTAL
At 5,85 o'clock Bishop Foss arose and
said:
''There is charge and specification in
the charge & II in your opinion the evi
dence sustains the specification vote &C
cordingly."
Ballots were not used. The bishop put
the question, "Shall the charge be sHs-
tanned" Not q hand was raised. When
the negative side was.called fifteen hands
were raised.
After the exoneration DR.. Corkran re-
scieved an ovation. His friends warmly
congratulated him, and he seemed very
much affected.
The secretary was instructed to prepare
q report Of the committees action, to be
submitted to conference In OPEN session
to-day.
DR. PAIREs OPINION.
Rov. DR.. @. H. Paine, secretary of the
Board of Church Extension of the metho-
dist Episcopal Church, heard much Of the
evidence in the Wilson case, he said:
There is not another conference In
Methodism that would stoop to try any
man on as fiimsy charges as those
srrcuop ANnpuWe spuAEs