Evening journal., 1897-06-16
REPORTERS SNUBBED
Presbytery Seeks to Hide the
Truth About Olivet.
MONTGOMERY URGED PUBLICITY
PASTOR OF THE TROUBLED
CHURCH DECLARES THAT HE
HAS NOTHING TO CONCEAL.
PROCEEDINGS IN DETAIL.


After clearing the room OF the con-
gregation of Olivet Presbyterian
| Church and all the representatives OF
the press. New Castle Presbytery dis
cussed the resignation of Rev. Theo-
dore &. Montgomery. as pastor OF Oil
vet Presbyterian Church. all the after
noon and until nearly o'clock last
night, and decided practically nothing.
The entire matter now goes over until
the Fall meeting.
As soon as Presbytery had come to
order Rev. Ernest f. Keigwin, of the
Presbytery Of Philadelphia, was invited
to sit as a corresponding member
Rev. George II. Trull, a licentiate
from the Presbytery of Baltimore. and
a member of Brown Memorial Church.
who has been called to the pastorate of
East Lake Presbyterian Church, pre-
sented his credentials and a diploma of
his proficiency in the arts and sciences.
This was received in lieu of an exami-
nation therein, on motion of DR.. Nc
Curdy.
Pending Mr.. Trull's examination on the
ology, Greek and church government,
| Moderator Miller called for the minutes
Of Olivet Church session, which were
lmissing at Middletown. This was the
first mention of the Olivet trouble Dr.
Milligan moved for the appointment OF
a committee of five to review the
minutes in question while the exami-
nation of Mr.. Trull was IN progress.
Rev. w. r. MaFarlane, of the Pres
bytery of Philadelphia. was invited to
sit as a corresponding member.
Moderator Miller appointed as the
Olivet investigating committee DR..
Gayley, DR.. McCurdy, Rev. Stone, FL
ders J. J. Crossan and ]. ]. Buck. DR..
Gayley urged to be excused and Rev.
Moore was suggested as chairman, but
begged to be relieved and appealed to
the Presbytery TO insist upon DR.. Gay
ley's serving. The moderator also ap-
pealed to Presbytery, and, by an over
whelming majority, DR.. Gayley was not
excused Elder George Rommell, OF
Olivet Church, presented the missing
records.
Rev. Wylie arose after Mr.. Trull had
been called and started a fire in Pres
bytery by moving that the Olivet mat
ter be proceeded with behind closed
doors. There was a hum of disapproval
all over the Presbytery when the mo-
tion was made and seconded by DR..
Marks.
/ III. OdNlGN HtEAlACu ~ laNOl GFtA
body but reporters being allowed to re-
main. Dr. Marks insisted en- putting
b everybody out except those having an
official right to seats. can purposes oi
/ this meeting" said he, "can best b'
e served by having only the commission
ers and Presbytery i'm the meeting"
: r. A. Blake, Of Elkton, arose anc
made a singing address against at
, tempts to muZZle the press. He said N
part
"I am not ashamed for the world tC
know all that goes on in this meeting
I do not propose to say or do anything
that I am ashamed for the world K
know. Instead Of the press distOrtin6
: facts and public sentiment. as the bro
/, ther has just said referring to DR.
' Marks), l believe that the press is uni
versally on the side of the right anC
@ truth"
4 Dr. McCurdy declared that he had N
q idea of doing anything he was aehameC
Of, but simply insisting on a parlia
e men,ary eXpediency.
The vote was asked for and wa
: taken standing, Clerk Oates announce,
that the vote stood ten to ten. Th'
moderator hesitated to decide, and DR.
: | McCurdy then moved to poll the Pres
? bytery. Rev. Davidson asked permits
sicn OF the floor. and made a ringing
speech for free and open action on tn
Montgomery case. He said that Pres
bytery had nothing to be ashamed of
s and he, for one, deplored, that legiti
e mate representatives Of the pres
should be deprived of the privileges o
/ the floor.
S DR.. Milligan and Rev. FtzSimon con
IS tended that the members of the pres
o were all responsible men, and it wa
r. decidedly better to have the &C
ID counts appear through them than t
e, make the newspapers gather their in
le formation from the streets. Presby
terry was polled with the following re
suit:
o Closed doors - Ministers Moore
Marks, McCurdy, jefferson, Shanki
ie Stone, Gayley, Lewis. Wylie. Elders
u Candy, Prickett, Buck, Crossan, tn
Or clerk; total, IA.
N Open sbytery-Ministers Tay.o'
40 Vallandigham. Keigwin. Montgomery
or FitzSimon, Davidson, Milligan. Elder
or -Rommell, Blake. Skinner, Price, Vin
or cent total, II.
Mr.. Montgomery pleaded that the II
porters and the public be allowed
~ remain, but all to no avail.
Gems ORE fOh RfESb Eli I.
le Rev. S. B. Wylie and Elder w.
III Prickett were asked to present tn
u names of the newspaper men presen
IN all Of whom were known to be legit
A. mate representatives of the Wilmingto
as papers, but Assistant Clerk Lew
k brought hack information that Pre-.
bytery would not reconsider its me
ton.
n DR.. Vanandigham, one of the mo-
reliable Presbyterian churchmen, an
whose judicial temperament is gene
ally acknowledged. told the Evenin
lg Journal reporter afterward that Pre-
no bytery had made a great mistake.
Dr. Rev. w. W. Taylor, another seniC
al minister, who had voted for open door
"a came out to try to pacify the DIV
Sc congregation, which had been ejecte
e, but The people declared TO Father Ia.
by lor that they had been insulted tin
and again by Presbytery and they pr
posed to lock their church doors aft
this anront