Evening journal., 1905-03-20
REV. DR.. CORKRAN
FOUND GUILTY
Trial Committee Fixed the
Penalty at One Years
Suspension
THE CASE WILL Be APPEALED

As a result of the investigation by a
select committee of fifteen into the
charges against the Rev Dr. Wilbur f.
Corkran, the former presiding elder is
suspended from the ministry for one
year. He was found guilty of gambling
and high imprudence and unministerial
conduct"
The committee made its report to the
conference Saturday afternoon about 4.35
o'clock. Bishop Cyrus d. Foss who pre-
sided at the trial brought in the report
and handing it to Bishop Goodsell said:
Il present the report of the select COM
mittee." Bishop Goodsell asked the con-
ference to receive the report with the
silence which becomes the house Of God.
1t was read by Secretary William A.Wise
and follows:
REPORT OF COMMITTEE.
The select committee in the case Of the
Rev. w. f. Corkran appointed to try the
charges against him reported that there
were four charges:
First-Gambling.
Second-Fraud.
Third-High imprudence and unminis-
terlal conduct.
Fourth-Falsehood.
They found the first charge. viz gamb-
ling, sustained. The second, viz. fraud,
not sustained, but that the evidence un-
der that charge did sustain a charge Of
high imprudence and unministerial con-
duct. The third charge, high imprudence
and nnministerial conduct was sustain
cd. The fourth charge. falsehood, was
not sustained.
The select number determined as the
penalty for the offense found to have
been committed, that the Rev. w. +.
Corkran be suspended from the ministry
for one year, that is. until the session Of
the Wilmington Conference in the year
1906. Signed by order and in behalf of the
select members. Cyrus d. Foss,
President.
Zack II. Webster.
Wilmington. Del, March 1S 1905.
NOTICE OF APPEAL.
AS soon as the report was concluded the
2Rev. j. A. B. Wilson, chief counsel for
DR.. Corkran gave notice of an appeal
This appeal takes the case to a court
composed of triers Of appeals from three
other conferences which will make twen-
ty-one members. DR.. Corlxran declined to
give out an interview on the finding of
tho committee.
When it came to the final vote as to the
penalty, nine members Of the committee
voted for suspension and six for expul-
sion.
The trial brought out two additional
specifications, namely, highly impru-
dent and unministerial conduct and false
hood. The first under highly imprudent
and unministerial conduct alleged that
for since his suspension, namely on or
about July g. 1904, the said Rev. w. +.
Corkran has been guilty Of irregular and
questionable business methods and propo-
sitions."
'This specification which was lost by
vote of Il to 4 is based on an alleged
transaction of the minister in the capac-
ity of a life insurance agent. 1t is said
that he offered a 55-years-old man
COO profit bearing life insurance pol
icy for $500.
Aubrey vandever. OF this city, and NJ.
ID. Nichols Of Baltimore. insurance agents
testified before the committee that such a
proposition could not be lived up to even
with sacrifice of commission.
The other specification came under the
charge OF falsehood and the specification
was sustained by a vote Of IA TO !,
though the charge was lost. This spe<h-
cation alleges lin that in a letter written
by w. +. Corkran, after his suspension,
namely, on or about July G. 1904, to ID. NJ.
Rittinger. Of South Bethlehem, now Of
Philadelphia. Pa. he said:
"The case against me in Wilmington
is not against my moral character but
simply against my business Judgment.
The testimony was to the effect that
DR.. Corkran had written this letter TO
Mr.. Kittinger, who was a class leader
| in he church at South Bethlehem, 10
which the minister had been assigned.
The defense claimed that in this letter
the minister referred only to his case in
Superior Court with zeli * Merceret. the
Baltimore firm OF brokers.
GAMBLING SUSTAINED.
The charge Of gambling was sustained
/ by a vote of to 6. 1t was alleged In this
charge that between 1900 and 1904 Dr.
corkran in violation Of the rules Of the
church discipline conducted numerous
gambling transactions with Zell and
Merceret and other similar stock con-
Germs
While the committee did not sustain
the charge OF fraud. the vote being IL to
/ 4. 1t did sustain by a vote Of 10 TO the
hrst specification under that head alleg-
ing that "for the period between 1860 and
/ 1904. or about that time. the said Rev. W.
/ f. Corkran sold, or attempted to SELL un-
listed stocks of doubtful character, to
Wilbur Thomas and /. Bates Russell OF