The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-09-26
EXCLUDED FROM CHURCH.
"A Dispensary Clerk is SummariIy Dis
missed After an Exciting TRIAL

| AhoSOo fhitcE au GBNC3J1ng Trial.
The trial of Walter Kirkland, dis
pensary clerk in Columbia, who was ,
member OF the Marion Street Metho
alst church, resulted in his expulsion
from the communion of this church. ot
which DR.. Elwell is the pastor. The
trial excited q good deal of interest
ana had its sensational features.
Mr.. Kirkland submitted a written
defence, and stated in his argument
that rs q member of the Methodist
| episcopal Church he had always en-
deavored to do his duty conscientious.
| ~, and that in accepting the position
he now holds in the county dispensary
ne felt that he was doing no wrong.
He made thrust at the pastor of the
church by saying that he had been de-
MED competent counsel and practically
condemned by the judge beforehand.
he thought 1T a strange state of affairs
TO be thus assailed by the pastor who
G Gaa endorsed him for place in the
State dispensary and recommended him
for 1T, and the dispensary he was now
working in was asked for by the super
intendent of the Sunday school of the
Marion Street Church and majority
OF the members of the church who, un-
der the law, were entitled to sign q
petition for q dispensary. Strange
that church should thus create a
place and then eXpel member for oc-
cupying it. A copy of Mr.. Scott's petit
tion was put in evidence showing that
ten members Of the church, four of
whom are stewards, had signed said
petition.
His own petition for place in the
State dispensary was also put in owl
dence, which showed that the pastor
of the church, DR.. Elwell and two
members of the church, had recon-
mended him for the place. The appli-
cation was on dispensary paper, but Dr..
EiWell said that when he gave Mr..
kirkland the recommendation he did
not know that he was seeking posi-
tlon In the dispensary. Mr.. kirkland
started to prove by witnesses that DR..
Elwell did know what he was recon-
mending him for, but DR.. Elwell would
not allow him to do this.
MIR. kirkland then went on to say:
" 1T is not strange that such a pastor
should deny him competent counsel,
and as far as possible degrade and
damn me for doing what he had
recommended me to do" and after that
to have the cheek to tell him he was
his friend. Mr.. kirkland then sharply
criticised and denounced his Sunday
school teacher, Mr.. Williams, for
prosecuting him.
AT this juncture there was quite q
scene. Mr.. Williams said young Kirk
land had no principle. and his father
took II up. 1t looked for u moment
like there would be q fight, but DR..
Elwell told them that was no place for
a disturbance. Mr.. Williams also said
that Mr.. James Norton was there as
advisory counsel for kirkland for polit-
ical reasons. MIR. Norton promptly
gave this the lie by saying it was un-
qualitiedly false. DR.. Ewell said that /
Mr.. Norton had appeared there by his
permission as advisory counsel for
Kirkland
Mr.. Kirkland went on to say he OBJ
Jected to DR.. Elwell's presiding at the
trial because he was prejudiced and
had acted towards him in violation of
Justice and right and in violation of the
law of the church. No committee had
presented any charge against him.
He then charged DR.. Elwell with being
the jury, judge and prosecutor. He
went on to say that he had violated no
church law, and if he had then all
those members of the church who had
signed petitions Tor dispensary had
also violated the law of the church as
much as he had, as aiders and abettors
OF the sale OF liquors, and asked why
they had not also been prosecuted
as he had been, and said the reason was
because the pastor had political pre-
judice against him.
In concluding Mr.. kirkland claimed
that he was innocent of the charge of
immortality inasmuch as the dispensary
was moral reform. He ended by
making another fling at Dr.. Elwell,
asking the committee if they found
him guilty what they were going to do
with those who had signed petitions for
dispensaries.
The case was then given to the com
mittee and after about twenty minutes
spent in consultation they rendered
verdict of guilty. DR.. Elwell then de-
clared that upon the finding of the
committee, Walter kirkland was ex-
pelled from the church.
Mr.. kirkland gave notice of an ap-
peal to the quarterly conference of the
church which will be held within the
next few weeks.