The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-05-22
WAS FOUND OUT
BY a Love Letter That Fell Into
the Wrong Hands.
after BEING FREED

The Old Rascal Defends. His Illicit
Love Affair. Pretends That His
Legal Wife Was Never His At
fnity, and That He Met 4 Young
Woman and Loved Her on First
Sight.
Whatever the world may think
Of my actions, know I have done no
wrong in the sight of Heaven. l
never loved my wife; and God in
tended Della to be my affinity"
With this remarkable statement,
the Rev. De Witt Maynarn Carpen-
ter, whose infatuation for young.
woman who was his former assistant
pastor the Apostolic Holiness Un-
ion church, at Harrington, Del, .,eX-
planned the disclosures that came to
the ears of his congregation through
the strange delivery OF a love letter
to the wrong person.
By mistake Carpenter mailed TO
the recorder of deeds Of Kent county
fervent letter to the woman, and
the recorder taking a wide interpre-
tation of his official title, recorded
the matter and notified the trustees
of the churrh.
Meanwhile the pastor has left
town, presumably for parts unknown.
His heart-broken wife and his two
sons, one of whom Rollins, seventeen
years old, lived with his parents,
have no knowledge of his destination.
Before his departure, Carpenter
spoke freely of his love for Miss Della
Goodrich, who is now in town in
the western part Of Pennsylvania.
Whom God hath united let no
man put asunder,'' he said, speaking
Of Miss Goodrich. II married Mrs.
Carpenter thirty years ago. She was
Miss VIOLA Pilling, and lived not far
from Johnston. I thought I loved
her before welded, but Immediately
ly after the ceremony realized
had made mistake. I know that she
was not my affinity. I have always
tried to treat her kindly, but she has
known as well as I that there was
not perfect oneness between US.
when met Della six years ago,
1 knew at once that God had intend
ed US for each other. She was IN
perfect accord with me, but as was
married I did not permit her to en-
ter my life at that time. Later when
she came down here, the conviction
became stronger that she was really
my wife and that Mrs. Carpenter was
not.
at is hard to explain such things
to persons who do not understand
the ways of heaven, and therefore we
did not mention it to our .congrega-
ton. cannot understand how l
made the mistake Of the letters.
was in a hurry to get them mailed
and placed Delia's letter in the wrong
enyeloDe. That is all there is to IL.
The recorder of deeds, however, hao
no right to keep the letter.
''He should have sent it back TO-
me without making it public and
causing all this trouble and mlsap-
I have decided to go
away from here, and that it is the
hest that I seperate from my wife.
She agrees with me and I have ad-
vised her to try to get a divorce soon.
She will probably continue mere LOT
q time, as the congregation mas
high regard for her.
Carpenter declined to say Wnere ne
was going or whether he INTENDS 10
see Miss Goodrich. He also refused
tn saw where she is located at pre-
sent. Mrs. Carpenter, whose grief is
tempered somewhat by the fact that
the blow has not been unexpected oy
her. said that she thought her nus
hands mind had been unbalanced
for some time, or ever since MISS
Goodrich had come to Harrington.
Che has known Of the almost daily
letters that he has sent to the young
woman since she went away: que
said the pastor would arise IN tae
morning as early as i've O'CLOCK 10
write them and would hurry to the
postofice to get them on on the o:oo
train.
Members Of the congregation are
amazed at the revelations. He was
one of the most magnetic men ever
met" declared one Of them. 1ne
ongregation idolized him.
At the regular weekly prayer meet
ine While the pastor and his wife sat
With bowed heads in the library OF
their home, across the street IRON
The church, Cyrus n. Grant, presl-
dent M of the board of trustees, LED the
meeting. .+r.+;on of
grief characterized the gathering
every person in the church was ~
tears until it adjourned. and an OUT
sider would have thought that some
Calamity such as plague had anllc.-
al every household Represented.
Following the meeting, men, women a
and children Aocked to the pastor
house and offered their sympaenles 10
" The pastor, unable to meet his 1ol,
lowers went to the rear yaro ana
naced up and down under the saaoe
trees pa TWO men were detailed 70
Itch him lest he should try to 40
h;mself - injury. Late in the nlgnt,,
after the callers had gone, he pacKeo
two yalises and left town oy Tue
first morning train.
N,OrrJrrp cHOT HIM.