The San Francisco call., 1899-05-09
DEACON CURTIS
PROVED TO Be
HIS MEME Sis
Rev. DR.. Lowell Saws
He Is Prosecuted.
WANTS HIS ENEMY ARRESTED
A SHARP CRITICISM ON REV.
w. S. MATTHEW.
An Interesting and Spicy Account of
How Young Preacher An
tagonized One of His
Congregation.
HIS ENEMY ARRESTED
A SHARP CRITICISM ON REV.
w. S. MATTHEW.

Reposing in a pigeonhole i'm the Office
Of the Chief Of Police is a warrant for
the arrest of II. f. Curtis Of North Ken
nebunk, Maine, sworn 70 10y the Rev
Walter Myron Lowell, q local elder Of the
Methodist Episcopal church. who charges
Curtis with criminal libel
Behind the Police Court proceedings IS
an interesting allegation Of how one man
out of revenge has prosecuted anpihet'
how the desire Of q deacon ~ the church
TO infict further humiliation on ms VIC
tim has led him 20 follow q MINISTER Oh
the gospel from Maine to oaHtoIHla' so
that he could wreak bis spite on the man
he detests.
The above condition If things was made
public Yesterday afternoon. when the
Rev. Waiter NIyrou Lowell appeared be-
fore n half score II the leading Methodist
EpiCopaI preachers of this city, and there
poured out his tale of persecution and
suffering The meeting was held IN the
lecture room 1f the Central NJ +. Church,
and was presided over by DIR. Case. the
presiding elder ot san Francisco.
In a straightforward manner Mr. Lowell
gave ID detailed account OF his life and
the incidents that led up 10 his coming in
contact with Deacon Curtis of the Bap-
ts- church and the reasons why the
latter has done his utmost to injure him.
The young minister backed up his state
uerts with documents and newspaper
clippings. and i'm the end virtually sue
lee6ed in convincing his listeners of his
entire innocence. He referred a number
Of times 10 the part Rev. DR.. William S.
Matthews OF the Christian Advocate
played IN the affair and as d result the
latter was sent for and told what he had
learned and what he had done in the
matter As the meeting was not in the
nature of a trial, no decision was reached,
but the confidence the ministers had in
Mr.. LOWellS story was shown when the
investigation came TO an end. The meet
ing was secret one, and none Of those
who were present cared To discuss the
matter
At the outset he accused his enemy as
being a fraudulent, untruthful man, and
backed his assertion up by quoting a de-
Cision of the Supreme Court Of Maine in
the case or Freeman VS. curtis, 81 Maine.
"A few years ago he said. Curtis was
a member Of my church and owned
tweuty-seVen peWs. He was so mean and
small that he would not permit any one
TO occupy the pews without their first
paying him for their use and then he
would pocket the money / then sue
ceeded in raising a large sum and had the
him my bitterest enemy. He swore to fol-
low me 10 the ends of the earth and in
lure me. He came here and went to DR..
Matthew'S and told him things that were
true and more that were false. On learn
ing of his malicious conduct | sWoTe to
q warrant for his arrest, but he got wind
Cf il and fled. If It is ever served on him
and ne is brought to this city, my attor-
news. Messrs. Custer & Bates, are in
structed TO file a suit against him for
libel for $50 900 damages.
While acting as pastor he ran afoul
Of Deacon curtis and the latter had him
brought before the moderator of the dis
trict on two charges" "falsehoOd" and
Misrepresentation. The falsehOod con
sisted of his pretending to be clear of in
debtedness when he came to the town and
the misrepresentation consisted Of his
making an appointment to go out riding
with the deacon and mis- keeping the lat
ter waiting in the broiling sun for half
hour after the appointment. These
charges We're dismissed and Mr.. Lowell
firing OF his treatment. left the Baptist
church and entered the Methodist Eplsco-
pal denomination.