The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-03-16
ON HIS TRACK.
Those Methodists Bent on De-
posing Preacher Embree
Have About Decided That the
Story of Mrs. Brooks
is TOO FLIMSY TO USE
And VIII Try to "Stick" Him.
as One "BrOther"
Puts 1t, ON the Charge of
Drunkenness.
THE sBROMIDIA' STORY
Apparently Does Not Upset the
Belief OF Those
Who Are Determined to Bring
Him Down.
And viii Try to "Stick" Him
as One "BrOther"
Puts 1t, on the Charge OF
Drunkenness.
THE sBROMIDIA' STORY
Apparently Does Not Upset the
Belief OF Those
Who Are Determined to Bring
Him Down.

Hiawatha, Kan, March 16.-'The
charges against DR.. Embree will be
thoroughly investigated said Bishop j.
p. Fitzgerald, who is presiding at the
Methodist conference. Il know moth
ing about the matter. and I do not
know what the charges are; but he will
have an impartial trial, and the verdict,
whether guilty or not guilty, will be
made thoroughly public. The commit
tee has been instructed to be extremely
careful in conducting the trial so that
new trial can not be demanded upon
technicaIity.'
The committee chosen to conduct the
trial is composed of the following mem
bers of the conference: Rev. J.
o. Foresman, Chairman; Rev. Ed
win Locke, secretary; Revs. G.
G. Guines, Atchison; w H. Turner. Ar
gentine; E. H. Parkinson, Herington;
j. A. Simpson, Rosedale; w. P Elliott,
Lyndon; A. P. Hamilton, Frankfort; D.
| A. Schutt, Overlook; F. S. Altman,
| Irving; Jackson Brown, Leonardville;
| B. F. Webb, Hope; w. r. Stevenson.
| Robinson; Charles Atherton, White
| City, and M. E. GODDARD.
The thirteen members of the commit
| tee will act as a jury and the chairman
| as a judge. who will pass upon ques-
| lions arising. The committee is in ses-
| sion In the Christian church and meets
| in the afternoons and evenings. The
| regular conference sessions are held
| only in the morning.
| jority vote of the thirteen members act
| ing as a jury. The case can be ap-
| pealed to the judicial conference, COM
| posed of twenty-one members from
| seven conferences outside of the confer
| ence in which the accused lives, three
| members being chosen from each of the
seven conferences. If the case is ap-
| pealed the decision Of the judicial con-
| ference will be final.
| The testimony given before the COM
! mittee is being taken by stenograph-
| er, and should the case be appealed the
| transcript of the evidence taken before
| the committee will be submitted and no
| new testimony allowed. Each witness
| giving testimony before the committee
| has to sign a copy of the evidence
| given.
| The charges against DR.. Embree will
! not be brought before the conference,
| and besides having the committee, the
| counsel for the prosecution and for the
| defense, approved by the conference in
| regular session, the matter is not heard
| of in the conference, but is all in the
hands of the committee. While the trial
| does not come up in the conference, yet
| the greatest interest attending the
| meeting is in the trial, and the Brown
| County World, a weekly paper, is run
| ming a daily edition devoted for the
| most part to news of the trial.
| The petitions in DR.. Embree'S behalf
| that will be placed before the confer
| ence will have no weight whatever and
! will not be entertained by the commit
| tee. The trial is being held behind
| closed doors, and not even members of
| the conference who are not either on
| the committee or witnesses will be al
| lowed admission. DR.. E. L. Thorpe ar
| rived here from Topeka last night and
! will give evidence.
| Bishop Fitzgerald will make the ap-
| pointments of pastors for the coming
| year, but further than to announce that
| the list of appointments will be given
| out Monday he has nothing to say re-
garding the appointments for Topeka.
| There is a we'll founded rumor that on
| account of the difficulty between DR..
| Thorpe and DR.. Embree and for the
| reason that there is dissatisfaction in
| the First church, a new man will be
| appointed to that church.
| DR.. S. A. Bright, of Leavenworth,
| who is one Of the councillors for the
| church said: 'I am sure that we all
! regret that this trial must take place
| and no one is anxious to take part.
| Aside from disliking the position, 1t
| deprives US of chance to attend all
| the meetings. 1t will take until Satur-
| day night at any rate to complete the
| trial and perhaps longer"
| The charge of Immoral conduct
against DR.. Embree is to be sustained
| by a Mrs. Stella Brooks, a Divorce
with three children She is
| member of the First church and was a
| member while DR. Embree was pastor.
! She is in attendance at the conference
and will give her testimony before the
| committee.
| DR.. Embree was Investigated on this
1 p
| the Kansas Avenue church where he is
| pastor. Mrs. Brooks appeared before
| the committee and gave her testimony
| DR. Embree was exonerated.
| The story of Mrs. Brooks is that on
| Sunday, March g. 1898, DR.. Embree was
| conducting communion services at the
! First church and that she took part
| At the close of the services DR.. Embree
| reached over the chancel rail- touched
| her on the arm and told her to see him
| at his home the following Tuesday af-
! ternoon at o'clock.
| On the Friday preceding that Sunday
| the Embree-Crith trial took place and
| on the Tuesday following that Sunday
! DR.. Embree left at 4 o'clock for Bridge
| port Conn. Mrs. Brooks says she went
to his house on Tuesday at o'clock in
! stead of 4 and charges Dr. Embree with
immoral relations at that time. The
| statement for the defense is that DR..
| Embree made no arrangement to meet
/ Mrs Brooks but that he advertised a
piece of furniture for sale and that Mrs.
4 Brooks went to his house that after
noon to inspect the article of furniture
| as a prospective purchaser
Mrs. Brooks at that time was living
on Quincy street between Seventh and
Eighth and claims that DR.. Embree re-
peatedIy visited her there. She further
| claims that DR. Embree sent her to st.
Joe, her former home, to get her out
| of the way and visited her there.
r. B. Welch. who is DR.. Embree's at
torney and who defended him In the
Crith trial says that she was trying