Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-02-25
Il thAkGE
AFFECTING The CHARACTER OF A WHEEL
ING MINISTER.
Rev. j. P. ChenOwsih, Formerly Of the North
Street N. E. Church, the Subject Of the
Accusaion-What De Said Regard
ing j! Last Evening

affecting the morality OF Rev. j. L.
Chenoweth, until lately the pastor OF
the North Street NJ. E. Church, have
been in circulation about town, and par
ticularly in the northern portion OF the
city.
As usual with such reports, the ALE
cations took various forms, duplicating
various females as we'll as the reverend
gentleman named, and as the stories
gathered volume, detail and certain
sort Of picturesqueness as they Travelled,
they have been interesting TO rather
unusual degree, and have been the de-
light of the gossip Of both sexes.
Apparent color was given these ru-
mors In the public mind by the fact that
Rev. Chenoweth had resigned his
charge al North street, and those who
assumed the allegations were true were
quick TO sleze upon this as a virtual ad-
mission of gnilt and as indicating de-
sire Oh the part of the minister to avoid
an Investigation. Later it was asserted
| tbata confession of the charge OF immor-
atty had been made TO Presiding Elder
Mix. and that the Church authorities Of
this Conference were about to take ac-.
tiop in the premises. These were the
main features of rumOrS and allegations
! fpll OF alleged details of the otfenses
charged against the pastor, and which
did not appear to have met with de-
NAL from any quarter.
Anxious to give Mr.. Chenoweth an
opuortunity to make statement re-
gardipe a matter Of so much Importance
and which had, in measure, become a
matter of publicity, reporter Tor the
REGISTER called at his residence at
Fifth and Market streets, last evening,
and was uShered into a second door bed
chamber occupied by the minister, who
has been an invalid for TWO months
psst. Mr.. Chenoweth seemed far from
being a we'll man, and his subsequent
statements bore out this appearance.
On being acquainted with the reporters
errapd. ytChenOweth said
- nave known for some time back
rtnn these reports were in circulation,
but nv illness has prevented, TO great
extent, my taking any action In the
PREMISES. | was taken sick with ty-
phoid fever on the 21st of last Decem-
Der. and for three or four weeks | was
delirious 10 the extent that | was not
able 10 recognize members of my
family. Once or twice during that
time | knew the Doctor was here, and
would remember OF his speaking, but
that was all. Since my recovery l have
been out but three times, twice in a
carriage and once walking. | am still |
far from being well, and even now am |
partially under the influence of opiates. |
.'Let me say, in the beginning, that |
nv resignation as pastor OF the church |
had nothing whatever 10 do with the |
circulation of these reports. They had |
no bearing upon my action in that re-
gard at all. The sole consideration |
which prompted me was the fact that |
the church was without pastor during |
nv illness, and needed the attention and |
direction of some one. 1t was running |
down. and rs recognized that my ILL |
ness would be a long one, and that l |
would be unable 10 discharge the duties |
OF pastor for a long time, l resigned. |
That argues nothing, for ministers |
often resign.
''Now for the charges. l have read |
nublication of the matter, which does |
not even set forth the charges against |
me correctly. l believe the charge is |
the result of a plot against meat least |
IL looks that way to me. The matter Is I
not recent one, but is almost year |
old. being alleged to have taken place |
in Nav last. Now as TO the publica- |
tion which has been made. The woman |
Cd in m U
aud I don't think ! ever spoke to her, |
except perhaps, as l would pass |
her upon the street, Her sister !
was with us for short time
and was sick here, aud while she was
with us the woman making these |
charges came TO see her and remained
over night probably three tlmes-not
more than that. Her reputation is not
good. In Palatine, where she lives,
think could say people would not be-
lieve her on oath. She once had An IL
legitimate child, but is now married to
a man who was familiar with her his
tory.
"While was III and delirious-not
knowing what was going on about me-
this woman wrote letter to Presiding
Elder Mix, conveying information OF
her charges TO him, aud he came to see
me and acquainted lne with the letter,
and I'm my condition l don't know what
may have said 10 MIN, and when had
so far recovered as TO have d rational
idea of the matter | wrote to him, and
when he called | told him l retracted
fully any admission / might have made,
and reproached him for having come 10
me when | was not at all myself.
Since then the stories have been floating
about the city, but they have
not been mentioned in the Fair
mont papers, where the acts are
alleged TO have been committed.
/ have employed counsel, and after a
consultation with him tomorrow l may
make a more particular statement OF
the facts. AT present l prefer not TO
DO So
"Have you any Knowledge that the
Methodist ministers of the city have
considered the charges against your
II have not. l have never been in
formed Ofany meeting, either held in the
past or called for the future, for that pur-
pose, and can give no Information upon
that subject. In my state Of health
had about concluded to let the matter
alone until, indeed, should be
TOO closely pressed. 1t is
very easy thing TO at
tack the reputation OF a man, and
il is sometimes better 10 allow such
things TO run their course and die out.
In this case l have heard OF nothing
tending TO subStantiate the story OF this
woman, and, as have said, think
there are those who know her well who
would not believe her on oath"
During his conversation Rev. Cheno-