The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-04-11
"Ex-PRIEsT, DELANEY.


-o~D<S
PRIEST" DELANEY.
His Own Confession Proves His Evil
Character.
The last remnant of the foul breed
of so-called 'ex- priests" who have in
times past made commerce of their
apostasy by appealing to dense ignor-
ance and bigotry has just turned up
in Brooksville. an interior Kentucky
town, says the Catholic Columbian. He
evangelist, Baptist preacher, etc. Since
he was dismissed from the pastorate
of the Baptist church at Martinsville,
Ind, and denounced as a thief, liar
and swindler, he found it advisable
for obvious reasons to change the in
ltlals of his name from w. j. to w. l..
He still parades himself as an "ex-
priest" although he was never even
so much as a seminarian. He did at
one time aspire to be Christian
Brother, and studied for a time at st.
Charles college, Ellicott City, Nd,
afterward being admitted to Epiphany
Apostolic college at Baltimore, from
which he was expelled by the Very
Rev. Father Slatterly. He figured in a
number of doubtful transactions and
finally disappeared. In a year or so
he was heard of as "ex-priest'' De-
laney, preaching rabidly against the
Church.
At one time he attempted to enter
the Lutheran ministry and had gained
the confidence of minister and his
family, but they dropped him on ac-
count of immoral letters he sent to
the minister's son. He then drifted
west and became an "OId Catholic
and finally turned up as Baptist min
lister.
Delaney is willy enough to choose the
smaller towns, where ignorance of the
Catholic Church intensifies the bigotry
against it, to work his propaganda,
and in some instances he has succeed
ed in hoodwnking the people for a
time. A few months ago ne was pas
tor of the Baptist church at Martins
vile, Ind, when he was denounced and
exposed for what he was by the CO.
lumbar. The exposure caused a watch
to be put upon the newly-found shep-
herd, with the result that upon Aug.
20, 1902, the congregation held a meet
ing, at which these charges were for
mulated and duly presented to the
Baptist district council:
"First-We charge that Rev. W. J.
Delaney did at various times and of
different persons collect money for the
new church building; that he did not
report the collection of the same to the
trustees, and that he did appropriate
the money collected to his own use.
'Second-We further charge that the
said Rev. w. ]. Delaney did in May of
this year collect money for books,
which he sold at various places and to
different persons, on the promise that
books would be delivered in about ten
days; and from evidence we have we
find that the books have not yet been
delivered.
'Third-We further charge that the
said Rev. w. ]. Delaney was at riff
ferent times and to different persons
guilty of falsifying."
The charges were sustained by prac-
tically the unanimous vote of the sew
enteen members of the council. These
members were as follows: The Revs.
G. E. Clough, H. c. Brannock and Will
liam Giles, of Bloomington; the Rev.
e. H. Brookshire of EIlettsville, the
Rev. George Goss and Joe A Goss of
Samaria church in Ashland township,
L. 7. Duncan and Jerry Mugg of
Quincy, the Rev. j. NJ. Holmes of New
Salem church in Baker township, the
Revs. B. F. Mugg and D. Hannah of
Providence, the Rev. P. H. Faux, r.
n. Gray and G.. A. Mcbride of Free
dom, Madison Avery, r. G. Storm and
James B. Farr of Martinsville.
When notice of the charges was
served on the defendant requesting his
appearance before the council. the ac-
cused responded by letter in which he
admits that he is a swindler, liar and
a thief. He wrote as follows:
Indianapolis, Ind. Sept. 5, 1902
ITO the Members of the Council Con-
vened in the Baptist Church, Mar
tinsville, Ind:
My Dear Brethren-In answer to the
charges brought against me by the
church at Martinsville, 1 will make
confession specifically to each charge,
and, as 1 have already asked pardon
and mercy from my Lord and Savior,
I do now humbly beg pardon of the
church and all whom I have offended,
and the leniency of your august body
Charge IL acknowledge in this
first charge the general statement that
[ collected money and failed to turn
it over to the trustees at once. I re-
greet and am sorry for this sin. But
since collection of this money the trus-
tees have my back salary to make
good the shortage and are still in debt
to me. Be this as it may, however, L
mummy ask PARDON OF all WnOm l nave
offended.
Charge 2.--That 1 sold books and
collected money for said books, but
with good intention. The books will be
delivered just as soon as I can get
them from the publishing house.
Charge 3.-That 1 was guilty of
classifying, and this is true. 1t is a
predominant fault and have asked !
Gods pardon and will now ask the !
church's pardon, the councils mercy |!
and the prayers of the faithful for |
spiritual strength to correct myself.
Il now surrender my credentials to |
your body. I feel unworthy to hold |
them and will hereafter keep silent un-
til proven worthy to possess them.
II now close. begging once more par |
don for my faults and sins and hope |
the council will show mercy to one who |
has sinned but repented.
"WILLIAM JOSEPH DELANEY"
The church authorities had numerous
letters in their hands with which to |
sustain the charges preferred and the |
council heard some oral testimony in |
addition.
That the people througout the coun- |
try are learning to distrust these self |
styled "ex-priests.' "ex-nuns," etc.