The San Francisco call., 1904-07-07
MISSING PASTOR
IS HEARD FROM
Rev. Charles Wayland Hoag
Sends His Resignation
to the Church Deacons
THEY MAKE STATEMENT
Minister VIII Not Return
to Oakland and Has De-
serted Family and Work
oakland onice San FRANCISCO CAN

Oakland Office San Francisco Call,
/ 1O1s Broadway, July 6.
/ The Rev. Charles Wayland Koag, the
missing pastor Of the Plymouth Avenue
Congregational Church, has resigned
his pulpit, and the members OF the con-
gregation voted tonight to accept the
resignation, the same TO take effect at
once. The resignation was read to the
congregation by George L. Voice. SEN
/ ior deacon of the church, by whom it
/ was received yesterday through the
mail, and it read as follows:
I hereby present my resignation as
/ pastor of the church to take effect on
July IS or at any time that you may
determine upon. Charles W. Hoag."
The pastors resignation was re-
ceived yesterday by Mr.. Voice and was
enclosed in the following letter, which
was mailed in this city, and is dated
June "A. four days after the disappear
ance Of the missing clergyman:
san Francisco. June 24.-My dear
brother Gf l may still call you so): 1
write TO you because 1 think you un-
derstand, at least in part
dall SoiIS away ana IN all PROP
ability I shall never return. I know
this is weak move, but it is the best
I can do.
If you can, pray for me. I shall al
ways try TO be a good man. I may
not live long, but while 1 do I shall
try to live right.
If you still feel kindly toward me,
show il by being as kind as you can to
Mrs Hoag and Allie. Charles w.
Hoag"
In his letter to Mr.. Voice Hoag
makes no reference to Mrs w. N
Benedict, whose husband accused the
missing minister of eloping with his
wife. but it is significant that both the
letter and resignation were written be-
fore any public accusation had been
made. AIr. Voice thinks that the delay
in receiving the letter was due to its
having been left with some one to be
mailed after Mr. Hoag had left San
Francisco. and this belief is strength
ened by the fact that the letter was
mailed in Oakland.
After the pastors resignation had
been accepted this evening a commit
tee Of three members of the congre-
gatiort was appointed TO draw up
statement for the public. After some
discussion the committee issued the
following statement:
'Inasmuch as the affairs of our
church and our minister have been
discussed in the press in the last few
days it seems proper to US to make
the following statement OF facts:
Mr.. HOag left Oakland for his va
cation on June 20 and on June "a
wrote a letter to George L. Voice ten
dering his resignation as pastor of our
church. For some reason. unknown to
US, this letter did not reach Mr. Voice
until July >
Mrs. Hoag has also received a let
ter from Hoag. written on June "a, in
which he states that for reasons best
known to himself he will not return
to Oakland.
Mr.. Hoag for the past few weeks
has been in very poor health, which
may to a certain extent account for his
actions.
Unfortunately Mrs. w. n. Bene-
dict also left Oakland on June 90, but
at present there are absolutely no facts
to prove that their leaving on the same
day was anything more than coin
cidence."
The names of the committee which
issued the foregoing statement on be-
half of the congregation were not
made public.