The Washington times., 1905-01-10
COMMITTEE HEARS
TALBOT CHARGES
Body Meets at Reading and
Begins Investigation.
sITTlNGS ARE TO BE PRIVATE
Ministers Secretive, Declining to Dis
cuss the Case-Lacks Quo
rum at Start.
SITTINGS ARE TO BE PRIVATE

READING. Jan 1e.-Fhe committee ef
inquiry into the charges against Bishop
Etheibcrt Talbot, of the central Penn
syIvania diocese OF the Episcopal
Church, met at the Mansion House In
this city this morning
No quorum of the committee appeared
but Notwithstanding this fact the COM
mittee went into session
The notices 10 the members of the
committee regarding the place Of meet
ing had stated that the meeting would
be held in the parish house Of Christ
Episcopal Church, the largest congre-
cation Of the denomination in Reading
The evident dislike OF The Reading mem
hers, however. most of whom sympa-
thize with Bishop Talbot, against the
committee meeting in any of the local
church buildings. decided the chairman.
Dr. Bodine, TO hold the meeting at the
Mansion House, where the members of
the committee are stopping.
TIE meeting convened in parlor No. s.
The members refused 10 talk regarding
the probable action of the committee on
the presentment or the question of the
legality OF the body under the canons
Of the church
Rules of Procedure
Or. Rogers Israel. of Scranton. stated
that the committee members could not
follow their own desires in the matter.
but woald be governed by the following
instructions:
THE presiding bishop. or next in Sc
niority as the case may be. immediate
ly after thus selecting by lot the board
of inquiry. shall give notice thereof TO
each member of said board. and direct
him to attend, at a time and place
designated by him. and organize the
board; and it shall be the duty of each
member SO TO attend The place must
be within the diocese of the accused
The presiding bishop shall. at the same
time. send a copy of the charges to the
senior presbyter of those thus selected
b. lot from the four dioceses.
ION assembling. the board shall or
ganize by choosing from among them
selves 4 president and secretary and
shall also appoint church advocate,
who must be q lay communicate OF this
church and of the profession of the laws
and who thenceforward shall, in all
stages of the proceedings. if a trial be
ordered. represent the church and be the
party on the one hand, while the ac-
cused is the party on the other
Behind Closed Doors
The sitt1ngs Of the board shall be
private; the church advocate shall not
attend as prosecuting counsel. but shall
be at all times at hand and in readiness
to give his advice in all questions sub
rnitted to him by the board.
In conducting the investigation. the
board shall hear the accusations, and
such proof as the acclsers may pro-
duce. and shall determine whether.
upon matters of law and OF fact, as pre-
sented to them. there is sufficient ground
to the accused bishop upon his trial,
and in such investigation, as well as in
all cases of trial by an ecclesiastical
court now authorized or hereafter To be
authorized, by the constitution or can
ons of the general convention the laws
OF the State in which such inyestiga-
ton or trial is had. so far as they re
late TO the law of evidence, shall be
adopted. and taken as the rules by
which the said beard court shall be
governed
III a majority of the board present
on such investigation shall be CT the
opinion that there are sufficient grounds
TO put the accused bishop on trial they
shall direct the church advocate to pre-
pare a presentment against him, which
Shall be signed by all the members and
for this purpose shall put in his hands
all charges and evidence secured by the
committe