The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-27

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dress Lynn, Mass.
the dark shadows and strange phantoms
| OF the night may our God
! Lead kindly light amid the encircling
gloom,
! Lead Thou me on;
The night is dark and I am far from
| home,
Lead Thou me on"
/ Some OF the ministers privately crit
! cised Rev. Mr.. Davis for his remarks.
and one Of those who signed the charges
1 against the accused prea cher said that the
| statement Of the Mcpherson presiding
elder would work TO the advantage Of the
/ defendant in the approaching trial
Rev. +. \. Lynch, pastor Of the First
/ Methodist church OF Wichita has also
/ been criticised because of some state
! ments made in the course Of an address
! at session of the conference Tuesday
I night. He attacked those who hold So
called liberal views. Those who criticise
Rev Mr.. Lynch do not do so because they
/ object to his statements in themselves
/ but they think little should be said on
| the eve Of a heresy trial.
| Rev. Granville Lowther was not at con-
! ference when the roll was called this
morning, but he came in about II o'clock.
/ He took seat on the third row from the
front and after shaking hands with the
ministers near him, began to open his
mail As his mail was quite heavy, this
task occupied him the greater part o.
the time ne was in the conference. He
/ looked up from his work when Rev Mr.
| Davis made the statement concerning
ministers falling away from the faith
Rev. Mr.. Lowther is on the committee
or ministerial support, and no objection
was made to his continuing on it. He
attended the committee meeting this af-
ternoon.
The charges against Rev. Mr.. Lowther
were filed today with Bishop w r Nal
/ lelieu, after being signed by eight mem
bers of the conference. The charges were
not signed until noon. and it is said by
some Of the friends of Rev. LOwther that
the delay in signing the charges would
furnish him a techniCality to use in his
own defense on the ground that he has
not had ample time TO prepare his case.
Rev. Mr.. LOwther, however. stated to
reporter for the Eagle that he would not
make his defense on technicalities, but on
the merits of the case.
The charge against Mr.. Lowther Is
heresy, and the allegation is supported by
three specifications. which are substan-
italy the same as appeared in last Sun
days Eagle. The first specification refers
to the accused minister's views on the
temptation of Eve by the serpent, he hold
ing that the language is figurative The
second specification refers to his alleged
belief that Adam as created had no
moral perceptions. The third speciflca-
ton, which is considered the most i'm
portant OF all, and indeed that OF which
the other two are but a part. relates to
his views on the atonement, IS he is al
legged to deny the doctrine Of the vica-
rious sacrifice.
The charges were signed by the follow
ing preachers: A. 3. Hestwoo6. Great
Bend; II. W. Giddons. Geneseo: Z. S
MacCartney. Florence; Walter Robertson, /
Bison; George Sturgis, Frederick: J. ". /
Crouch. Little River; 7. +. Alternately,
Kinsley; /. NJ. Riley, Lyons
When Bishop Aiallelieu, at the morn |
ing session. Thursday. calls for the |
character of the ministers of the confer
ence an announcement VIII be made that /
charges OF heresy are preferred against /
Rev. Granville Lowther. of Mcpherson.
The matter VIII then nc referred to an /
Investigating committee. with the powers /
o. jury. This committee, which VIII be 4
composed Of nine. eleven or thirteen mem I
bers OF The conference. win be appointed /
10y the presiding elder with the consent i
o. the conference. The accused minister
Viii havs the right 10 challenge any mem
her OF tie committee on the same plan
that prisoner in the civil court is al
lowed "a challenge jurors. The case viii
then ne tried hafore the committee sit
ting as E Jury. ana the method Of nro-
cecduro viii he similar 10 that of a civil
court with the exception that TECHNICAL
ties viii noe have 50 much weight.
The trial win not b. before the open
conference. and il Is not vet known lust
who viii he admitted
The presiding bishop VIII appoint a
member of the conference to prosecute
the case and those who have managed
tbe case thus far say that Rev. D. d.
Aiken. OF Marion. viii be prosecutor.
Rev Mr Lowther has secured Rev. Nfr.