The San Francisco call., 1908-11-10
Was Forced to Resign From
Catholic Church and Expelled
by Lutheran Synod
Clergyman Connected With
Edna Clark Mystery Has
Checkered Career
Driven to Bay by Admissions,
Accused Pastor Demands
Church Investigation
Search of Country Fails to Re.
veal Whereabouts of Missing
Art Student

Driven to bay by his own
admissions, Father Payson
Young, rector of the Episco-
pal church of st. Mary the
Virgin, took the initiative in
throwing open the fioodgates
of inquiry yesterday by ask
ing Bishop William Ford
Nichols to make a full and
immediate investigation of
the accusations connecting him
with Edna Clark, the missing
Alameda art student.
With his demand there came
from other sources the record OF
his past life and through 1t all there
ran the same theme which has brought
about his present trouble-women- His
religion he changed three times within
the last few years and in each case
women played an important part He
was a Catholic. he was a Lutheran. he
was an Episcopalian. He was COM
PEELED to resign from one church to
avoid a scandal and was expelled from
another for immoral conduct with the
girls under his pastoral care.
al Z.
was not to be found yesterday, arriv-
ing at his residence in Oakland late
last night and then absolutely refusing
to be interviewed. His study at Steiner
and Union streets was closed all day.
II was In vain that men and women.
going there on church business.
knocked at the door. There was no
answering response. His home in Oak
land knew him not. He was not TO be
found at the residences of his vestry-
men, and It was not until near mid
night that he showed himself
In the face OF the accusations. the
rumors. the charges which have swept
over his diocese. Bishop Nichols took
a decided stand and let IL be known
among MS clergy ana pdIishiOneIs thaC
anything which might tend to unravel
the problem of the missing girl should
be made public.
This entire case has to be made
known TO the public.v said he. Moth
ing is to be hidden. nothing kept secret
If there has been wrons and evil II Is
better that IL be disclosed Immediately
have decided that nothing is to be
kept back An incident such as this
affects the community as well as the
church. and secrecy would be OF no
benefit to either the community or the
church"
The record OF Father Young. accord
ing TO those who, knew his past. Is
but the record of the loves OF a priest
ling. Womenl women! womeni They
run through his career at every stage
Thew mark and mar almost every page
of his life's history.
He was first heard from in FELTON,.
Cal. where he ran small paper. He
informed the people of that community
that he was originally Roman Catho-
lie priest. claiming Oakland as his
birthplace. He came to the fore again
In 1897. when he was admitted as a
licentiate into the Lutheran church.
taking charge of the First Lutheran
church at Eighteenth and Grove streets
in Oakland during the absence of the
pastor, Rev. John E. Bushnell. who
REMAINS THREE MONTHS
Young remained there three months.
but when Bushnell returned he left
and with his departure there began
whispers Of the marked attention he
had paid to several young women un-
der his pastoral care There was. how
ever, nothing definite in connection
with this phase OF his life
On leaving Oakland he went east and
finally secured charge of a small Luth-
eran church in Shelbyville. Tenn He
remained there year. but left under
a cloud, the accusation being the same
old one-that of undue attentions TO
several girls in his congregation.
He disappeared again for a short time
and then turned up in Venango. Pa.
where he again took the pastorate OF
Lutheran church. In a few months the
old runors were started. and so strong
became the gossip that in order to
avoid a scandal he resigned from the
church The story was to the effect
that he made love to the young daugh-
ter of a man named Muckenhaupt lead
ing her to think that he would marry
her.
He left venango. but the rumors fol-
lowed him. eliminating in formal
charges being made by Muckenhaupt
before the Rocky mountain synod OF
the Lutheran church. Young in the
meantime had secured the care OF a
church in Boulder, Colo.
The synod listened to the charges.
Investigated them. and Young was sx-