Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-08-26
WOMAN SAY@PAS|OR
DETAINED CHARACTER
Case Against Rev. J. B. Meloy,
Former Pastor Here, Is
Sensational
PLAINTIFF MEMBER OF FLOCK
Wife Of Brother Minister, a Teacher
in Rev. MeIoys Sunday School, and
President Of X. I. c. e. Before the
Trouble Arose in the chureh-Mrs.
Hamilton Wants $4,000.

ur,ay evening. coming from Waterloo,
to the effect that Mrs ]. w. Hamilton,
of LaPorte, had brought suit against
Rev. j. b. Meloy, for $4,000 damages
on a charge of SANDER, proved OF great
local interest by reason of the pastor
wide acquaintance here. Mr. Mccoy
built and was the first pastor OF, the
State street United Evangelical
church and remained as pastor three
wears. when he was assigned to La
PORTE TO be succeeded here by Rev.
p. Fl. Hines.
Mrs. J. w. Hamilton, the plainttn
in the SANDER suit, is the wife OF the
na stor Of the United Evangelical
church at Lucas. She claims that MT.
Meloy has circulated defamatory re.
marks concerning her character, anu
cites two counts in her petition. NE.
Meloy has, as yet filed no answer IN
the Blackhawk district court, but IL Is
presumed that he will have a defense
to offer.
The Waterloo Courier OF Saturday
evening tells Of the case as follows.
"A sensational petition, asking sS,-
600 damages for SANDER, was tiled
yesterday afternoon by Mrs. y. w
Hamilton against ]. b. Meloy, OF ltI-
Porte. The bill of complaint is di-
vided into two counts and covers SIX
typewriter pages of legal cap paper.
This,is the same plaintiff who inst-
tuted suit against Mrs. Frank some
time ago for a similar sum on SIM
/ liar charge.
"rhe bill Of complaint sets out the
allegations that Mrs. Hamilton Is a
married woman and has resided IN
/ La Porte for the past four years: that
with her daughter. Rebecca, she was
conducting a dressmaking shop IN
the front rooms of the apartment
which they occupy as a residence, over
the postoffice Plaintiffs husband.
Rev. J. w Hamilton. is a minister OF
the gospel, affiliated with the United
Evangelical church, and is temporarily
in charge at Lucas, Iowa where he
spends the greater portion of his time.
Plaintiff has resided with her. husband
at his charge and attended the usual
duties devolved upon a minister's Wife.
She alleges that she SO resided with
her husband and attended to her USUAL
duties while he was engaged as a
minister OF the charge at La Porte,
but when he was transferred to Luz
cas-, she was advised by several ply
sicians that it was necessary, on ac-
count Of her health, to give up the
arduous work connected with min
listers charge; that during, all OF the
time since then she has conducted her
dressmaking establishment to the end
that she and her daughter might pro-
vide themselves with the necessaries
Of life, the salery of Rev. T. w. Hanil
ton being insufficient for that purpose
The plaintiff states that since TAX
ing up her residence In La Porte she
became prominently connected with
the work Of the United Evangelical
denomination, for time as the wife
of the pastor. and since her hus-
bands leaving in her personal and
individual capacity; that during all
OF the time she was devoted to her.
church duties, performing the usual
work, engaging in charitable and spir-
itual labor, and was until recently a
teacher in the Sabbath school and
president OF the Young Peoples so
ciety.
.'The petition sets out that the de-
PENDANT, Rev. j. b. Meloy, is at the
present time, and has been for sew
eral years past, a minister of the
United Evangelical faith and is now
located as pastor at La Porte; that
he was one OF the successors Of plain
tiff's husband and until recently plain
tiff attended his church for religious
worship.
Alleges SIanderous Language.
Under count one, the plaintiff al
leges that on or about May 8, 1907,
a certain party, resident of La Porte,
commenced and continued to utter and
circulate certain slanderous matter
concerning the plaintiff and that the
same came to the ears OF the defend
ant who, without careful and pains
taking examination OF the affair and
contrary to the methods prescribed in
the church discipline, commenced to
harrass, annoy and embarrass the
plaintiff with the object Of driving her
from her church. the church of her
husband, to which she was much de-
voted. 1t is alleged that she was
threatened with expulsion from the
church unless she voluntarily with
drew her, name.''
Says He Charged immortality.
TT is alleged also that at this time
and at other times the defend
ant said to different persons. some of
whom were members of the church
and others were not, that plaintiff
had haan scan thru tha u.indn1,.S