Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-03
TO WITHDRAW CHARGE
PRESENTMENT AGAINST TALBOT
TO GIVE PLACE ToAANoTHER.
Signatures in Irvine Case Repudiated
by Vestrymen-New Evidence
in Church Scandal.

The presentment against Bishop Ethel
bert Talbot, charging him with Crime"
and immortality" is to be Withdrawn and
a new and more comprehensive present
ment Is to be Immediately substituted.
This course was determined upon by Her
bert Noble of New York and his associate
counsel for the presentment, after long
conference in Philadelphia yesterday.
Last nights fast train for the west car
ried a full explanation of the extraordinary
situation to Presiding Bishop futile at st.
Louis. This document, to the preparation
of which the presentment lawyers devoted
nins hours. is in the custody Of J. Frede-
rick Jenkinson Of Philadelphia, junior
counsel in the case and also presenter.
Mr.. Jenkinson will deliver the letter in
person to Bishop futile, and in the mean
time every lawyer. presenter and witness
is pledged to absolute secrecy as to its con-
tents.
New Evidence Offered.
From an outside, but authoritative.
source it is learned that this letter asks
permission to withdraw the presentment
and to substitute a new one. and that 1t
defendsDr Irvine from the charges of will
full completely in any trick practiced upon
the presenters in Huntingdon, Pa, to Sc
cure their signatures. and submits evidence
to prove that Irvine was imposed upon.
But the most important feature Of this
ofhcial letter now en- route for the presiding
bishop is an outline of new evidence to be
given against Bishop Talbot
This new evidence includes a letter writ
ten by the bishop to a New York man
who Is prominent in church circles. Ac-
cording to those in best position to know
the facts this letter is of much greater
Importance and of more serious import
than the now famous "Upjohn letter.
which will overshadow in sensational inter-
est those already made.
Other new evidence, on which skilled de-
tectives have been working for weeks in
central Pennsylvania, will also be submit
ted to the presiding bishop In the letter
carried by Lawyer Jenkinson
The conference which resulted In this APP
peal for a new presentment was the most
remarkable of its kind ever held In Phila-
delphia.
Extraordinary measures were taken to
keep the conference profound secret, and
to throw the small army of yigilant re-
porters of the scent.
1t was nearly o'clock last night when
the conference came to an end. The first
man to leave the room was DR.. Irvine. He
was Immediately surrounded by group
OF newspaper reporters, who had been in
waiting during the greater part of the day,
but he begged them to refrain from asking
any questions Finding 1t impossible to Sc
cure any information from the deposed
priest regarding the proceedings at the
conference the reporters endeavored to pre-
vail upon him to make a statement con-
corning the published letter he is said to
have written to a clergyman in Hartford,
Conn, In which he said he is in straitened
financial circumstances.
For Gods sake, gentlemen, do not ask
me any questions was his reply.
Talbot Consulted Fulton.
Bishop Talbot spent most Of his time
while in Philadelphia in consultation with
Rev. DR.. Fulton, editor of the Church
Standard, who received the original letter
written by the bishop to Rev. DR.. Samuel
Up5ohn which was the direct cause of
DR.. 1rvines attempt to present the prelate.
Dr. Fulton declined to state the nature OF
Bishop Talbot s serrand.a He said the bishop
did not tell him why he came to the city,
ana that he did not ask him. He gave as
his opinion, however, that Bishop Talbot
will not issue asstatenaent, for the reason
that nothing has been proved against him
and 1T was not his pface-at this time to
publish a statement.
1t was learned that the statement of
withdrawal which Mr.. Jenknson will pre-
sent to Bishop Tuttle at ST Louis will re-
view in detail the Irvine-Talbot difficulty.
1t VIII also allege that the presenters, in
this proceeding, have had no desire except
to secure simple justice for DR.. Irvine at
the hands of a clerical court: that their
every act in the preparation of the present
ment has been done in entire good faith
case is above suspicion. and that the fact
that Huntingdon presenters have repudiat-
ed their signatures Is attributable to the
overzealousness of one or two Of Dr. Ir-
vines friends, who in their desire to serve
his cause, did Overstep the bounds of fair
ness In procuring these signatures; that
thereby the other presenters were deceived
as to the integrity of the document, and
that for these reasons they desire to with
draw 1t from the hands of Bishop futile
and to have the board of inquiry dissolved.
The statement will declare that in with
drawing this presentment the action is
taken without prejudice to the cause of the
preserfers. or the interests of DIR. Irvine,
and that the friends of the latter propose
as soon as possible, to file with Bishop Tut
tie new presentment against Bishop Tai
bot, prepared and signed under the require
ments of the new canons, which became eff
feetive January 1, and which stipulate that
each signature shall be acknowledged under
oath.
Will Work Under New Canon.
Work upon the preparation of a new
presentment will begin at once under the
new canon of the Protestant Episcopal
Church, which regulates procedure in the
trial of bishop.
This canon provides for the appointment
of court Of inquiry by five bishops to be
selected by the presiding bishop The min
listers and laymen forming this court may
be selected from any diocese and should
any fail to attend session the presiding
officer has power to appoint substitutes.
Under the old canon, which went out Of
existence January /. the committee of in
quiry dissolved upon the failure Of quo
rum to attend
1t was this feature of the canon law
under which Bishop Talbot was presented
last month that most seriously alarmed
his opponents. They openly claimed that
influences favorable to the accused bishop
were at work to prevent a quorum of the
committee of inquiry scheduled to meet at
Reading on January 10.
Lawyer Noble and his legal associates
for the presentment like the makeup OF
the old committee of inquiry, with the
Rev William B. Bodine of Philadelphia,
and Lawyer Francis Lynde Stetson OF New