The St. Louis Republic., 1904-12-27
Church Leaders Realize UnSavOry
Stories Are to Be
Told.
DR.. MORGAN DIX WITHDRAWS.
Pleads Advanced Years as EX-
cuse, but in Reality, 1t Is said,
Does Not Wish TO Mix in
Nasty Trial.
EI-pLtl.IE srE,IAI.

. EEptt:I.IC Srt,IAI.
! New York Dec. -s.-AIrO,s influential
men Of the Protestant Episcopal Church
/ hope OF averting the scandal m.naced By
the sensational charges brought against
Bishop Talbot OF the diocese OF Central
PenIisy lvanis. Is virtually dead.
The latest development in this amazing
asa Is the withdrawal % the Reverend
Doctor Morgan Dix from the Committee
OF Inquiry. appointed by Bishop Tuttle,
the presiding head Of the ct.irch.
Tie yencr4 IL, rector Of Trinity pleads
advanced years as q reason for lis un-
v,!llns..ss' TO serve. BIZ; !G.n IN position
TO know the truth assert that Doctor
Dix's real reason i 4 firm conviction that
the investigation OF the Talbot charges
VIII broaden into q scandal 50 unsaVor5-
and of such dimensions tAat he is deter
mined 10 keep Ont OF it.
The Presiding Bishop had selected Doc
tor Dix for The important pos: of ch,ir-
man OF AZ. Committee of Inquiry. and the
Reverend Doctor ". Z. Bodine OF P!iia-
delph!a will now serve in that capacity.
AL this was quietly arranged this morn
ing ami a midday train carried the care
fully guarded prJscntInenr from this city
to Phia ielphia. Il was Doctor Dix who
dispatched the document. and il WAS Doc
tor Eod.re. the new chairman. who rr-
ctiVc, il.
Nan,. Of thu chuicimen WHO knew the
coGt-nts of ;he presentnent could be in
dilc"d to-day ia divulge its contents.
thi"i among theS. secrets is the It o
JOHN letter in which Bishop Talbot dragS
,h.s n:tln-s O: SOME OF the foremost o.
American .hUTC hnien into tilc affair. This
i piu!ln letter Is the foundation stone
Of the VTsSentfrcnt against Bishop Talbot.
fi. he, Toy T,F he 1t
ter in full 1t was addressed 10 fh. Rnv-
crend Doctor lipiol;n. president of 'he
Philadelphia branch OF th~ Catholic Club.
and reads:
THE LETTER
'Dioce>" of Central Peunsy lvaIlla.
Bishops House. South Bethlehem. Pa.
Dated, Washington. u. G.. St PauTs Day
l@'e.-M,- Dear Doctor Upjohn: In pass
/ ing through Phiia ielphia ! happened to
meet the Reverend Nr. Schultz and he
mentioned the fact that som.. discussion
o. the irvine case had come up in the
Catholic Club.
Il feel that you will pardon ne II ven
ture - presume upon my high esteem for
Nbu and confidence in sou to write you
about il.
Il do il first because ] cannot afford TO
&C into the yellow journals with Irvine anG
defend myself.
But he is such a plausible romancer
that / am not greatly surprised TO learn
test from me, some Of the brethren may
think l am to blame
May ]. therefore. say TO you that this
man was tleposed nearly two years ago for
gross immortality. and for iewd and las
cirious conduct with women.
THAT not me of the questions which he
tries to make capital of w7as ever men
tened or referred 10 in his trial but that
both the Committee of Inquiry and the
court found srCiI a horrible condition at
Huntingdon that they confined themselves
entirely to the evidence there abundantly
given.
THAT Irvine las been thirty years in
tho ministry and twenty of those years
has been under the ban Of ecclesiastical
discipline.
That he has been suspended once. ad-
monlshed once IN Your diocese and in
hihited and made to leave repeatedly
That eight Bishops have grave charges
Quincy wrote to me on his deathbed that
Irvine had outraged two girls in this city
That there is no foundation whatever
in his ALLEGATION that the Bishops. who
know him well. had any dream of casting
any reflection our diocese or myself or
mad any reference whatever to him in
their earnest advocacy of what We all
want and will. hope, soon have-a court
q. appeals
His case was one out Of fifteen or
twenty. and all alike emphasize the need
Of such 4 court.
That all his talk about a divorced
woman being communicated and then
restored by me is baseless
The woman having brought from Phil
adeiphia (St. Clement'sl letter commend
atory 10 Hembudeion as the priest
there $50 Irvine told mel said she was
| divorced under the provisions Of our
canon.
''One would suppose n man with such A
record would hide his face with shame
of course. il is not altogether pleasant
for me silently To endure such vilifica-
tion as he heaps upon NE. but / confess It
has not greatly disturbed me. nor have
lost any sleep.
Il have acted kindly and az righteously
as was possible. II the world knew WHY
he was deposed and what he really is he
would get no sympathy. 1t may be In your
power TO reassure them Cmealing the
doubling brethren.
Bishops Whitaker Whitehead. Sey-
mour Scarborough. Potter Doane. Adams
Tavlor, the Reverend Doctor LsffinIw ell
and n host OF others will bear out all l
have said as To his character.
With every assurance Of personal es-
teerl. | am. very dear doctor faithfully
yours. ETHELBERT TALBOT