Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-05-31
Another Chapter In the Some
what Sensational Career of
Rev. j. A. johnson
CREED WAS NOTHING TO HIM
Applied for and Was Elected to Pas
torate of Congregational Church at
Elma, Preached One Sermon and
Then Accepted Place With Method
lists at Gilman.
snecial to Times RepublicaiL

Gilman. Nav 31-Another chapter IN
the sensational career OF rev o. a.
Johnson the Methodist pastor here mas
developed since his arrival. The lat
.o ,ort of the week before last, the
clerk of the Congregational church IN
this Mace received a letter from the
clerk of the Congregational church at
Elma, Iowa, stating that Kew. D. a.
ROBINSON as was reported there mad
.nn1i4d for election to the pastorate
here of the Congregational church anu
the letter was written to warn US
against him.
1t seems he drifted into Elma some
time in April and stated to the ieaolhs
members of the church there tlal he
was a minister of the Methouls. ~
testant church at Rockport, III, oue
that on account of malarlil conoi'iois
there affecting his wife's health ne was
oonnelled to make a change OF resi-
aanna and so came to Iowa ana was
dasirous of quitting the church OF ms
first love anu W eoNS
gregational fold. -.
He preached one Sunday, was eieee-
ed to the pastorate and III Few va. .s, ?
after borrowing some money iele VIZ
the ostensible purpose OF golns aus.
his wife. who was then said TO De as
Keokuk. On the 10th inst. the clelh u
the church at Elma received let.ef
from him resigning the IaStorale, sis-
ing no reason except the unfavoraple
condition of his wife's iealth.
ID the meantime he had come 70
Gilman preached one Sunday and mad
been accepted as supply pastor % ,he
Methodist Episcopal church ana Start
ed in with every prospect OF a success
full pastorate.
He is said by those who heard him
to he a fluent talker, rising sometimes
into flights nearly approaching elo.
nuence. but with a very liberal Ten
dencv in his sermons. On the Sunday
evening he with delicate ivory voice
now better appreciated by his hearers,
preached on Deception" illustrating
it's nature and results and warning MS
people against 1t.
It was soon discovered, however,
that he INDUCED in practices very un-
becoming in minister OF the gospel
that he smoked cigars, and appeared 10
those who met him on the streets on
Thursday evening last TO be intoX1cat-
ed.
He borrowed SIS from G. f. STAINS
berry, cashier of the Bank of Gilman,
and what seemed SINGULAR before he
went away left $50 o. it on deposit
In the bank.
He had new furniture upon which he
received the loan. had his garden ploy-
ed and planted. bad sent for his wife
and expected her here Memorial day. 1t
seemed almost as tho his sudden ee-
parture Friday evening was the re-
suit of some sudden impulse or stress
Of circumstances or tallucination ra..h-
err than Of deliberate or premedita.ed
purpose.
He left no unpaid bills, and no debts
except the one secured to Mr.. Stalls-
berry.
; How long he had lived this DR..
Jekyl and Mr.. Hyde existence, of
course, is unknown to us, but a very
singular feature of the case is that he
had recommendations from leading
citizens of Rockport, and even from
the conference which he left in llli-
nois endorsing him in the highest
terms, sufficiently SO to impress on
the members of the church here. to
which he was recommended, and even
the presiding elder, DR.. Pitner, who
endorsed him for the position here In
his letter from Des Moines, to G. F.
Stansberry he said H., had no fault to
find with the people here, that they
had treated him very kindly, but that
his mother was lying at the point of
death and he must go to her bedside.
He has not since been heard from,
and presumably is hunting for more
worlds or churches to conquer.