The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-04
PASTOR SKIPS
OHIO's SENSATIONAL BL00MER
PREACHER FINALLY ELOPES.

| 8e Takes One of His Flock with Him to the
| Great Astonishment Of All His Parish
| ioners-He is the Man Who Defended
| Miss Coleman Who Attended Church in
Bloomers. and Who Also Requested the
| Baseball Club to Come in Their Uni
forms-He was to be Tried, but He
| Didn't Appear.
| Hamilton, Ohio, Sep. 3.-The Cincin-
| natl conference of the Methodist church
| in session here had great shock today
when publicity was given to the esca-
pade Of Rev. j. w. Shorten, who last
| Sunday closed his pastorate with the
| church at Mason, and was summoned
| before conference to defend himself
| against charges of classifying, evil spea-
king and conduct unbecoming a minis
| ter of the gospel.
Mr. Shorten has not appeared at con-
ference. He left Mason Tuesday morn
ing, telling his wife he was going to
| conference. but he aid not do so, and
has not communicated with her since.
Neither has Miss Maggie Geyer, sew
enteen-year old girl who sang contralto
in the choir of the Mason church, been
seen by her parents since. She left
! home Wednesday. She said she was go
ing 20 Lockland to visit relatives but
she came TO Cincinnati, and from the
DennisOn Hotel sent a letter to her
mother, saying that she would not re-
turn to Mason, but had made arrange
mentS to earn her own living.
Miss Bone, of Lebanon, and Miss Ella
Dill, of Mason, declare positively that
while they sat in the parlor of the Dem
nison hotel at Cincinnati Thursday, the
door of room 81, opposite, opened, and
Miss Geyer and Rev. Shorten emerged
They say that Miss Geyer nearly feint-
ed at sight of them. the recognition be-
ing mutual. The Dennison hotel reg
lister shows that u. w. king, Hamil-
tom was in room 81 Thursday and
that later young woman answering
the description of Miss Geyer, but
whom j. w. King" said was his wife
arrived, and the two stayed all night
in the room and had their baggage
checked Thursday night for Philadel-
phia-
The intimacy between the two began
over "a year ago. A Cha tauqua reading
circle was organized. He was elected
president and Miss Geyer secretary,
and he paid for the young lady's men,
bership. About the same time she APP
peared wearing a handsome diamond
ring.
The official board Of the church call
ed the pastor before them, but when
Deacon Skull remarked concerning the
pastors conduct, that gentleman
promptly answered by threatening a
suit of $4,000 for SANDER and the good
old deacon took no further steps.
At that meeting, however, the men,
bers of the board eXacted a promise
from Mr.. Shorten to cease his atten-
tons to the young woman of his flock
but he failed to keep it long and soon
renewed his attentions with greater
fervor than ever. When demonstrated
with he Informed the board that he
was teaching her and in that capacity
had a perfect right to call, and that it
was none of their business.
Rev. Shorten was a. convert of the
Harrison revival in Cincinnati about
thirteen years ago and afterward was
I'M charge of the Methodist Extension
society, of Cincinnati. He was once
pastor at Madisonville,, Ohio, and was
in trouble with a woman of the church
there. In Venice, Ohio, too, he was
the subject of criticism and, therefore,
on the scandal. Il am not surprised.s
MIR. SHORTEN FAVORS BLOOMERS
Il was at Mr.. Shorten's church, the
First Methodist, in Mason, that Miss
Ada Coleman appeared in boomers
few Sundays ago. This affair created
SO much excitement in Mason that
there was division in the church Cir
cles. Some were in favor of Miss Cole
man wearing boomers at church If she
wanted to, others favored her being eX-
PEELED for doing so. Then it was that
the pastor came to the aid of Miss Cole
man. He announced from his pulpit
that he saw nothing wrong in Miss Cole
mans boomers. Many members of
the church withdrew an attempt was
made to organize another Methodist
church.
To cap the climax Mr.. Shorten an
nounced on the Sunday following the
Miss Coleman episode that he would
preach a sermon to the baseball team
his text being "a Home Rum" on the
following Sunday afternoon. So fero-
cious did some of the members become
after this announcement that on the
Sunday the sermon was advertised to
be delivered several of the older MEM
hers appeared at the church with silot-
guns and declared that they would die
in front of the church door before such
a sermon should be preached. But the
baseball team went TO church dressed
in their ball clothes, and the sermon
was preached without a fiAht.
CONFERENCE TAKES ACTION.
In conference today Rev. G. w. Ri
shell announced that the committee
having charge of the case of Rev. ].
w. Shorten was ready to report. Rev.
NJ. LeSourd read the report, which rec
commended that the case be placed in
the hands of the presiding elder of the
Georgetown district, 10 be tried early
in the year. This report was deemed
necessar..-, since Mr.. Shorten was not
here to be tried. The report was not
| accepted, however. and on motion OF
DR.. Leonard, a special committee was
ordered to confer with the former COM
mittee and to bring charges against
Rev. Shorten Immediately at the pres
ent session of conference Drs. Leon
ard and Poster were, on motion, added
! to the special committee.
Before this committee Shorten was
| formally charged with immoral con-
duct by his presiding elder, Miss Geyer
being mentioned in that connection
| The committee was at work all the
forenoon on the case. and determined
| to report recommending dismissal. but
| the reportawill not be presented until
| Monday. Mrs. Shorten today received
/ a letter from her husband. the con-
| tents OF which she declines 10 make
| public but which have decided her 10
| sell all the personal property and re-
! turn 10 her home il New Hampshire
/ The church will pay 70 her the $3.50 sal
| airy due her husband
SIMPLICITY-''Wifey. dear, the eggs are
not exactly fresh - How can you talk like
| that hubby. The cook fetched them from
/ tho sboD only q quarter of an hour ago -