The Topeka state journal., 1899-03-13
A WIDE SPLIT
In the First Methodist Church
ON Account
Of the Trouble Between Drs.
Embree and Thorpe.
CHURCH TAKES SIDES.
Sure to Result In q Great
Detection
And Perhaps the Foundation of
a New Church.

The letter of Mr.. c. A Fellows with
drawing from the First Methodist
church and denouncing DR.. Thorpe has
caused the division in the church to
manifest itself still more strongly and
the two factions are at work, one siding
with the former pastor, DR.. A S. EN-
bree, and the other siding with the
present pastor. DR.. E. L. Thorpe, to ex-
ert every effort to bring the pastor of
the opposition to trial.
The friends of DR.. Enbree claim that
DR.. Thorpe worked up the evidence
against DR.. Embree and melted persons
against him and that he has been a
bitter enemy of DR.. Embree ever since
assuming charge of the church here.
The friends of DR.. Thorpe claim that
he has had nothing to do whatever with
the charges that are being brought
against DR.. Embree and that Elder ].
r. Madison brought the charges against
DR.. Embree because his conduct was
such as to demand it.
Rev. ]. R. Madison, presiding elder
OF the Topeka district of the northeast
Kansas district of the Methodist con-
ference, said today: Before any steps
were taken in the case against Rev. DR..
Embree he requested me in a written
communication that runlors and charges
circulated against him be probed to the
bottom at the ensuing annual confer
ence which meets at Eiawatha Wednes-
day. DR.. Embree gave numerous rea-
sons why he made the demands and his
communication together with the
charges will be presented to the con-
ference
mo charges against DR.. Thorpe have
been placed in my hands or before the
conference and the church does not con-
Slder that charges have been brought
unless they are formally filed. Charges
can be filed with presiding elder
or at the conference when it convenes.'' -
The leaders of the division siding with
DR.. Embree prepared charges against
DIR. Thorpe, claiming that he had work.
ed for the downfall of a brother minis
ter and that he'had worked up the evil
dence against him by foul means and
had melted a woman to bring charges
against DR.. Embree and had aided and
abetted her in betraying DR.. Embree in
to compromising situations.
DR.. En- bree heard of the charges to
be brought against DR.. Thorpe and re-
queSted tnat they be withheld for a
time at least until his case was dis
posed of by the conference and that
after that if they were still determined,
that they might bring the charges. but
that if they were brought now that it
would appear that he was fighting Dr.
Thorpe. The charges will probably not
be brought.
DR.. Embree will not be represented by
his lawyer, r. B. Welch, at the confer
ence as his counsel must be a minister
who is a member of the conference. His
counsel will be Rev. J. K. Miller of Sa-
lima.
Che official board of the North Topeka
church unanimously voted to request
the conference to return DR.. Embree to
their church for another year but yes
terday, at the close of the service, he
announced that he would not continue
as pastor of the church for another
year.
At the meeting of the official board of
the First Methodist church the vote
stood II to for the return of DR..
Thorpe and upon motion it was made
unanimous and the conference will be
asked to return him.
Today the members of the North To-
peka church have been pressing Dr.
Embree to change his decision and to
return to the church for another year,
offering him a raise in salary if he
would return. Several have signified
their intention of joining if he would
return.
Dispositions, to be used at the confer
ence, are being taken in the office of ].
b. Bartholomew, where DR.. Embree sits
and listens as they are taken.