The Saint Paul globe., 1904-12-30
DENY HAVING SIGNED
THE PREsENTMfNT
Proceedings Against Bishop
Talbot, of Pennsylvania,
May Fall Through

PHILADELPHIA. Pa, Dec. 29.-Dis-
patches from Huntingdon, Pa, tonight
state that some of the Huntingdon sign
ers to the presentment have repudiated
the presentment, and say that it was
never their intention to sign paper of
the character that has appeared in the
must be dropped, as a presentment of
thd character made against the bishop
MIST contain the names of at least three
prisons from the diocese in which the ac-
cused bishop lives. 1t is said the paper
was signed by the Huntingdon men un-
der misapprehension, they believing that
they were assisting in closing long con-
troversy and not one in which their bish-
op was to be brought to trial.
A dispatch from Huntingdon tonight
quotes John Langdon, one of the signers,
as saying the matter had been miSrepre-
sented to him; that he never read the
presentment, and could not tell one of the
charges or specifications He said:
1t is true that l signed a paper, but
that was a communication to Bishop
Tuttle, signed by all the vestrymen, ask
ing that the controversy between Bishop
Talbot and DR.. Irvine be Stilled for all
time. The communication contained
about twenty words 1t was brought to
me by w. G. Miller, one of the signers,
and, as the others had signed it, I did.
Mr.. Miller also gave me blank sheet to
sign, saying he wanted to make the letter
out in duplicate What was done with
that blank sheet / don't know. DIR. Miller
was always very friendly with DR.. Irvine
and so was James Denithorne, another
signer-''
A. T. Jackson. another signer, said:
NO we didn't sign the presentment.
not one of US. We were asked to sign
a letter to Bishop futile asking him to
settle the case as soon as possible
NJ s.. Jackson and w. F. Hitler could
not be found. Friends declared that they
had not signed the presentment.
Yet Proceedings Go On
NEW YORK. Dec. 29.-The World will
N rd 70 ToIh hot
case:
Lawyer Noble, although in Philadel-
phia yesterday. was out of the city and
In secret consultation with his detectives
Today he will visit Philadelphia osten-
sibly to confer with the Rev. DR.. Bodine,
chairman of the committee of inquiry.
In reality, however, Mr.. Noble will call
the Philadelphia presenters together, using
every precaution to keep the place of their
meeting a close secret
More than 200 witnesses will be sum-
moned to Reading to testify before the
committee of inquiry. Those best in
formed believe that the evidence of the
first twenty-five witnesses will be suffi-
bishop. This was made clear yesterday to
the great satisfaction of certain church
men who felt that a desire to avert the
scandal might influence the committee to
"The fact now leaks out that DR.. Bo-
dine, the chairman of this committee,
served on-the like committee that eonsid-
cred the first presentment against Bishop
Talbot, he led the minority vote for a
trial. Last night DR.. Bodine admitted
this reluctantly.
One of the first witnesses to be called
is a woman of fine social position in one
of the wealthiest cities of Pennsylvania.
She will be voluntary witness and her
testimony will probably be used to pave
the way for the more important evidence
which the presentment lawyers are now
gathering.
THE technical question raised by the
Talbot faction as to sfle canonical valid
ity of the presentnent must be deter
mined by Bishop futile, of st. Louis the
presiding bisb5p of the Episcopal church.
Mrs. ]. A. Roney, of this city, has left
her home here to join her father, Rev.
Ingram N. w. Irvine, at Philadelphia .