Morris tribune., 1899-02-04
ne QUOTED, DIDN'T STEAL
Professor Green's Prank Answer to {
Charge of Plagiarism.


Charge of Plagiarism.
In these days of accusations OF
plagiarisms against elergymen the
case of Cosmus Green, professor OF
the Latin tongue in Princeton col.
lege, Is worthy of note. Professor
Green preached only occasionally
in term time, as he had much Other
work to do. One day he was sum-
moned hastily TO officiate in the
place of a minister who had been
suddenly taken i'll He had barely
time to catch the train, much less
to prepare an especial discourse. He
caught up half dozen manuscripts
from the drawer in his library table
and hurried away to preach in his
sick brothers. stead.
1t was a good sermon. Every one
was we'll pleased, every one indeed
but an old Scotch gardener, who sat
far to the rear shaking his head
gravely from time TO time.
AYE, it was true gospel, " he con-
fided to a member of the congrega-
ton afterward, land weel deliver
ed, but I've heerd it before this On
the ither side many years gone by"
His conf1dant was lawyer and
set about investigating In New
York library he found a book of
Sermons by Scotch Divines, !"
which contained the substance of
the suspected sermon SO far as he
could recall it after having not paid
especial heed to It when it was de
Evered.,
The lawyer took a serious view of
the case, and waiting until the pres
bytery met he presented the facts
and argued that they warranted an
investigation. The presbytery
agreed and summoned Professor
Green.
Really, l don't reoollect," said
the professor to the investigating
"but If youth send to
the house for the sermon / may be
able to clear the matter up"
The document was brought and
read aloud while two committeeman
the Sermons of Scotch Di-
vines. The manuscript and the
printed page tailed exactly. Things
looked dark for the professor of
Latin
When the reading was done, how
ever, he said the whole story had
come back to him clearly. He had
left in great hurry to meet the
call and had not had time to select
a sermon. Indeed he was not aware
of the circumstances of his sum-
mons further than that he was
wanted Immediately. He had no
time to inquire or to look over his
manuscripts to select. He had "cut
and run
When 1 arrived at DR.. Blank S, "
he continued, land had time to find
out what the sermon was for and to
look over the manuscripts I had
taken with me, l found that only one
Of them was in the least appropriate
the one your honorable body has
just heard read. It is copy word
for word which I made when | was
a student here in the seminary. I
was earning my way through then
and at that particular time had to
preach two sermons a week. Two
we're sometimes more than I had
time to prepare, for had much
to do. If you will notice
at the end of this manuscript, there
are the date and the statement
whence the words we're taken and
their author.
i did not mention their source
when I read them last spring be-
cause the authors name would not
nave given added weight thereto.
Nor did I wish my hearers to infer
considered them hardly worthy an
original and special effort. Had I
oeen notified two days earlier /
should have written especially for
hem to the best of my ability; as it
vas, it was by an accident due to
necessary haste that ] took the
copied manuscript with me and an
accident again that among the half
lozen l took the copy was the only
me at all appropriate. :"
The investigating committee ex-
,nerated Professor Cosmus Green.
New York Press.