The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-12
HER FAME NOW CLEARED.
MINISTER'S TARDr CONFESSION or
DEAD GINS MLRRI4GE.

She Was His Nephrw's wife and for Many
Months He Permitted Her to Suffer the
Suspicion of Her Neishbnrs-His RrsiE-
nation from His Passionate Explained.
EAST ORANGE. y. j.. Nov. IL AT the morn
Inc service In the Elmwo,d Presbyterian
Church Tomorrow the resignation of TIA" pas
ter. tho Rev. Samuel J. McClenaghan will be
read to the congregation. While II 10 an
nounced that the pastors res gnaton, which
was accepted by the session OF the church
Monday nlght was occasioned by Ill health. n
deacon OF the church asserted tonight that II
was brought about by the suggestion Of the
officers and because OF the general criticism Of
the pastors not on In allowing a young girl. a
member OF the church. to bear a stigma on her
character In the eyes OF the community while
he held it In his power to prove hcr bam eless.
The young woman was Lillian ELAN. q
daughter OF Policeman Duncan ELAN of East
Orange. Two years ago the girl left homo
for a month, and upon her return brought
with her girl baby. who was said by
tho family to he tho child Of a dead
friend. which the family had adopted.
The story got little cr-dence. and gradually
the girl was ostracired by the other young
people Of the neighborhood. So koenly did shs
feel her position that It Is said she left Brick
Church few months ago and went to Boston.
There she studied TO become n trained nurse
In tho Children's Hospital. She became n
victim OF typhoid and died on Oct. 2s
Tho funeral was held in the Elm
ftnm childhood. and Mr.. McClennghan
ofIlriated. At the c osc OF the service he an
n0uncel that the dead girl had been hlan Gloss
a. for ovsr two years shr hat been the wifi oh
young man then in tho congregation among
the mourners.
The husbands name wa. not announce :. but
after the fun.ral i became known that he was
George W Whitakcr.n nephew OF the pnstor
When asked why he had allowed tic girls
reputation to lie maltgned while he could
have hay, swept away nll su,picion hy word. it Is
situation was not such that he could support
an an. esSta "a. and that he bad acted Tor
best ercsts uf both families The pastors
eNn nnatlon wns not con. dersd sufficient Ivy
many % The me church msmeers ard The feeling
at he suggestions OF friend. he sent his resig-
p TT to the c SESSION on Mon ny night last.
deucons 81 the church said Tonight:
We did not want the true state Of Affairs to
cake agreed to allow tho statement to be made
that i'll hcnith was the cause Of his resignation.
Asnmat,sr Of fact, 4 he hal nct resigned HIS
members Of the session wer" practically unan-
imous in con iemn,nR his action n allowing
young girl to suffer because OF his family
Mrs. ELAN. the mother OF the d.a girl, said
tnht her utuRnter mai neon married to Nh L
nker by NJ McClsuaghan. the mans uncle.
md that ltNwas at the request Of the nHsfor and
gu ot regard for his family that hey had nl-
lowed tie MARI age To remain n secret
After her dAush'cr'~ death. Mrs. Fllam sail
the minister had r"iuctan'iy. agreed to make
tn" an ouncement at the funeral Tut had
refused even then to mention Whitqkrr's
name In his announcement She sal that her
daughter and herself and hushan had 'et the
GIRLS pnsition ks.nly, tu' rat they la be-
i"v"d N r. McClenaghan's advice to he actuatsd
by good rnofiv.s
The III ID whose rsrentage has been the
cause OF So much re ghhcrhood gossip ~ now
two years Old and lives In the vicinity with her
Rrandna"ents, whose name she bears. although
Mrs ELAN said that when the Girl was two
months old she was privately BAPTIZED bv Mr.
McClrnaghan ns M.rvsry LouisA WHITAKER.
Whitaker refused tonight 20 talk OF tho
story an said that his conduct had been his
own business,
The Rev. Mr.. McClrnaghan has hsen m s,or
OF the Elmwood Church for ten years. He Is
married.