The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-03
PASTOR LOVE NOT GUILTY.
His Congregation Jubilant Over His
IildiCatiOn.

to Get Into the Courts-Mary Marsh
Taken Out of the Church Under the
Deacon's Professionalism the In
side Of the Fight Against Pastor Love
is Alleged to Be.
The members of the First Baptist
church were jubilant yesterday over the
complete vindication of their pastor, Rev
E. X. Love, in his trial before the church
The trial concluded shortly after 3
o'clock yesterday morning, after a SEES
sion of over seven hours by the opposi-
ton, which was in the minority, with
drawing from the meeting on the pre-
tense that it could not get fair trial.
This was untrue, as the moderator,
Rev. DIR. Goodwin, gave the members
every opportunity TO introduce their evil
dence and conduct their case according to
the rules of parliamentary proceed
ure and the constitution of the church.
The evident purpose of the minority
from the beginning was to take advan-
tage of some pretext to withdraw from
the trial and get the case again before
the courts. 1t is not unlikely that they
will endeavor to get their case into the
courts again, but it is doubtful if they
will succeed in doing so, as the court is
likely to accept the report of DR.. Good
W III do llllhl ANY why Juey WOulu nave
to put up considerable amount Of money
for lawyer fees and costs of court.
DIR. GOODWIN REPORT.
DIR. Goodwin furnished the MORNING
News statement of the conduct and
result of the trial yesterday This state
ment may be regarded official as embody-
ing the report that DIR. Goodwin will
make to Judge Falligant:
The Suit brought AGAINST Rev x T.oVe
DID, pastor of the First African Baptist
church of this city, upon the grounds of i'm
moral conduct and the subversion Of the con
stitution of the above church. in the illegal
accommodation of the complainants in this
cause from the fellowship of said churches, at
the present session Of the superior court of
Chatham county was, by the consent of counsel
Of both plaintiffs and defendants, submitted to
a conference Of said church for adjudication
and was chosen by plaintiffs, defendants
concurring, to act as moderator during said
conference.
DR.. Love was allowed ten days in which to
prepare for trial. This he waived, and asked
an immediate hearing. Two preliminary
meetings were held with the officers of the
church. The time was fixed and ten days
notice was given to the complainants within
which to prepare their charges and specihca-
tions. In the trial the church, the defend
ant, the Rev. f. X. Love, concurring allowed
the compliments the widest latitude in the
introduction of both oral and written evt
dence.
After hearing the evidence under the first
specification of the first charge, DR.. Love
signffied his desire to submit the evidence to
a vote of the church without argument. The
church then allowed the complainants fifteen
"a,
first charge. The compliments plead insuhi-
cient time, and submitted the question of
guilty or not guilty" without argument The
church. so far as l was able to ascertain by a
rising vote, unanimously voted mot guilty"
After the vote, the compliments again OBJ
iected that insufficient time was allowed them
to conduct the trial. The church then agreed
to allow the compliments all the time they
desired in which to examine witnesses and
argue their cause. The second specification
Under charge first was then taken up, and af-
ter a full and free examination of witnesses
by both sides, the compliments thenraisedfhe
objection that they could not1get fair hear
ing, refused to go on with the trial, and most
Of them retired from the conference.
The vote was then put upon this count and
the church unanimously voted the, defendant
Rev. f. X. Love, mot guilty" One of the
few remaining complainants then rose and
stated that he had been a party to the suit,
but after hearing the testimony of witnesses
he was satisfied that he had been misled
and expressed great sorrow for the course he
HAD taken.
No further prosecution appearing, the re-
naming charges and specifications were, by
unanimous vote, dismissed
DIR. Love, throughout the trial, waived all
technicalties and asked for the fullest and
freest investigation of the charges. The First
African Baptist church invited the deacons
and some brethren OF my own church (the
Baptist church in Savannah to attend the
conference and secure, as far as possible.
justice to all parties involved in this unfort-
innate matter. DeGcons G. w. West and w
o. VanVorst and Bro J. R. Cain were pres
ent and testify to the accuracy of the above
statement.
This conference, in which the compliments
had fair hearing and in which the Rev E.
X. Love was fully acquitted by the unani-
nous vote OF the church, was held in the
meeting house of the First African Baptist
church in Savannah, Aug. 1, 1893.
5. A. GOODWIN, Moderator.
CHAs, w. WEST,
JAS r. CAIN
W. o. VAN Worst.
The deacons of the church furnished
the MORNING News the following state
ment giving the position of the church in
the matter and expressing the opinions of
that body on the trial and its results
AS considerable interest has been taken in
the Love trial by both white and colored,
the MORNING News has furnished full re-
ports of the case and the result of the
trial
Tue DEACoNs STATEMENT.
The following is the deacon's state
ment:
At a special conference Of the First Afri-
can Baptist church, as per decree of the
court held August /, DR.. Love was tried on
the several charges and specifications brought
by DR.. Lyons and some expelled members Of
our church. DR.. s. A. Goodwin Of the white
Baptist church, presided over the conference
with the utmost fairness and patience Most
Of these men were justly and fairly ex-
PEELED from our church February 10Th ulto.
as the minutes OF the church will
show. They had con;rived in every
conceivable way 10 SANDER and disgrace our
church. The church has all along tried to
satisfy these men, and in every count they
we're given the widest latitude in order TO
keep down disgraceful riot. When these
men carried this matter into the court we
were reluctant to GO, as we we're sure that
their accuse tions we're false, and we accepted
H.. al.