The Springdale news., 1908-02-07
THOMAS CASE
 FINALLY SETTLED

Rev. James I iofHaS k one of tue most prominent ministers of the Methodist Church. South, in Arkansas. e4efai wears a4e charges were made against him to the effect that he was one Otto Brock, who had deserted his wife in Texas and committed divers crimes against the moral code. The people whe made the charg- eN, at least some of them were in perfectly good faith, and Il was case of remarkable similar tty between two men. The foI- lowing from the Arkansas Ga zctte tells how the case ended, says the fayetteville Daily:
 At conference It San Antonio, Texas, I u es q ' ornin z before Rev. James Thomas, his attorneys, Thomas $. Buzbee and Thomas NJ. AIehatfey and G, N. Hester, banker of Dcvine. Texas, and lis attorney, AI N. Davis of  San Antonio, q compromise was arranged in the s50,600 damage suit for libel brought by Rev Mir. Thomas against Hester in the Hot Springs Circuit Court, by which Mr. Hester paid 91,v4o to AIr. Thomas have the suit withdrawn. AIr. Hester also made affidavit fetfatting the statement made bv him, which was the cause of the suit, iH which he charged Key. Mr. Thomas with being oue Otto Brock, q rascal. whom he had known at Garfizzo Springs, Tex, years ago.
 The conference was brought about at the request of Mr. Hes ter's attorney. Last Monday night AIr homas and his at torneys were preparing to leave t. San Antonio Ter home, after spending four or five days in Tex as taking dispositions to be used in the suit against Hester. Mr. Davis came To them and asked them to stay over until the next morning, stating that he and Mir. Hester were ready to ar range q settlementif II could be done. Key. Mr. Thomas and his attorneys had secured the dispositions of some f7 witnesses and had very strong case, but as Mr Thomas stated that he was not after Hester's money but his own Hindieatfon, the matter was settled bY tie payment of IS1, ,000 and q retraction of the statement made by Hester.
 Alr. Thomas has also secured q voluntary affidavit from the Rev. l. K Waller of Madill, Ok, the only other man who ever identi- fled him as Otto Brock, in which Mir. Waller states that he is now satisfied that Mr. Thomas is Hot Otto Brock. This with the teSti- mony of 5 witnesses, all of whom knew Otto Brock and all of whom sWore that Rev. James Thomas was Hot Otto Brock, 1t is thought It k enough to complete ly eXhonorate Key. Mr T Thomas from the charge which was brought against him by members of the Methodist church more than five wears ago, and which has never until now been entirely disproYed. The charges agaiEs5 Rev. Mr. Thomas have caused q great disturbance in Mcthodism here intermittently for five years, and have resulted i'll the tempo rary suspension of one ]. $. flaw kinS, a Methodist minister, and caused much bitter feeling be. tween Mr Thomas friends and those who have been foremost in pushing the investigation of the charges against him.
 'You, ny friendml believed the orator, leaning over the desk and pointing his long finger at the honest old farmer in the front row, relates the Chicago Tribune. "You realize, do you not, that you occupy prouder position than any monarch of the old world? You can make and un- make men. You can adopt or defeat the pol1ces Of presidents, curb the ambition of the dema- gogue, and III the last analysis you declare war or peace, punish monopoly, reward patriotic en-