Evening journal., 1907-04-06
BOYD CASE IN
IN. P. CONFERENCE
Former President Little Ex-
plains His Connection With
the Clayton Case

WASHINGTON, April 6.-Just be-
fore the close Of yesterdays session Of
the Methodist Protestant Conference,
DR.. Little, the ox-president OF the body.
made a statement explaining the facts
in the case Of Rev. A. C. Boyd. who
was the pastor in charge Of the church
at Clayton, Del, and who has been the
subject Of no little embarrassment. Mr..
Boyd came to the Maryland Conference
from Kansas He explained to DR. Lit
tie that he had been a member OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church. but that
he desired TO affiliate himself with the
Methodist Protestant Church.
Mr. Boyd refused TO surrender the
parsonage OF the church at Clayton.
and after he left the town his wife re-
sisted successfully al efforts made by
the trustees OF the church TO obtain
possession OF the parsonage. Or. Lit
I tie explained IN great detail the history
Of this case. beginning with the time
that Mr.. Boyd first sought to join the
conference until he was finally ex-
PEELED. He tod how, after the authori-
ties OF the Conference were given
documentary evidence OF Mr.. Boyds
alleged disingenuousness, he had been
given six months 70 explain his action.
without making any satisfactory reply
and that Il was only after he had dis
Regarded repeated suggestions 10 avoid
scandal by quietly withdrawing from
the Conference that the authorities
took action.
"The trustees would not even now"
added DR., Lite, "have resorted to eX-
trcme measures and invoked the law TO
eject Mrs. Boyd and her children were
Il not for the fact that IL Is imperative
10 put the parsonage in order that IL
lmay be ready for the new pastor whom
the Conference VIII send 20 clayton
next week" Dr. Little charged that
Mr.. Boyd deliberately kept his family
In the Clayton parsonage in order to
force the trustees 10 take the very
lsteps which necessity at 'ast compelled.
In order that he might attempt TO
throw odium upon the trustees and
upon the church.
No Personal Feeling
"The man Is determined to fight to
the last ditch" said DR. Little. HE is
under the hallucination that the prcsi-
dent Of the Conference appointed him
to this charge and. that. therefore. he
lis still legally entitled to hold il.
understand that he intends to sue me
for salary and FOR damages and l am
told that he has fixed $4,000 as the
amount for which he viii sue me- For
Mr. Boyd's family I feel a sincere SYM
pathy. although they have grse sously
wronged the Conference. The church
has acted toward him In the most con-
siderate way At no time has there
been any personal feeling actuating our
course but every step that has been
taken in his case has been done by the
authority Of the law of our Confer
encc"
Rev. ]. NJ. Holmes. OF Baltimore
made a statement to the Conference
lexplaining how it happened that Mr.
Boyd had been admitted TO the Confer
ence so promptly. and he introduced a
resolution providing that hereafter II
shall be the standing rule OF the Com
ference that no one shall be received
( into the Conferencne until he shall have
been at least one year I'm the hands of
1.-THE president This resolution was re-
ferred TO the faculty.
Or. Little. resuming the floor, showed
again that In Mr.. Boyd's case the law
. had been followed step by step. This
man IS irrepresslble. but he is also
shrewd and resourceful," he said. "He
will hang on as long as he can. and
, then ne VIII sue. But the lesson We
, can learn from this episode" he con-
cluded. "is. don't let us hereafter take
them In until we know more about
them.r A number Of his colleagues as
sured Dr. Little that his explanation
10 the Conference was entirely unnec-
: essary, as all who knew him were con-
. WINGED that he had acted in all SINGER
ity and IN strict accordance with JUS
tice and the law Of tho church.