The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-26

The gEcsrenansoas departure from tits
clfg ssaaFt tine ago Of Rev. W. T, Ford.
pastor u the Aadlsoa street MetAaGist
Episcopal church, Il possibly Fssponsi1as
r. part Tor TIE bringing 90 hght % 3 scan
a4l Shiea illuminated yesterday IN Fofd's
suspension fFefn the church Through fhs
devotion Of ? woman 20 her church, acta-
a1Es sacrifice CT family name IN the in
teFest q purity within the house Of wer-
snip, tas presiding cider Of this district
was sppFssst OF conduct on For5's part
which was Incompatible with an assansp-
tioa Of ministerial virtue. ard. satisfied
Is the evidence produced, court ~ his
peers yesterday sentenced Rev. w. r
EeTa 70 Suspension fran ths church ard
referred the charges preferred against khe
absent divine 10 the annual conference Of
the Puget sound district Of the Methodist
Episcopal church, 10 be held next week In
Everett.
Ford Is accused Of intimacy with = Is-
yeAr-eid servant girl She was employed ia
his family. The gsrl. moved b al elder
sister, ecnsented to maze the scandal pEb-
re. and yesterday afternoon before an &C.
cleslastiezl court convened In the First
Methodist Episcopal church, tod the story
Of her relations with the minister, The
elder sisters aliesed motive u inducing
TIE younger girl 10 thas nu8ilists herself
MAS publication OF the church. she sald
She believed Il her sisters DUTY 20 expose
man whose position brought h.fn in con-
tact With those who sought purifying, and
not aepasing, influences,
The trsal committee WAS composed OF the
f0ll0~lng divlnss Rev. W.lmot Whithsld,
D. D.. presiding elder. Rev. W. S. Harring
ton. u, d. pastor Trinity NJ. f church;
Rev W. ii. Wilson. pastor q the Fremont
II. Z. church. Rev. ". III. ssllsck, pastor
Of Grace 81. l.. church; Rev. z. II. Ran
dali. 5r.. pastor OF the First II. r. church.
q II
Brown, pastor Of the Battery street
church. acted as prosecutor OF the case.
Ford Is new Ia Butte. Noat., and Rev. J.
". Miller, Of Ballard. was appointed 20 act
as his counsel committee OF Knights
Of Pythias from Lake Washington LoaSe.
No. b, was present 70 hear the testimony
and decide whether Ford should be ex-
PEELED from membership.
Or. Whitfield stated that copy OF the
charges preferred against Ford had been
furnished the accused. Ford had replied
by letter from Butte. sending his resigna-
tion from the ministry and withdrawal
from the church lie had stated that Pc
cgniary considerations prevented his re-
turn 10 answer in person the charges.
There were bat two witnesses-the ssTv-
ant girl and her sister. The girl confessed
unreserve5iy 20 her relations with Ford.
being explicit as 20 details. She had gene
family at that time living on SITTER street.
II was not untll January. 1897. that the girl
noted anything unusual IN the minister's
attitude toward her. Al that time she had
decided 70 so away. when Ford asfonlshed
her BY begging her 20 rewaiH processing
that he loved her. She remained.
From that time or the two became more
and mere intimate, hetng together when
ever opportunity permitted. Two months
sga the gigi bad some disa greement with
Ford ard left the house. going 10 Port
Blskeley. That was the servant girls
story. and II was corroboratsd IN general
by the elder sister. On the strength Of
this the committee brought In tia follow
irg verdict:
We, the undersigned, a COMMITTEES ap-
pointed "a Investigate the charges Of inn-
morality preferred against ". T Ford
find that. from th@ evidence presented
tina charges are sustained: and decide
that ne - suspended from all ministerial
services and church pFiyllng2s until the
ensuing annual conference"
The findings were signed BY the com
raltteeaen. and 70 Y was appended the
uitimatum &C Presiding Elder Whitfield:
I'm accordance With the above verdict
l declare that W. T. Ford Is hereby sus-
pended"
Foraa wife IS now in this city They
have thfes children. daughter and two
srrs