Evening journal., 1908-03-19
MINISTERS HEAR
THE CHARGES
tcOntInued From FIrat Parsl

Ccontinued From First Pager
bership Of the church and undertook
local preachers work.
Orders Recognized.
At the conference session in March
at Crisheld on the strength of a COPY
OF the credential from the Congrega-'
tional Church, it is alleged, DR.. Light
bourn's orders as an elder were re
cognized" by the Conference and he
was assigned to ministerial work. A.
the Conference session a year later, at
Easton, DR.. Lightbourn was admitted
into full membership in the Confer
ence as an elder. Now 1t Is charged
that the credentials weer fictitious.
raise and fraudulent and that DR.
Lightbourn permitte dthe credentials
to be presented
One Of abe most important witnesses
called by the prosecution was r. r
Barry, registrar of the Fairfield Wet
Association of the Congregational
church. His home is in Stamford.
Conn Mr.. Barry produced the re-
CORDS OF the association and they fail
ed to reveal any notation of such a
certincate as that presented to the
quarterly conference. Mr. Barry said
Or. Lightbourn had been an elder in
the association but htat his fellowship
was dissolved because he was not en-
gagged in the active ministry put in
newspaper work.
The Rev. DR.. Wilbur F. CorHran.
who was presiding elder at the time
DR.. Lightbourn was admitted into the
conference, testified that he received
from some source what purported 10
be a certificate accrediting Or. Light
bourn from the Congregation Church.
lie presumed the certificate was sent
by DR.. Lightbourn but did not knew
positively DR.. Corlxran also was NOT
clear as to what he did with this
It.
Preachers Testify.
The Rev DR. c. S. Baker and others
who were presiding elders at the time
testified that they had not seen the
certificate in question.
The Revs. w. L. S. Murray T. A.
II. O'Brien, M. d. Nutter and other
members of the committee on confer
ence relations that passed upon DR..
Lishthourn's admission into the Con
ference and the recognition" Of his
orders testified that they never saw
the original certificate or credentials
trom the Congregational Church. A
copy of the credentials spread upon
the minutes Of the Easton quarterly
conference was submitted. however. and
some Of the ministers who were on the
conference relations committee said
they had an impression that the ORR
ginal certificate was to be produced.
DIR. Lightbourne did not produce the
original certificate or the COPY. how
ever, the copy having been transmit
ted from the Easton quarterly con-
ference, but some of the ministers had
an impression that somebody promised
to produce the original. Just who made
such a promise or gave such an i'm
preston is one Of the salient points in
the testimony.
Or. Lightbourn Objects
When the Rev. T. A. H. O'Brien was
testifying last night and was asked
by Mr.. Cantwell as to what idea he
got from certain things said in the
committee on conference relations, DR..
Lightbourne objected TO the minister
or any persons testifying as to their
impressions.
"A witness should testify as to the
facts. not what is in his mind" said
DR. Lightbourn. "From now on IL
shall insist upon an orderly procedure.
Witness after witness has testified as
ito his impressions. what he thought"
j. II. McNeal, recording secretary Of
the Easton quarterly conference con-
ference, testified that the credential
purporting to be from the Congrega-
tionai Church was submitted to the
quarterly conference and on the
strength Of it DR.. Lightbourn was re-
ceived into membership and as a local
preacher. Mr.. McNeal said DR.. Light
bourn did not present the credential
nor was he presetn at the time.
The Rev. w. A. Wise, secretary OF
the Wilmington Conference, produced
minutes of the sessions of 1902 and
1903, showing that DR.. Lightbourne
was admitted on the strength of Gre
dentials from the Congregational
Church.
No such credentials from the Congrega-
tional Church can be found among the
secretary's records now.
Mrs. Grise, widow of Rev. c. A.
Grise, was before the committee as a
witness shortly before noon. She was
questioned as to her knowledge of the
certificate in question, and told what
she knew Of it.
Defense This Afternoon
The defense viii open this afternoon
and already there are many witnesses
lowering about the church ready to be
called. The defense has summoned
Mr.. Barry the officer of the Fairfield
West Association, and he may be put
on the stand as a star witness for DR..
Lightbourne. The defense also sum
moned Mr.. McNeal, of Easton, to ap-
pear this afternoon as a witness to
testify as to certain statements made
when the Quarterly Conference ac- !
cepted the certificate from the Con-
gregational Church.
Prominent laymen from Wesley
Church, Dover, have focked to Asbury
and large delegation will invade
Wilmington tomorrow morning in be-
half Of DR.. Lightbourn. The Dover
Methodists assert that factionalism is
back Of the charges against DR.. Light |
bourn, and il was said this morning
that the defense may attempt 70 prove
a conspiracy involving the presenta- |
ton Of a fraudulent certificate from
the Congregational Church, and that
DR.. Lightbourn had no knowledge OF
such a certificate, but supposed all the /
while he was being readmitted on his
old orders as a member Of the VIII |