The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-04

knew personally every Methodist minis
ter in it and most of the leading laymen.
He said that DR.. Kilgo's general charac-
ter in South Carolina was that of Il
wire pulling politician, that he had badly
split the church there by his combine"
with John D. Wilson and DR.. Kirkland
and the church was much relieved when
he left, but that DIR. Kilgo still had his
friends and partisans there.
At your last meeting DIR. Kigo had
this same Rev. John o. Wilson here AMI
asked leave of you for him to sit at the
table as his counsel. Afterwards he took
his deposition. In it, Mr.. Wilson has t.
admit that he had heard that DR.. Kilgo
had been charged as being n wirc-puller,
but said it was not true OF course he
thinks that, for if DIR. kilgo is wire
pullcr, the evidence is that Wilson was
his associate. He also took the deposit
ton here Of Mr.. Chreitsburg who former
ly lived in South Carolina and who it
seems now has made friends with DR..
Kilgo though there are dispositions here
showing it was not ever thus" DR..
Kilgo told us at our last meeting that h.
could bring the whole South Carolina
Conference here. In truth, besides the
two just mentioned, which were taken
here in July, in his late tour through the
State of South Carolina he got ten de-
positions. There are largely over a
million of people in South Carolina. He
formerly lived there, still has his parti
sans there and he brings you from his
tour ten certificates of character. Some
of those say they have heard these charg-
es, but disbelieved them, he also found some
who said that they had not heard them.
Of I,a ton MaI ~
rim and his former cIass-mate Gov. Ell
lerbee. These gave him n good charac-
ter, but there was no one present to
cross-examine them when DIR. KilgO
took their statements and who would ex-
pect two public men to volunteer, with
out cross-eXaminatiOn, modification IF
a certificate of good character. Posi-
bly, these gentlemen may have
thought wire pulling necessity
and not q reflection upon or abate-
ment of good character. Then he relied
greatly on Bishop Duncan's statement
that he had no knowledge of his being
a wire-puller. AS the Bishop is his
known friend the Bishop is the last man
to whom such reports would be carried.
The Bishop has been placed, out of his
turn, in charge of South Carolina Con-
ference this year and when it was known
he had given this certificate, the preach
stopped giving dispositions which would
clash with it. They, however, talked
freely and Mr. Beckwitil stood here.
note book in hand, to tell you what
the leading preachers and laymen in
South Carolina said about DR.. KilgO's
character as a wire-puller. But DIR. Kill
go shut this off, except as to three men
who had spoken favorably to Beckwith
as to him.
In his speech Wr. Kilgo bitterly de-
nounced Rev. Mr.. Gattis ror testifying
against him when he had been kind to
him. Mr.. Gattis told you he came very
unwillingly and only in obedience to your
summons, and his kind relations to DR..
Kilgo heretofore did not require him to
testify falsely. You heard DIR. 1<ilgo's
thinly yelled, if yelled ut all, threats
of vengeance. As surely as DR.. Kilgo is
the wire-puller and politician this evil
dence abundantly proves him to be you
will see his efforts to have Mr.. Gattis
removed from his position at the next
annual conference-not because Mr.. Cat
It's is not faithful and competent and has
been so deemed all these years-but he
has testified against DIR. Kilgo. he has
revolted against his machine" The
him. Watch my prediction.
Mr.. Beckwith was sent by you to
South Carolina to learn what Dr. Kilgos
character was. DR.. Kilgo thinks that
Mr.. Beckwith took his mission too Sc
riously. He contends that Mr. Beckwith
should have formed his opinion of DIR.
Kilgo's reputation in South Carolina
from the ten who gave dispositions in his
fo hn nf lIx, CO
lected by DIR. Kilgo-and not from the
fifty or seventy-fve others whom Mr..
Beckwith selected at random among
Methodist preachers and laymen, and
who talked freely with him. 1t is com
mon sense that from the latter more
accurate opinion can be formed of the
truth as to DR.. Kilgo's reputation.
have lived in Raleigh twenty-five years.
There are men there whose general char
acter l do not know. A man does not
know DR.. Kilgo's reputation simply be-
cause he lives in South Carolina. If
wish to know a mans general character
in Raleigh would ] confine myself to a
few selected names he gives me, or would
/ go generally to people of his associates,
his church, his trade. his lodge? This
latter course Mr.. Beckwith took. He is
intelligent, he is impartial, he was selec-
ted and sent there by this board, and he
tells you 'Dr. Kilgo's general character
in South Carolina is that of a wire-pul-
Ter and ecclesiastical politician"
After Mr.. Beckwith and DR.. Kilgo
who were travelling together in South
Carolina separated, the latter took the
statements of Senator McLaurin and
Gov. Ellerbee in Mr.. Beckwith's absence,
(he being given notice just as he was
leaving on the train and those deposit
tons were admitted Mr.. Beckwith pro-
cured the following affidavits from two
laymen of high standing in the church,
one of them assistant secretary to the
annual conference in the absence of DIR.
Kilgo and they have been reject
ed. As we justly complain of the rejec-
ton of valuable evidence which would
have aided you to a just conclusion, l
read them:
State of South Carolina,
Sumter County.
Personally appeared John NJ. Knight
who, being duly sworn, deposes and
says:
That he is editor and proprietor of the
Sumter Herald, a newspaper published
at Sumter in said and State. and resides