The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-09-12
A TISSUE OF RUM0RS.
Nichols Fails to Sustain Charges
Against DIR. Ford.
HIS RECORD IN ARKANSAS.
he 10 Held fer TRIAL far Lfbeatnx ths
Fressdlnx Esasr-Mess Of His
ssory Esi~A oaG

H@4 - 4&t1e& II 3ra sl9rey co4It {rasSAA-~J
Afternoon. AMI resaltsd. after . fouF-hozr
session, n Siehols being hsid 20 answer
t'~fore the superior eoars. and In default 81
80 seiag sent - the county JAIL
Nhen the case was called 1t O'Clock the
httiecours room VAS crowded WITH shin
ing lights Of the Methodist Episcopal
cAurch- Rev. DR. r. b. Ford vas present
as prosecuting wisnes2 The sfsse was
represented By Assistant Prosecuting A.
tnrnsy Mcbride and J. r. Ronald. and
Nichols was defended By Flank spear-
The famous typewritten circular on which
the iioel was basel vas used in the eya-
dsacs on both sides. and brought cut the
fact that Nichols could not substsnfiafs
any one Of the charges alleged thereia
With proof positive. and he was forced 10
admit that kis knosiedgs was. only hear
say evidences. From DIR. Ford's testimony
Nichols was shows 10 be . dyspeptsc eran &
AID generally disappointed man. whose
ministry had been . succession OF failures.
The case OF the state wac brief DR.. Ford
Was the arst witness who identified The
circular IS having been given by Nichols
20 DIR. HsFtxsli, Of Cincinnati. and other
parties and iss damaging character.
Rev. W. +. Ford testified 10 seeing
Nichols on Jaly 81, a. the First N. Z
church, circulating the printed documents
concerning DR.. Ford. and saw him give
DIR. Hartxell. Of Cincinnati, . copy OF IL.
also 70 . couple ladies. who we're strangers
70 him.
Rev. w. A. shsnklin testified that on
Friday afternoon. August 81. in his church.
Nichoi. handed him copy Of this circular.
The paper Was submitted In evidences and
this closed the case for the prosecution.
The defense moved for dismissal on
the ground that no case had been made
cut, This vas denied and Nichols pat on
the stand. lie testified that he united
with the Arkansas conference IN iS6s.
transferred 20 the Southern illinois con-
ference, then TO the South India mission,
themes TO the Austin conference, thence TO
the Texas conference in charge Of the
colored work. About three years ago he
united With the Free Methodist church :
has been In the Sound country four years
he frst made statement Of these .ccusa-
tions TO Rev. Mr.. Gilbert, at that time
pastor of the First NJ. T. church; since
then be has dene so 10 other ministers
and leading members OF the church
Nichols attorney then took up
the printed circular and discussed its vari-
Gus paragraphs Nichols went back to the
early history OF the church IN Arkansas. in
which state Ford was . minister, and
Nichols attempt to bring in what ceFtsin
people of Arkansas had said about Ford.
This Was ruled out OF order. Ford not hav-
ing been present as those interviews. The
witness was confined TO statements Of facts
coming within his own knowledge, and
- ff.,u
his evidence. ss every time he attempted
to make q statement the question. WAS
Rev. Dir. Ford present at that eonversa-
toni" pat = stop 10 mis- eioqaence. Every
one of the allegations contained IN the pa
per were put through the same crucial test
and Nichols, finally eornered, said that he
had no personal knowledge Of any Of the
charges he brought agains; Ford, having
made them on the hearsay evidence Of
others He believed them 10 be true at
the time he made them and stil believed
them. true now.
By s-ringed, straked and speckled," q
phrase in the circular. be meant that the
conference voted exactly as Ford wanted.
He knew that of his own knowledge.
About Rev. DIR. Gillian being an opium
eater and drunkard. he gave that on the
evidence Of others. About Mr.. Ford ''de-
serving patent on new method of secur-
ing the degree OF ID. d., Nichols said that
Was also nearsay and he had no personal
knowledge Of any OF the facts set forth in
that entire paragraph. Nichols could only
remember the name OF one man who had
told him of some of these charges. That
mans name was Judd. He could give no
other names lie could not say of his own
knowledge whether Ford ever resided in
Little Rock. Nichols could not say
whether the matters he had pat into
the circular relative TO Little Rock
were Of general nosoriesy in the commn-
nifty. He had no malice in the matter
aud no personal feeling against Ford. lie
was simply doing what he thought .as his
duty. lie believed every word he had
written.
In the cfoss-examin alton Nichols admit
ted writing the article and delivering
copies Of il TO Rev. Mr.. Shankiin and
Others. On going over TO Tacoma he took
. number Of the copies and circulated
them, though he Fever cent any by mall
lie authorized q certain man In fhis
city 10 use the facts IN that circular; that
man was DR.. r. q. Johnson. lie knew
that no nan except one ia good standing
could prefer charges in the church: he
took copies Of the paper 10 members Of
the confersnee. lie went 20 Or. Johnson
arssr he was put out Of the church and
sympxthixed with him. thinking il Ma. an
outrage. and be thought II Or. Johnson
was TO ne put out Of the church DIR. Ford
ought also % be pat out. and he worked 10
that end. lie had heard OF ether immoral
people in the church. bat did not knox 81
their acts % the same degree that he did
about Mr.. Fard. When be was 8 minister
OF the church ia good standing be did not
bring any charges against Ford because he
had only been ia il about one year. This
circular was nos q set Of charges against
Ford. bat merely q set af statements COW
ersng rumors heSrd. and 10 Re used a.
others who could bring the charges.
lie did net charge Ford With these things
elgh; % ten years ago because be had no
xanhaenee IN the preachers IN the Arkan-
sas conference. and they were all 90 cor
rnpt and under the iaduence OF T. B.
Ford that no charges against him woald
ever have been given . hearing.
The paragraph reHscting Ga tie charac-
ser Of Mrs. Ford he puhsIshed on the tes-
tsmony OF u. ". Coffee. He kasw moth
fnr about her character. but had no reason
70 dlshellsvs the parties who gave him bis
information. lie did not know Of his own
knewgsdge that Ford ever embexxlsd any
church o. missionary Enonsy; or. Ia fact.
any OF tie charges ses forth IN the eirca-
Lar. lie said as had never been married.