The Topeka state journal., 1898-02-28
A BLACK
CHARGE MADE
Against DR.. A. s. Embree, the
Present Pastor
Of the First Methodist Church
of This City.
A MULATTO SERVANT
Charges Him With Being the
Author of Her Shame.
Friends of DIR. Embree Produce
Evidence to Show
That the Charge is a Black
mailing Plot.
Of the First Methodist Church
of This City.
A MULATTO SERVANT
Charges Him With Being the
Author of Her Shame.
Friends of DR.. Embree Produce
Evidence to Show
That the Charge is a Black
mailing Plot.

The arrest of a colored doctor, I. A.
Shields, late Saturday afternoon, re-
suited in the unearthing of some SEN
sationa1 charges against DR.. a. s. En-
bree, pastor of the First Methodist
church of Topeka.
DR.. Shields was arrested for causing
the death through a criminal operation
of a muIatto woman named Lena Crith
who was a servant in DR.. Embree's
household just after he returned from
Europe last fall.
The mother of the woman charges DR..
Embree with being responsible for the
condition of her daughter and has made
a lengthy affidavit in which she says
that her daughter said on her death bed
that DR.. Embree promised to marry her
and take her to Europe where she
would pass for a woman of Spanish
birth.
Dr. Embree admits that he paid Lena
Crith 5000 on the advice of his attorney,
+. B. WEIGH Mr.. WeIch has in his pos
session the following receipt which was
given when the money was paid:
Topeka, Kan, Dec. 20, 1897.
I hereby acknowledge payment of 5000
in full satisfaction of all claims which
I have or claim to have against Dr..
the said DR.. A. S. Embree pays this
money to me under protest, as he al
leges, solely for the reason that he can
not afford to have his good name
have heretofore threatened and now
threaten to bring unless said money is
LENA CRITH.
DR.. Embree first heard of this de-
mand and charge against him on De
cember 20w hen he received a threaten
ing letter from Mrs. Frank Crith, moth
er of Lena Crith.
Following are extracts from the let
ter:
she dena) says you are the cause
If Il 7iecT1 100 hnT a nd q
lily. I am surprised that this is the only
way in which you served my daughter
while working for you. We can never
stand this. We have studied this mat
ter and have consulted the scandal up
on us. Mr.. Crith wanted to meet you
himself, but 1 would not let him for his
passion is so badly ragged over the mat
ter that 1 am sure only serious trouble
would be the ending of it. If you pay
800 to us we will not further make it
known, but unless you are willing to
make this compromise with us by pay
ing to US the amount as above stated at
once we will force this matter into law
where justification will be given US.
Immediate answer is requested from
you at once. It will save you more
trouble to see to this at once. We can't
and won't stand to haye this girl ruined
forever by your misconduct with her.
Answer at once and let us have a hear
ing from you as it will save you public
trouble. If not you must appear before
court where justice will be given US
both.
MRS. FRANK CRITH,
1916 Harrison street.
DR.. Embree did not answer this letter,
but he consulted r. B. Welch. Mr..
Welch says he consulted with the Pre-
siding Elder Rev. J. r. Madison and
with John R. Mulvane who both advis-
ed him to have the matter fixed up
rather than let the story be circulated.
So when he saw DR.. Embree again he
advised him to pay the money as re-
quested.
A few days after Mrs. Crith and her
daughter called at DR.. Embrees house.
1--WE came to see if you will pay that
money" said Mrs Crith.
DR.. Embree refused to talk to either
of the women, but referred them at
once to his attorney. When they met
Mr.. Welch they demanded 5000. He
finally agreed to pay the money and 1t
was paid.
Then followed what it is claimed was
a criminal operation on the Crith wo-
man by DR.. Shields, but it is not charg-
ed that DR.. Embree had anything to do
with employing the physician or was IN
any way connected with what he did.
Lena Crith died on January 13 and
her body wars taken to Ottawa for bur
ial. Nothing was said about the matter
for some time but the story finally
came to the ears of Chief Steele and he
detailed Detective CaprOn on the case.
He secured a statement from the moth
er as to the cause of the death in which
she charged DR.. Embree with being or
iginally responsible for her daughters s
condition
Last Friday evening the body of the
child born by Lena Crith before her
death was exhumed. 1t was buried in
the corner of the wood shed in cigar
box at 1916 Harrison street. 1t was ia
ken to the police station where an eX-
animation was made Saturday by the
coroner who decided that an inquest
was not necessary.
DR.. T. H. Martin who examined the
remains at that time said that it was
apparently five months old. He based
his statement on certain scientific facts
with which physicians are familiar.
Today DR.. Powell made an examination
of the infants body and he said that
there is no doubt whatever that it is
five months old.
The establishment of this fact will
clear DIR. Embree, for five months be-
fore the child was born he was in Eu-
rope He did not return until Septem-
Der II. This fact alone, aside from
the hight standing and reputation of
the accused, will clear him if it is firmly
established by the physicians as it now
seems likely it will be.
r. B. Welch, attorney for DR.. En-
bree said today: This is one of the
worst cases of blackman I have ever
that never for a moment have doubted
Dr. Embree's innocence of the charge.
1 am responsible for the payment of the
money. DR.. Embree was against pay
ing cent, but knew that if the story
got out, true or false, it would do him
irreparabIe injury and it was on that
theory that I advised him to pay the
money. This is one of the most dast-
ardIy things that could be imagined.
Or Ernbree was placed at the mercy Of
the woman. She had been in his house
as a servant and saw an opportunity
to bleed him and did it. The letter Of
the mother viii show what she wanted.