The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-01-03
BISHOP TALBOT SILENT
Is Absent From Bethlehem on Reg
ular Tour of Visitation.
WAIT UNTIL ALL COMES OUT

Is Quoted As Saying He Is Anxious
For the investigation to Settle For
All Time These False Rumors and
Charges"
Bethlehem. Pa, Dec. 3l.-The Right
Rev. Ethelbert Talbot, the bishop OF
Central Pennsylvania. against whom
the Rev. Ingram ~ w. Irvine, OF PM
adelphia. is about TO make a present
ment is absent from the city. Accord
ing to his friends, he is on regular
tour of visitation among the parishes
OF his diocese. which has taken him To
the negihbOrhood OF White Haven. IN
the I.ehigh Valley. They do not know
when he will return to "Bishopsruhe.
as he calls the See House. in South
Bethlehem. To the few newspaper men
who have been able TO find him he mas
declined to answer any of the charges
TO be lodged against him or to enter
into the controversy now going on.
Wait until everything comes out.
he is quoted as saying. Il am more
anxious than any one else to have this
investigation and settle for all time
these false rumors and charges.
Bishop Talbot held a conference at
Sunbury. Pa, with Colonel c. NJ.
Clement. who is an attorney. and who
has been close to the bishop all
through the trouble he has had with
Or. Irvine. Colonel Clement was sec
rotary of the Central Pennsylvania do
ceSe until il was recently divided He
is now secretary OF the Harrisburg
diocese. which is the name OF the
jurisdiction carved out of the Central
PENNSYLVANIA diocese. After the con
ference Bishop Talbot would not talk.
The silence of Bishop Talbot is one
OF the strangest features about this
now celebrated case. Six of the most
damaging charges that can be pre-
ferred against a churchman have been
lodged against him, yet he absolutely
declines to make any reply to them.
Meanwhile the charges have been
reiterated with astonishing detail. and
public opinion is being formed and
nodded. High priced attorneys. aided
by corps OF detectives. are preparing
case that is intended to bring
Bishop Talbot 10 the bar OF the house
If bishops. with his reputation and
his life work In the balance. The
chancellor OF the diocese Of Pennsyl-
vania has termed him an "artful
dOdger whose end as bishop is APP
preaching"
But calmly and serenely the bishop
is going about his daily work. declin-
ing all opportunities to state his side
OF the case and waiting January 10.
when the committee of inquiry. sit
ting as a jury. will consider the
charges. Is Bishop Talbot preparing
to explode a sensation?
While nothing has been said by the
bishop since this most recent cOntro-
versy started his friends point to
letter he sent TO the presiding bishop
of the church after the last inquiry at
Harrisburg. in 1902. which ended in
During all the assaults which have
been made upon me, since DR.. lrvine's
deposition. have kept silence When
the board OF inquiry was appointed to
consider the charges which had been
so long and diligently circulated
against me. | was abundantly satisfied,
for | felt assured that the action of
such a board would be my complete
and sufficient yindicatiOn.
The finding OF the board has left
things worse than they were. can
truly say that these things do not
move me in the least; but there are
others beside myself to be considered.
and the time has come for my diocese
and my people to be relieved of the
disturbance and anxiety to which they
have been subjected. and ! must re-
sort TO the only method possible for
a bishop, under our present canon, to
clear myself of every vestige of al
legged WrOnR-dOing