The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-02-09
REV. MR.. ARTHUR ON TRIAL
SERIOUS CHARGES MADE AGAINST
CONNECTICUT MINISTER.

Evidence to Show His Unworthiness to
Continue as Pastor of the Church-Di-
vorced From His First wife-Obtaiped
Ordination by Fraud, 1t is Alleged.
Wilton, Conn, Feb S.-The Norfield
which, on account of the prevailing diff
ferences between the pastor, Rev. Mr..
Arthur, and many of his church mem
bers, has acquired an unwelcome noto-
riety, was the scene of very warm
meeting to-day on the opening Of the
mutual council called to settle the
trouble. The trouble, which is of sew
eral months standing, has before been
in the public eye, from two ex-parte
councils held within the past few
weeks, but while they only had the
power to recommend there will be no
the mutual council. AT the last meet
ing, January Is, decision was reserved
at Mr.. Arthur's request for a mutual
council and as the result an invitation
was sent out to a number of Congre-
gational churches to be represented by
pastor and delegated at the council,
which opened to-day.
The invitation, which was in letter
form, asked the council to decide upon
the following points: Has the conduct
of Rev. C. M. Arthur prior to and dur
ing his first pastorage, been such as to
indicate he is worthy to act as pastor
of the Congregational church, and
should his name stand in the list of
Congregational ministers in regular
standing? Second: Have our affairs,
as conducted under his pastorate, been
conducted in accordance with the true
Congregational usuage? Third: Are
those who called the recent ex-parte
council and their associates unreason-
ably disturbing the church? Fourth:
Have they and their associates just
grounds for complaint or any standing
to make it.
The letter which was sent out by the
Congregational church at Weston is
u.
Fitch and Vanderbilt Godfrey, COM
mittee for the church, and David R.
Coley, ir., e. H. Ferguson and A. l..
Lane, committee for the aggrieved. The
church where the council met was well
filled and during the day the specta-
tors were treated to many dramatic
scenes. The accused minister with his
wife and his sister were present and at
times when some letters were read very
damaging to Mr.. Arthur the latter
could with difficulty restrain himself
and atedifferent occasions audibly ex-
pressed contradiction.
The meeting organized with the cleo
ton of Rev. Mr. DePeu of Bridgeport
for chairman and Rev. Mr.. Luther of
Redding as scribe. The most damag-
ing evidence was given by court rec
ord showing Mr.. Arthur's divorce from
his first wife. Many contradictory let
tiers from Mr.. Arthur to his wife were
read in the course of which 1t was evi-
dent that Mr.. Arthur was trying to
fasten the charge of infidelity upon his
wife, and later in his direct testimony
Mr.. Ferguson stated that Mr.. Arthur
told him that one of his children by
his wife was illegitimate. A number
of letters were read from prominent
Methodists in the west charging Mr..
Arthur with falsifying letters from
Presiding Elder c. B. Clark Of Wiscon-
sin, charging him with fraud, while
many other letters We're presented as
to his financial standing, loose behav-
ior, etc. nine years ago, when he was
dropped from the Methodist church.
Letters were presented from men in
high standing in the Congregational
society which alleged that Mr.. Arthur
obtained his ordination as a missionary
by the home missions and his standing
in the ministerial association through
misrepresentation Letters were read
from churches in Nebraska, Michigan
and Indiana all testifying to difficulties
and dissensions brought about during
Mr.. Arthur's pastorates, most of which
extended only for year or less in each
place These letters were corroborated
by other letters from superintendents
of missions in Michigan. Indiana and
other states, which. without exception,
condemned Mr.. Arthur in the strongest
terms for falsehood, quarrelsomeness
and tyrannical dealings with members
of his church. Mr.. Lane, Mr.. Ferguson
and other members of the aggrieved
party in the Weston church gave tes-
timony that Mr.. Arthur had made
statements in church about his church
connections, home relations and bust
ness transactions, which were not In
accord with facts as brought out by
his own and other letters. The council
adjourned at 5:15 p. m. until 1890 to-
morrow. when the testimony of the ag-
grieved party in the church will be con-
tinued and at it's close Mr.. Arthur's
| defense will be presented.