Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-11-21
THE METHoDIsTs.

THE METHODISTS.
| The one hundred and thirteenth an
nual session of the Virginia Conference
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
South adjourned at Richmond yester-
day evening.
| The first business of conference yes
terday morning was hearing the report
of committee charged with the trial of
Rev. DR.. Geo. w. Carter. The accused
was charged with marrying, in April last
while having wife living, from whom
he had never been divorced for scrip.
tural reason of infdelity. DR.. Sic id,
chairman of the committee, arose and
briefly stated the care and deliberation
with which the trial had been conduct
ed and called for the report of the Sec
rotary, which was as follows:
"The committee of nine reported to
try the case of George W. Carter pre-
sent the follow verdict:
"First-That the specification is sus-
tanned by the evidence.
'Second-That the specification does
not sustain the charge of immortality"
DR.. Carter, at his own request, was
granted location. This ends DR.. Car
ter's case, which is one of the most re-
markable of its kind which the Virginia
Conference has ever been called upon
to consider. The eventful life which
DR.. Carter led, his brilliancy as a
pulpit orator, and the peculiar
ecclesiastical questions invoved in
his case made it one of the most inter-
esting as we'll as one of the most nota-
BILE known to the oldest members OF
this conference. A number of DR.. Car
ter's friends opposed his retirement
from the ministry. They argued that
the action of the committee on trial
wss final and the matter could not be
carried further. But DR.. Carter, it is
believed, preferred that after being
fully vindicated by the committees re-
port to pursue the course he has.
In speaking of DR.. Carter's trial the
Richmond Times says: The plea of the
defense is stated to have been that DR.
Carter, although legally married to the
wife from whom he was divorced be
fore he married Miss Stathan, was not
married to her in the eyes of the
church, he having been welded to his
second wife while his FIRST divorced
wife was still alive. Therefore, in the
eyes of the church, she was not his wife
at all; and, his first wife being dead,
the only woman whom the church rec.
ognized as his wife, both by the laws OF
God and man, there was no bar to his
marriage to Miss St4tham. The ques-
ton is most subtle one, and the com.
mittee gave much anxious thought to
il before arriving at decision.
It is understood that DR.. Carter will
leave the ministry very shortly, and, it
is rumored, that he will engage in the
practice of law, of which he made a
success in earlier life. DR.. Carter is
recognized as man of signal ability,
and has served his present charge most
a'ceptably.
The COMMITTEE ir the case of Rev. ]. R. Crit
| filth sent in report which set forth the belief
of c,mmittee, after careful and prayerful con-
sideration, that DIR. Griffith was guilty of i'm.
prudent conduct as charged. But the COM
mlttee did not believe the brother intended
ansactions investigated, and it then recon-
M nded that his character DO passed, with a
cepsure upon his conduct, which was done by
the conference.
Just before the adjournment Bishop Gallo
way announced the appointments TO the
churches of the conference for the ensuing
year. Among them were the following:
Westmoreland-George II. Spooner.
Montross-C. F. Hall.
King George-W G. Bates.
Spo.sylvania-C 81, Williams.
ROWLING Green-R F. Warfeld.
Gordonsville-Pau Bradley.
Greene. Q Rhodes
orango-c. +. Wamsley and W. H. Camper,
upernumerasy.
Madison-C. F. Conner.
WoodvilIe-R G. Jams
Culpeper-H. P. Mitchell.
Culpeper Circuit-W. j. Williams.
Rappahannack-W.A A. Conrad.