The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-04-26
TRIAL 0F DR. CRAPSEY
 FOR RERESY BEGINS
MOTION OF HIS COUNSEL FOR 4 DISAPPOINTMENT
 DENIED.

Question Raised Whether the Ecclesi-
 astical Court, as Constituted, Has
 Jurisdiction - First Witnesses Ex-
 amined-Episcopal Book of Common
 Prayer Introduced as One of the Prin-
 cipaI Pieces of Documentary Evi-
 dence Against the Accused--AIso n
 Book of His Own Writings.
 Batavia, N. T., April 25--Before an ecclesiastical tribunal of his peers, in the quaint little Batavia courthouse. Rev Algernon s. Crapsey, rector of St. Andrews Protestant Episcopal church, Rochester N Y, to-day listened to the first testimony on the charges Of heresy and violation of his ordination vows which have 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 mo- tion of counsel for the defense for postponement of the hearing was de- nied and the examination of witnesses was begun at the afternoon session.
 The question was also raised as to whether the ecclesiastical court, as con- stituted, had Jurisdiction. Dr. Crap sey's counsel filed brief to the effect that 1t was contrary to the common law of the state that the guilt of any person against whom a presentment is made should be passed upon by court the majority of whose members arc designated by the prosecution or by any | person who believes the charges so made to be just. Three of the fiva members of the court are appointees of Bishop Walker, who has pressed tho charges against Dr. Crapsey and in whom was reposed the authority to constitute the court. The members ot the court are rectors of churches in this vicinity and colleagues of Dr. l Crapsey. The attorneys for the prose- lcution answered the contention of the | defendants counsel with the statement that, the court being constituted under canonical law, it's Jurisdiction and ex- istence in this case cannot be question: ed on any basis of the common law of the state.
 Dr. Crapsey faced his accusers and his judges to-day with little or no evil dence of unusual emotion. He is about fifty years old and has a strong earn est, intellectual face, which shows per- haps just touch of sadness and regret that his position in field where he has served the church for more than quarter of century should be called so seriously into question. In the moro than twenty years he has been rector of St. Andrews, Rochester, he has built the parish up from practically nothing into one of the strongest churches in the community.
 Brilliant counsel are employed in the prosecution and the defense, and the trial promises to develop greater inter- est than any the Protestant Episcopal church has known in years. John Lord O'Brien, of Buffalo, is leading counsel for the prosecution, assisted by John g, Stiness, formerly chief justice of Rhode Island, and Rev. Francis J. Hall, of the Western Theological seminary, Chica~ go. Dr. Crapsey is represented by Congressman James. Beck Perkins of Rochester, and Edward M. Shepard, of New York city.
 The Episcopal book of common pray CT was introduced in evidence to-day as one of the principal. pieces of docu- mentary evidence against Dr. Crapsey,
 Continued on Eighth Page.)