The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-06
CHURCH CASES WERE IN COURT Adams Street Affair Be- fore the Recorder. MIR. CHANDLER ACQUITTED Mi. Scott Fined $ for His
 Part. Controversy Was Characterised as ~DepIorabIer--It Was Gone Over |. It. various Phases Be-
 fore Reeerder Baber.
 

The ease of wflIis Chandler and Thonnas Scott. charged with disorderiy conduct in disturbing the meeting at the Adams Street Baptist Churcn Wea- nesday night, was tried yesterdsy ID fine Recorders Court, three and one half hours being required for the hear ing of the evidence. and the pleas of the Attorneys MT. Chandler was dis charged by Judge Baber, MT. Scott was fined $5 and costs.
 The case was begun shortly after { o'clock in the afternoon and 1t was ' o'clock before the evidence in the case had been heard and sifted An addi- speeches and rebuttals of the prose cutting and defending attorneys. some half dozen witnesses were called upon to testify, and Mfr. Chandler, MT. Scott and Mir. Thrasher were put on the stand. The whole of the Adams Street controversy was gone over.
 The arrest of Messrs. Chandler ana Scott was, 1t is alleged, the cuimiha- ton of a struggle for domination of the affairs of the Adams Street Baptist Church, between two factions led by Willis Chandler and J. T.. Thrasher, respectiyely. The Thrasher faction, coraposed of about thirty members of the church, 1t was stated, went to the church Wednesday night. and after q song and a prayer, institutea 4 pusi- ness meeting. Shortly after MT. Chand- Ter entered the building and found MT. Thrasher presiding over the meeting In fhe capacity the Thrasher faction claimed, of moderator. MT. Chandler IA eaid to have denied Mir. Thrasher's riaht to preside over the meeting MT. Chandler had been elected moderatoE at previous meeting II was claimed fhat Mir. Scott interrupted the meeting, rm~ 1nx. .AnA that Mir. TnEAS ASn . Ar be 'sput out" of the building.
 The alleged disturbance ceased when Mr. Chandler and his followers retired to fhe auditorium of the building, ana there held a meeting of tneir own. warrants were sworn out py Mr. Tnrasher later. for the arrest or Messrs. Chandler and Scott, on tns charge of disorderly conduct.
 The evidence yesterday revealed nc neyv facts in connection with the case. The prosecution endeavored to snow that the scene enacted at the cnurcn wac an attempt, unJustifiabie and sacrilegious to dominate the affairs ot the church. The incident was descrlo- d as "deplorablev one, and as setting before the children present an example most evil It was declared women and children had been driven from wor- ship.
 The defense on the other hand strove
 
 to move that the meeting was con yened not for worship but for the transaction of business, and as of sucn character did not come within the range of the law. The defense denied that under the circumstances that tIanspired during the meeting, 1t could be said that Messrs. Chandler and Scott were responsible for the disturbance, admitting that their actions upon that occasion precipitated the trouble. point of law was produced to show that in the event of such disturbance as that which occurred, right lay with the majority, and. 1t was declared, Mir Chandler and his faction constituted the majority in the case referred to.
 After the attorney for the prosecu- tion had made the closing speech, Judge Baber rendered hts decision. The judge characterized the occurrence as regrettable, but stated that in his opinion Mir. Chandler acted with con stituted authority and was discharged, Such was not the case with MT. Scott. was the opinion of the judge, and he was fined $5 and costs.
 The case attracted great deal of in- terest, and a large crowd listened to the proceedings. Spectators and law yers were somewhat exhausted at the conclusion of the trial the longest held in the Recorders Court for several months.