The Washington times., 1895-05-21
REV. DR.. ennis DENIAL
He Says He Said Nothing About
M. PatenOtre'S Morals.
CONTRADICTED By CHURCHMEN
Several Members of the Congregation
ofthe w estern Presbyterian Church
Declare They Heard Him Make
the Statement Which He Now Re-
pudiates-A Thoroug Inv esrigation

Rev Howard Wilbur Ennis OF the West
ern Presbyterian Church, whose inter
esting sermon last Sunday night was re-
ported yesterday in The Times, under the
caption M Patenotre's Morals" called
at the office of this paper yesterday after
noon nd presented the folio wing statement:
Editor Times: With reference to the Ie-
port OF my sermon OF last evening appear
ing in to-day S issue of your paper, l desire
through your ColCmnS 10 make positive
and unqualified denial oi having made any
reference to the French ambassador what
soeyer, either in his official or social
capacity. / may add that he was not
even in my mind, and never had been, i'll
preparing for the sermon in question. /
know nothing OF his lie, either public or
private, aud could therefore have no mo-
tive for speaking of him. In fairness 10 the
official representative OF the French peo-
pie and also TO myself / ask that you kindly
publish this entire disavowal OF the whole
matter. Yours respectfully,
HOWARD WILBUR ENNIS.
Western Presbyterian Church.
REPORTERS EXPLANATION.
Pursuing the usual course IN such mat
ters, the letter was handed TO Mr.. Mat
thew Tighe, the reporter who wrote the
article in question, and his statement re-
quested. 1t is as follows:
Il reported the sermon delivered by the
Rev Howard Wilbur Ennis, above re-
ferred TO, and the language attributed to
the speaker in the report OF The Times is
an exact transcript OF correct stenographic
notes taken at the time OF the delivery.
Ii should be said that The Times was mott
led by Mr.. Ennis that he would preach
sermon on this occasion, and it was
specially reported at that geutleman's
suggestion.
During the sermon, the Rev Mr.. En-
mis- made reference TO a movement of the
young men 10 secure a remedy for the evil
of Sabbath Dissertation After the SER
vice / waited on Mr. Eunis and asked for
further information as to that movement
Mr. Ennis admitted that he had been in
discreet in making the statement in pub
| lie, but gave some further information, on
which a report on that subject was de-
rived and published yesterday In The
! Times.
"Mr Ennis, after this conversation, asked
| me If / wished the use of his notes, as he
had noticed me reporting the sermon. As
| Mr.. Ennis did not read his notes, but spoke
| off hand, and exceedingly fluently and
well, 1 naturally preferred my notes to
| those of Mr.. Ennis.
''In declining the minister's notes tolC
him that l had caught all his points. anC
| specially mentioned the Maryland law OF
| 1899. referring to the tobacco fine OF
| 1898.
- Did / say 1892 said Mr.. Ennis" i
| don't think il is 1882 ! told him that
I had reported him that way, when Mr.
Ennis said: Oh, well; l suppose that Is
right then The language here given is
| from memory"
| VERIFIED BY LISTENERS.
T,, =. r,y,r
| doubly sure, the reporter Went out last
night to find some of the members of the
| congregation who Were present and heard
the remarks of Mr.. Ennis. The gentlemen
| seen were Mr.. c. A Matson, who lives al
No. 2316 H street northwest; Mr.. Charles
| j. Wctzel at No. 2135 II street northwest
| aud Mr.. Frank Bscoe, one OF the usher'
in the church, who lives at No. S19
| Twenty first street northwest.
Mr.. Biscoe saw The Times at his office
in the morning, but he was handed it by
the reporter last night and asked to reaC
the article in question. He did so, and
when asked what he thought OF it he
said that il was "a fair and correct re
| port of the sermon" Mr. Bscoe wal
informed that a denial had been sent
to The Times office as TO a reference tC
the French minister, and was asked IL h
had heard the reference, and he said tina
he had heard it.
| Mr. G. A. Matson is q subscriber to The
Times. He had read the article and sale
that "it was a correct and fair report.
Mr. Matson recalled distinctly that the
preacher had illustrated his sermon b.
the morals OF the French capital. and
that he had spoken Of the French minister
Mr.. Matson's opinion of the sermon wa!
| that it was an excellent one, and he in
dorsed fully the preachers desire to appl.
q remedy.
Mr. Charles J. Wrtzel said that he wal
present and heard the sermon. He consid
cred it very severe" but Mr.. Ennis was no
afraid Ito give his opinion on any subject.
He said in reference to the report that 81
gave the sermon and what was said verI
well and as | heard it" Mr.. Wetzel wai
asked how it was that Mr. Enuis knew thu
secrets OF the French minister so well anC
he replied:
20, well, when Mr.. Ennis says thing
he knows what he is talking about
-