Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-04-26
CRAPSEYS TRIAL,
Further Delay Denied and
Proceedings Are Opened.
Book Of Common Prayer and
Crapsey's Own Publications
Used as Evidence Against Him Has He
Violated Church Law?

':ataNia. y. r., .\rril ...-,5eforc IN
tcri.Tia:ti'''l trih.Iitll Of his peers in
the quaint little Batavia court house,
Rev. Nl@Crron :. cr2py"y. rector of St
Andrews Protestant Episcopal church.
Rochester, y. Y, today listened TO the
frs testimony on the charges of mere
sY and violation uf his ordination vows
which nav been brought against him.
The trial was to have been held in the
parish house Of st. James church, but
it was too small to accommodate the
witnesses and spectators, interest in
the unusual case being widespread. A
motion of counsel for the defence for
postponem"nt Of the hearing was de-
MED ard the examine tioE of witnesses
Was begun at the afternoon session.
Tho question was also raised as to
whether the ecclesiastical court. as
constit utcd. had jurisdiction. DR.. Crap
sey's counsel filed q brief to the con-
trary to the commcn law of the state
that til, guilt Of any person against
WHOM i lrescHtmcnt is made should he
passed uron by il court, the majority
of whose mcnbCrS are designated by
the prosecutor or by any person who
believes the charges 50 made to be just.
Three of the five members Of the court
are arpointces oi Bishop Walker who
mas pressed the charges against Dr..
Crdpscy.
The attorneys for the prosecution an
sWercd the contention Of the defend
ants counsel with the statement that
the court being constituted under ca
monica laW. its Jurisdiction and the OK
lstrncc on thia case cannot be ques-
toned ~ any basis Of the common law
of tho stat.
brilliant counsel are employed in tie
prosecution ard the defence. and the
trial promises to develop greater inter-
est than any of the Protestant Episco-
pal church has known in years. John
Lord O'Hricn Cf Buffalo is leading
counsel for tho prosecution. assisted by
John II. Stin"Ss. former chief justice of
Rhode Island and Rev. Francis J. Hall
Of the Western Theological Seminary,
Chicago. Or. crapsCy is represented hy
CONGRESSMAN James Brock Perkins Of
itoche.tcr and Edward NJ. Sheppard Of
New York City.
Tho Episcopal Book of Comrlon
Prayer was introduced in evidence to-
day as one of the principal pieces of
documentary evidence against DR..
CrapSey. Another silent witness was a
book of his own writings, or sermons,
published by him under the title "Re-
Iigion and Politics." utterances form his
pulpit in Rochester and in the books
submitted to the court are the bases
for the charges against DIR. Crapscy.
These uttpranccS arc alleged to he in
violation Of the rules of the PrCtos-
tant Episcopal faith. There is no dis
putn as to what DIR. Crapsey said. The
question at issue is whether or not his
prea .hingS violate the doctrines of the
church.
In 1904 and 1905 DIR. Crapsey delivered
the series Of sermons, which were af-
terward published under his authority.
The uresentment against him contains
i, extracts from his book "ReligiCn and
Politics" the charge being that he i'll
tertionally expressed disbelief in these
doctrines Of the church:
The divinity of Christ; the concep-
ton of the Holy Ghost: the Virgin
birth; the bodily resurrection and the
Trinity. 4 second specification under
this first charge is that he made utter
anccs Of like nature as recently as
Dec. 81 last.
The second and last charge in the
prcsentment is that DR.. Crapsey vio-
lated his ordination vows by failing to
conform to the doctrine, discipline and
worship Of the Protestant Episcopal
church.
It is understood that DIR. Crapsey's
defence will hold that under liberal
Interpretation of the creed he has not
contradicted it's doctrines and that he
does not deny the immaculate concep-
tiCn of Christ.
Telephones are being much used in
large coal mines In some cases ube-a