The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-04-05
REV. ]. W. HILLS CASE
 BEFORE THE CONFERENCE
MINISTERS ARE STIRRED BY THE METHOD OF ATTACK
 EOLLOWED.

Charges Renewal of Those Made by
 the Rev. c. S. Swallow of PennsyI-
 vania--or. Buckley Speaks With
 Much VigOr on Loose Accusations
 Against CIergymen--He, Himself, Has
 Been Accused Of Crimes and Misde-
 meanOrs Investigating Committee
 Appointed.
 New York, April 4.-The annual session of the New York East confer ence of the Methodist Episcopal church began in Brooklyn to-day with Bishop Charles c. McCabe presiding. After a business session in the morning, the members of the conference this after noon were addressed by Hamilton W.. Mabie, whose subject was Preaching and Literature. In the course of his talk Mir. Mabie urged that preachers should study literature for the improve ment of their Illustrative faculties and diction.
 The night session was devoted to an eyangelistic meeting. with addresses de- livered by the Rev Newell Dwight Hills of Plymouth church, Brooklyn, and other local pastors.
 The feature of the day was a discus sion of the matter of charges made against member of the conference, vigorous denunciation of the meth ods of the attack, and the appoint ment of committee to investigate the whole affair. The clergyman against whom variety of accusations have been circulated is the Rev. Dr. J. Wes- ley Hill pastor of the James Methodist church in Brooklyn, and he has him. self asked for an investigation. Some newspaper prominence was given to the case last winter, when the charges were put forth under the name of one Miller, in Pennsylvania. They are a renewal of charges made against Dr. Hill when he was stationed in central Pennsylva- nia by the Rev. S. c. Swallow.
 A report was made on the valuable reformatory work of the Hadley mis- sion. Bishop McCabe announced that this years contribution from the Meth odist Book concern to the fund for the support of superannuated ministers was $2,24O. The Rev Dr. Wing, as pre- siding elder of the Brooklyn South dis trict, reported gratifying revivals and the church Improvements.
 When the latter had finished, the bishop inquired if there were any charges against any member of the conference in that district, Dr. Wing replied tfiat no charges had been made by any other member of the confer enee, or in any way formally preferred, but that some charges had been made in an irresponsible fashion. When ask ed if they were anonymous, he said that a name was printed to them, and in one case appeared to be signed, but that under a glass the writing seemed to be traced over the printing,
 There was a discussion of the mat ter, in which some speakers were in- clined to take the ground that accusa- tions so brought should be ignored, but it appeared that the accused minister had requested that an investigation SuOuIQ De Indu6. ENtN, LIT, JdnleS M. Buckley editor of the Christian Advo- cate, took the floor and spoke with much vigor on the subject of loose ac- cusations against clergymen, He said that he himself had been charged with crimes and misdemeanors which, if true, should cause him to be put out side the denomination. He gave sev- eral instances of attacks in newspa- pers upon him and on other ministers. In the case in question no one had been able to find out who the man was who had brought the charges against the brother assaiied. In all such cases the conference owed a duty to every church which took minister from it, and owed duty to every clergyman accused in the public prints
 He offered a resolution, which was unanimously adopted, providing that whereas a person wholly unknown and unidentified had made charges against member of the conference, and there had been wide publicity resulting from these charges, and it was the duty of the conference to guarantee the char actetr of it's members, therefore a com mittee should be appointed to investi- gate the matter, and all having any knowledge of tine subject should give it.