The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-12
1T is AGAINST LAYCOCK
INDIANAPOLIS PRESBYTERY'S DE-
CIsIoN IN SEVENTH CHURCH ROW.
Commission Unanimously Dismisses
His AppeaI-Funds Granted for
WinOna Exhibit.

ing, being attended by about forty repre-
sentatives of the different churches in the
nine counties embraced by the presbytery.
DR.. David Van Dyke, of Grace Presbyterian
Church, of this city, presided as moderator,
and DR.. L. p. Marshall, of Franklin, was
clerk.
The meeting was chiefly taken up with a
discussion of the case of Charles Z. Lay
cock, who was recently deposed from the
session and expelled as a member of the
Seventh Presbyterian Church by the ses-
sion of that church. Mr.. Laycock was tried
by the session on charges of dishonesty
and unchristian conduct, and his expulsion
was made to continue until such time as he
shows repentant spirit. From the action
of the session the suspended member APP
pealed to the presbytery. After thor
ough airing of the matter yesterday and
an extended discussion on Presbyterian law
and rules of procedure the appeal was re-
ferred to a commission with power to act in
the name of the presbytery The moderator
appointed on this commission DR.. Frank O.
Ballard, of this city, who was made it's
chairman; Rev. J. H. Bright, of Hopewell;
Rev. w. K. Weaver, of Greencastle; Rev.
e. A. Miller, of Greenwood; Rev. w. ].
Frazer, of Brazil and Elders j. H. Brown
and j. G. Hamilton, Of this city. The COM
mission continued it's deliberations all the
afternoon, and after reviewing all the evil
dence in the trial and hearing Mr.. Lay
cocks statement, presented in person, and
that of c. IL. Smith, who represented the
session Of the Seventh Church, it arrived
at decision, unanimously concurred in,
that the appeal be dismissed and the ac-
ton of the session be sustained
THE EXHIBIT AT WINONA.
Several other matters of Importance were
acted on by the presbytery. 1t was decided
to grant funds for the making of a proper
exhibit by the presbytery on the occasion
of the celebration of the Northumberland
fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the
Westminster standards, which celebration
is to be held during the sessions of the Gen
eral Assembly at Winona in the spring.
Rev. E. A. Allen, who has taken a pas
torate at Kokomo resigned as chairman
of the home missions committee, and was
succeeded on the committee by Rev. j.
Cumming Smith. Mr.. Allen was granted
dismissal from the indianapolis Presbytery.
and a set of resolutions of regret on ac-
count of his departure was adopted.
A petition signed by thirty or forty of the
residents of lrvington was presented ask
ing for the establishment Of a Presbyterian
church in that suburb. The presbytery,
after considering the matter, appointed a
committee with power to organize such a
church if the way is clear to do so.
After the adjournment of the commission
tha- passed adversely on the appeal of Mr.:
Iaycock the authorized representatives of
the session of the Seventh Presbyterian
Church gave statement of the case upon
which the verdict of the commission was
based
THE newspapers said one member of
the session, have printed Mr.. Laycock'S
side in this matter and now it is only fair
sion has refrained from stating it's case
until such time as the presbytery had acted,
and now that it has been indicated it is
well to give the facts that led to Mr.. Lay
cocks expulsion.
The statement agreed to by all the mem
berS of the session present was as follows:
"Mr. Laycock was tried one and a half years
ago by the session of the church for I'M
christian conduct and was found guilty.
the session, out of consideration for his
family, refused to pronounce judgment, but
recommended him to withdraw from the
session for the sake of harmony ard peace.
Instead of complying with this recommen-
dalton Mr.. Laycock appealed to the pres
bytery and subsequently to the synod, both
courts sustaining the action of the session
He then appealed to the General Assembly
at Winona last May, but without avail
as the assembly decided that the synod
had final jurisdiction. 1t will be observed
that Mr.. Laycock had not been suspended
but was only advised to withdraw from the
session. He refused to do so, and during
the autumn last year insisted upon acting
with the session, the members of which he
would not even recognize. The session sent
a representative to plead with him to see if
the unpleasant relations could not be ami
cably adjusted, but he could not be pre-
vailed upon to do anything, except he was
recognized as an active member OF the SEES
ters had been filed with the session militat-
ing against his honesty, and some of these
formed the basis of the charges upon which
he was subsequently tried. The session felt
that after suffering indignitieS for years II
was, in view of the charges, compelled to
act. The public ought to understand that
a certain note for $100, with interest which
Mr. Laycock gave in 1869, in lieu of money
intrusted to him by comrade in the army
for delivery to the soldiers wife, was not
paid for some time afterward, as the pub
lie has recently been informed. AS mat
ter of fact, the debt was compromised on
Dec. IL, 1897, in Kansas City, after the
charges were preferred against him. 1t will
be observed that he did not feel under obli-
cation to pay the debt previous to the
making of the charges. But Mr.. Laycock
was not found guilty of crime committed
years ago, but because of the fact that
ne had not paid this money during the past
year nor shown spirit Of repentance. The
session also had strong dispositions from
former pastors of the church, Rev. A. N
Thompson and Rev. George Knox, stating
that the defendant had given endless trou-
BILE in the church sessions, and it may be
stated that he was largely instrumental in
driving these pastors from the church. 1t
was stated in the papers a couple of weeks
ago that hundred or more members of the
church were ready to testify in Mr. Lay
cocks behalf but the fact is there was not
half this number present as witnesses and a
number of these witnesses have assured the
session that they were not in sympathy with
Mr.. Laycock in this matter Among the
statements made before the commission
was enc to the effect that the defendant
had been chronic disturbing factor in the
church for thirteen years and that he had
become acutely so in the last three or four
years.
Mr.. Laycock's defense before the commits
sion was ably made. He resented the
charges presented and declared that the
session had been actuated by prejudice.
He also claimed that there were many ir-
regularities in the. trial, that improper tes-
timony was admitted, that there was a
want of equity in the decision and also a
lack of jurisdiction in the session. Alto
gether he had ten paragraphs in his appeal,
upon each of which the commission ruled
against him. He may appeal now to the
synod.
Presbyterian Prayer Meetings.
The Presbyterians are holding prayer
meetings every night during the present
week. Last night the meeting at the First
Presbyterian Church was we'll attended.
One will be held tonight at the Second
Presbyterian Church. MONDAY prayer
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