St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-11-09
he Is GUILTY OF LYING.
SUCH rs The VERDICT ~ The 0EETs
TRTGL.
AL THE CHARGES Up AGAIN.
Including His Alleged Overtures
to Lady Member of His Flock
Her Sworn Statement Read
Only One of the Charges Sus-
tained-Suspended From the
Ministry

tained-Suspended From the
Ministry.
The committee of Methodist ministers
appointed at the October conference 10
pass upon the case of Rev. J. D. Deets,
the Long Prairie pastor who was &C.
cused at that time of having made ad-
vanceS TO lady member of his flock,
and who was subsequently charged
with having lied in his pleadings, me
yesterday in the Wesley N. E. church.
He was acquitted of the first charge by
the conference, the present committee
acting as an ecclesiastical tribunal TO
try the other charge. The complaint
charged that when first arraigned he
pleaded guilty to the charge. and later
on he changed the plea TO not guilty,
and. further. t at in so doing his actions
were Inconsistent, and that he had not
told the truth.
At the trial yesterday Elder Chaffee
presided, and the accused was repre-.
sented by Rev. Frank Doran, of St.
Paul.
Elder Chaffee stated that the charges
had been renewed against Mr.. Daets.
and laid them before the elders. They
consisted Of three points. One was a
new form of the charge previously
made, that of immortality: the second,
OF lying, and the third. business dis
honesty. Elder Chatfee stated that The
case was really that of the previous
trial, but in such other form that there
were presented not only the old charges.
but what was lacking in the former
trial, definite proofs in the form OF affi-
daYits.
The cbfnf of +bara m. thor, -a,d ,,,,
consisted of the sworn statement of the
lady IN question. VINO was the organist
in the church of the accused, said to be
young lady Of character above re-
proach. The affidavit detailed with
complete statement of dates and time
and place the misconduct OF the pastor.
1t said that in response 10 an invitation
from him. after he had been a confid en-
tial friend and adviser for a long time.
and shown her many proofs of pastoral
affection, they were walking in the
evening. and that the pastor prolonged
the walk into an uufrequented place,
among some bushes. and there suddenly
declared his love for her, and beSought
her 10 live with him secretly as his
wife, promising TO marry her as soon as
lie could be freed from his present wife.
whom he declared he did not love, and
1t was also charged that accused had
lied when he denied the original
charges, and that he has been guilty of
dishonesty in misappropriating the funds
of the church. The last charge, it was
explained, was merely technical.
In behalf OF the accused an eloquent
defense was made by Rev. F. 3. Doran,
who characterized the trial as an un-
called-f0r prosecution.
Rev. David B. Morgan, of the Float
ing Bethel, St Paul, ably assisted Mr..
DOran. Presiding Elder Sharp, of the
Fergus Falls district, conducted the
prosecution, and was assisted by Rev.
{. w. Lawson, of Alexandria. Elder
Sharp, besides being the prosecutor,
was also witness. and testified against
Mr.. Deets.
The proceedings were conducted with
the utmost secrecy, and after a pro-
longed session the committee found the
accused guilty of lying and recon-
mended his Suspension from the minis
try, penang his trial by the next con-
ference.