The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-07-25
Chicago Prssbytsry Oiscip|lnss
tho Rev. MT. Fleming.
MRS. DvoRAK WAS CONCERNED
Parsua Denied He Kissed, pInchsd or Patisd
Her Csmmitiss Condemned HImfur Not
Telling the Whole Truth

Chicago July 25.--After a three hours
\ debate, a committee OF the Chicago Pres
| bytery last night found the Rev. r.. 4.
Fleming guilty OF lying" IL was fur
| ther decided that rebuke was necessary.
| The lying was based on the minis
ter's denial that he had been guilty of
! misconduct in Winthrop. ~ y, after he
had Acknowledged it and IL was matter
OF church record.
The rebuke Is administered for his fool
inshness" With the sprightly Mrs. Mary
DNorsk. lie may be rcinststsd as pastor
OF Calvary church II the majority OF the
members demand ii. otherwise he will be
shifted to some other field
The Rev. Mr. Fleming took the witness
stand and told the committee his impress
sion of what occurred in his home while his
wife was in the hospital and while Mrs.
Dvorak and her mother-in-law were con-
ductng his domestic affairs.
HE QUOTED SCRIPTURE.
Mrs. stoner J. Dvorak, the mother-in-
law, had said at previous hearing:
once he took my daughter-in-laws left
hand and placed IL on his cheek. When
she objected he quoted Scripture saying
Let not thy right hand know what thy
left hand doeth'
Another time when he kissed her she
pushed him away and he said: Don [
you know the Bible says. 1t is not good
for man to be alone?"
Then he said. Blessed is the woman
who thinketh no evil "
Mr.. Fleming, tall and slight, with weak
eyes and not a prepossessing personality,
said to the committees:
These two women sent their cards to
me and applied for membership in the
church. Without any investigation ad-
mitted them to membership. The Sec
ond Sunday the younger woman stopped
me in church and said: "Mr. Fleming
your sermons are soulful and uplifting.
They do me a world OF good. They seem
10 reach my innermost nature When
my wife became so I'll she had TO go TO
a hospital they volunteered to come 10
my house and look after my domestic
affairs.
MUST NOT COME ALONE.
''The younger woman was first to vol
unteer and said she would come alone.
] told her that would not do she must
have the companionship OF some other
woman. Then she said she would bring
her mother-in-law. and acquiesced.
II want say" Mr.. Fleming went on.
that although ! told Mrs. Dvorak we
should be sympathetic TO each other,
never once In those seven weeks did l
act toward her unlike a gentleman /
deny that ever kissed her | deny that
] put my hands on her shoulders. | deny
that pinched her arm. / deny that |
touched her ankle. deny that ever ask
ed her TO make a bed for me on the floor
] deny that l patted her.
She came into my room once with no
stockings on, and when 1 made an OBJ
servation on the innovation she said she
looked better without stockings"
On cross-examination Mr.. Fleming ad-
mitted he had engaged a detective TO
search into the past live OF the Dvoraks
lie was asked about the accusation of
misconduct while he was pastor of a
church al Winthrop. n. Y
III was great sin, brethren" he said
solemnly. n sin against God, the church
and myself. but refuse to say what one
sin II was"
The following letter. alleged to have
been written from California by Mr.
Fleming 10 the Rev. Ethan Curtis. sec
retary Of the New York Home Missionary
society was put In evidence:
THE VICTIM OF SATAN"
1T occurred fourteen TO eighteen
months before the exposure. And for
opne / was the victim OF Satan and felt
his power as i know / never shall again.
Before fell passed through six months
OF continuous temptation, the most trying
of all my life. and in no INSTANCE was l
responsible for IL.
Immediately after I erred / felt the
hAn ~ -
could place before your eyes my Bible
orcn at the thirty-eghth Psalm, soiled
ana blurred with tears OF sorrow and
pcaitence from that hour till today
AS soon as 1 heard the rumor was
public ] called on brother preacher
tafter spending the whole night In pray
er ano anguish' and told him OF the ru-
NOR, but did not have courage to tell
nim II was based on a sin committed more
than year previous. felt so wrethed
and troubled God save me from such
feeling agar I hardly knew my own
mind. for had In my pocket the means
Tor rash act. aud only by Gods grace
IN 0hswer TO the brothers prayer and
through bis wise counsel. and in answer.
perhaps. 10 my agony that continued be-
fore him ! was srved.
fore him was | saved
mined purpose under burning conscience
60 satisfs the church and be rcconciled
TO them, even though should be
uttorlv destroyed IN so doing. ] made
an acknowledgment to the church. that
same night"
THE THIRTY-EIGHTH PSALM
The thirty-cighth Psalm. which Mr.
Fleming thought fitted his case. reads
20 Loord rebuke me not I'm thy wrath
neither chasten me In thy hot displeas-
ures.
"For thine arrows stick fast I'm me and
thy hand presseth me sore.
There IS no soundness In my flesh
neither IL there any rest I'm my bones be-
cause OF my sin. ess
Make haste TO help me. ~ Lord"
MlTInC Tn Tlr nnnAGAoe