The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-13
PASTOR PUT OUT OF A PULPIT.
REV. JOEL tt. GIBSON ACCUSED OF
BEING TOO FOND OF WOMEN.

An Intercepted Letter said to De al
the Bottom of His Present Trouble.
The EpistIe Not Signed hut the
Preacher said TO Have Admitted
Himself the AuthOr-The woman
in the Case Not Member OF HIS
ConsregatiOn-Rev. Gibson in
Trouble once before and Exoner-
atcd.
ATLANTA, Ga, March 12.-The Walker
Street Methodist Church in this city Is III
the throes of d great sensation, a scan
dal, in fact, of proportions that bids iar
TO prove live wire in the next general
conference.
1t is charged that the pastor of the
church, Rev. Joel I. Gibson, who, how
eyer. has been removed, was too gay with
the ladies.
He had a record on this line before he
was assigned to Walker Street Church by
the last conference. but a charitable view
was taken of the charges against him. ana
he was handled tenderly by his brethren
If the circumstances in the present case,
however, approximate the truth, the pastor
is a very gay bird, and. as the story I'M
folds, it will prove a very spicy one indeed
Great efforts have been made 10 keep the
matter secret. and most of the facts are
stiII lodged within the breasts Of a small
circle of the church members But enough
has leaked out to throw the congregation
into confusion.
Tomorrow DR.. Gibson Will be succeeded
In his pulpit by Rev. Dr.. r. V. Atksson,
who was this week selected for that posi-
ton. after Dr. Gbsons suspension by or
der of the presiding elder OF the district,
DIR. Lovejoy.
DR.. Gibson is now in Rome at the be lsIie
of his sick wife, and this adds an addi-
tional feature to the case. He was sum
moned to Rome yesterday by telegram
his wifes condition being such chat she Is
hardly expected 10 live many days
While there ministering to the faithful
mariner of his joys and sorrows, the min
lister is accused of conduct toward other
women which would justify his expulsion
from the church, if nothing worse. The
name of the woman in the present partic-
ular case is being carefully kept secret
by the presiding elder and the brethren
who investigated the matter and agreed
upon the suspension. All that can be gain
ed from tnem 10 tAldt SAiS
is not a member of the Walker street
church congregation.
Il is understood that the explosion was
caused by the interception of a letter writ
ten TO the woman in question by DR.. Gin
son. This letter was not signed by him,
but the handwriting was so Enthusiastically
his that he admitted its genuineness ana
rendered his resignation when confronted
with it. This resignation did not, how
ever, stop the investigation by Presiding
Elder Lovejoy, and will not prevent
further investigation when the conference
meets.
AS stated DR.. Gibson had a record as
lady's man before he was assigned to
the Walker street church. At the last
conference his character was arrested up,
on the charge that he was in a room at
a sanitarium in Rome with a woman, the
door being locked. 1t looked pretty squally
for him until the husband of the lady
came forward and declared that he was
in the room at the time. This, of course,
dispelled the charges and DIR. Gibson's
character was passed by the conference.
But with this record and the talk that
has been INDUCED in both in Rome and At
lanta since his residence here. ii is not
at all improbable that at the next confer
ence the doctor will find himself in
close place.
Presiding Elder Lovejoy, as well as 9TH
ers connected with the church and cogniZ-
ant of all the facts and circumstances,
refuse to talk about the case, except to
say the pastor was suspended for cause.