The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-28
READ NOTE
AT TRIAL
OF ELDER
Missive Found ia Dr.. Shaf-
fer's Room Before Min.
ister's Court.
DEFENSE TO OPEN MONDAY
Woman at Whose Home Clergy.
man Boarded Is Heard. Snug.
gle Witness to Church..POst.
mistress in Case Will
Probably Testify.

Probably Testify.
PHILADELPHIA Dec 2s-Moving
with more rapidity than had been ex-
pected, the formal investigation of
charges against the Rev. DIR. W. il.
Shaffer, presiding elder of the West
District, Philadelphia Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, prog
ressed so decidedly yesterday that the
prosecution will complete its case to-
day and the defense will open Monday.
The charges arc based on DR.. Shat
fer's friendship for Mrs. Martha j.
Deichley, a widow who is postmistress
/ in Morgantown, B erks County, and the
chief evidence of the prosecution is an
unsigned letter ascribed to Mrs. Deich-
/ ley and said to have been found in DR..
Shaffer's wastebasSet by Mrs L. NJ.
Shaw, in whose house at 1903 North
Fifteenth street DR.. Shaffer boarded.
This letter. said to pe of a most un-
! seemly character for q minister to re-
ceive, was put in possession of the
prosecution through Mrs. Shaw, and
! yesterday 1t was introduced in evil
dence. 1t will be read today.
Its introduction into the formal pro-
ceedings was yesterdays chief event,
because it accompanied the verbal evil
dence of Mrs. Shaw, who appeared be-
| fore Presiding Elder S. II. Hoover and
his jury of nine clergymen.
A woman in Mrs Shaw's home had
said the night before that It was un-
likely that Mrs. Shaw would be seen
at the hearing by reporters, and this
remark was correct. She was smuggled
! into Trinity Church, Fifteenth and Mt.
Vernon streets, where,the investigation
is being held, and let out by q side
/ entrance which affords an avenue of
escape OYER a muddy lot at Broad and
! Green streets, used to store Belgian
blocks, gravel and crushed stone.
It is stated that the prosecution has
not summoned Mrs. Deichley AS wit
ness, so she is not likely to go on tho
stand before Monday, when the de-
Tense opens.
What Mrs. Shaw told Is an official
secret. but it is presumed that she was
called upon to identify the letter. Mem
bers of the ecclesiastical court became
speechless when questioned concerning
her testimony, but it is said she may
be recalled for cross-examination by
the defense.
Secrecy as impenetrable as that Ct
the sphinx itself continues to be the
order of proceedings.
Identity of the nine jurors is also a
mystery to the world outside. No an
nouncement of their names will be
made unless they decide the charges
against Dr. Shaffer to be unfounded.
Eight of them are said to be from
churches in country districts, while the
Rev. S. M. Vernon, of 2344 North Sew
enteenth street is said to be the ninth.
Mrs Deichley was accompanied TO
the church yesterday by a number of
Morgantown witnesses, including the
Rev. w. l.. Anthor. Mrs d. II. Plank,
D. l.. Foreman and her sister, Mrs.
Fannie Stauffer, of Elizabeth. N. j.
Women witnesses, held up until the
careful doorkeeper satisfied himself
they should be admitted, put newspa-
pers or their hands before their faces
to spoil the attempts of newspaper
photographers to snap them.
Mrs. Deichleys' friends still valiantIy
defend her, and when they heard yes
terday that Mrs. Shaw's testimony had
been taken they emitted vitriolic ex-
pressions concerning the landlady who
found the letter, and said she would
be paid back" for her part in the case.
With one word they predicted Mrs.
Deichleys vindication and pronounced
the letter forgery. One of the Nor
gantown women, interviewed at the
Mahary residence in Ridge avenue,
yesterday, said;
So intense is the interest of churcnmen
In the Investigation that religious meet
ings scheduled to be held in Tdnity
Church have been cancelled without no
tice, SO that the hearings may not be dis
turbed. A troop Of children belonging 70
the Junior Christian Endeavor Society
went to the door yesterday, but were
turned away.
Todays proceedings will see the sum
NIT Of the prosecutions case. The letter
ascFibed to Mrs. Deichley and denounced
by her as a forgery will be rend and tine
opening made for expert testimony by
handwriting students.
With the opening of the defense on
Monday Mrs. Deichley may get the oppor-
tunity to back up the published assertions
that the case against Or. Shasfer is built
on forgery and conspiracy. and that the
whole affair is part of a church political
game II Or. Shaffer be cleared 1t will hc
tantamount to denial of the letters an
thenticity. and this would substantate
the widows assertions that the whole
case is inspired by personal reasons.