New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-17
BISHOP REJECTS RECTOR
WE'D DIVORCED WOM4N.
Strong WOrds from DR.. Scarborough
Case May 90 to Courts.

Philadelphia. oct 16-An affair that may be-
come celebrated case i'm The Protestant Epis-
"oIal church i'm America became public to-day
when announcement was made that Bishop
Scarborough, Of the Diocese of New-Jersey had
refused to approve the call to a church within
his jurisdiction OF a clergyman who was mar
ried 10 woman to whom a divorce had been
granted from her first husband also an Epis-
copal clergyman
The case is that Of the Rev. George T. Ket-
tell formerly assistant rector of Christ Church,
Baltimore. His wife originally Miss Bessie
Broughton. Of Pocomoke City Nd. She was
married TO the Rev. Clarence Frankel i'm Febru-
airy, l9oo, and six months later they moved to
Nebraska, " her her husband was a missionary
Later she secured a divorce i'm South Dakota on
the grounds of non-support. Jnfaithfulness and
cruelty She then came back to Pocomoke City,
became acquainted with Mr. KetteII. and the
couple were married on July - last by the Rev
Charles 4. Honsel, vicar of Grace Church
Chapel Baltimore. Soon after this Mr. Ketteil
resigned from Christ Church.
Christ Church, Palmyra y. J.. about ten
miles from Philadelphia, offered the rectorship
Of that church to the young rector on the rec
ommendation of Bishop Scarborough before
the former married. He accepted after in
forming the vestry of the church that he had
married divorced woman but when he went
to Trenton to get the approval OF the Bishop.
which is necessary when clergyman of the
Church goes from one diocese 20 another. it
refused The disappointed rector informed the
Nestrymen at Palmyra, vacated the pulpit and
accepted a position instructor in the Episco-
pal Academy in this city, pending the settle
a. ut of the controversy
The parishioners of Christ Church took up the
case, and appealed to the Bishop to reconsider
his decision. but this he would not do. Meet
ings were held at the church, and the ra1ishion-
ers finally became divided a majority of them
II Is said. deciding to take the view of Bishop
Scarborough. Some of the more ardent support
ers of Mr. Kettell want to take the case to the
civil courts, and it is said this will probably be
done. When Mr.. KetteH was seen to-day he
said:
Bishop Paret, of Baltimore assured me that
my marriage was perfectly legal though he did
advise me against it, because Of the gossip that
would arise. But since it was right for me 10
DO IL. why should that possibility deter me from
marrying the woman I loved?"
Bishop Scarborough had this to say at Tren-
ton tonight:
I do not care TO go into any newspaper dis
cussion Of this case 1 have made my decision
in the matter my duty as bishop prompts
me, and shall make no further move. do not
know what the other side proposes TO do.
There is no other source of appeal open to them
unless they choose to go to the civil courts and
! hardly think they Will do that. l regret the
situation as il is. ! know the young rector per-
sonally, and recommended him to the Palmyra
church. but that was before ne married the
divorced woman
Asked concerning Bishop Parets reported ad-
mission that II was not against the law of The
Church TO marry the innocent party Of a divorce
suit, the Bishop said:
I fail to see how there can be any innocent
party 10 a divorce The divorce question is the
most grievOus that the Church has to deal with.
II is too bad when ii reaches even into the
ranks Of the clergy. The law against divorce is
the law of God. There can be getting away
from that. | would not take man who had
married a divorced into the diocese
under any consideration. ! emphatiCally
for such action"