Evening journal., 1908-03-20
DIR. LIGHTBOURN
CASE ON AGAIN
Methodist Conference Com
mittee Resumes Hearings
This Afternoon
THE DEFENSE HAS OPENED

There was a lull to-day in the hear
ing by committee Of fifteen ministers
of the Wilmington Conference of the
charges preferred against the Rev. DR..
A. W. Lightbourn.in which it is al
legged that he secured recognition Of his
orders and was admitted into the Con-
ference on false and fraudulent creden-
tials, purporting to be from the Con-
.gregational Church, and which it is
charged DR.. Lightbourn permitted to
be presented.
The prosecution closed late yester-
day afternoon, and DR.. Lightbourn and
the Revs. T. e. Terry and E. H. Da-
shell, his counsel, Immediately opened
the defense. One of the witnesses re-
called yesterday afternoon was L. T..
Berry, Of Stamford, Conn, secretary
and registrar Of the Fairfield Associa-
ton Of the Congregational Church. He
produced the records of the Fairfield
Association, and again went over them.
showing that no such certificate as
that purported to have been issued by
the Congregational Church, and which
was spread upon the minutes of the
Easton (Md) Quarterly Conference
ever had been issued officially by the
Fairfield Association. Mr. Berry also
failed to find any record Of a telegram
purported to have been sent to the
the Easton Quarterly Conference. stat
ing that such a certificate had been
mailed. 1t is said such a telegram was
received at Easton, but the telegram
has not been produced in evidence, al
though 1t has been testified to-
The Rev. Dr. Alfred Smith was ex-
amined as a witness as to a certain
letter which 1t is alleged reference was
made to the certificate purporting to
be from the Congregational Church.
The prosecution recalled DR.. Robert
Watt, w. G. Koons. DIR. "A. S. Now
bray, DR.. W. +. CorlSran and DR.. C..
S. Baker and questioned them as to
whether they had seen the certificate
supposed to be from the Congregational
Church. DR.. Corkran saw such a certi-
ficate and had it in his possession, he
testified. 1t came to him 10y mail.
DR. Mowbray, who at the time was
secretary Of the conference, testified
that such a certificate from the Con-
gregational Church was not passed to
him as secretary. even though the
minutes show that DR.. Lightbourn's
orders from the Congregational Church
were recognized.
w. E. Shannahan, a leading member
of the church at Easton. and ]. H. Nc.
Neal, secretary of the Eeston quarterly
conference, We're called as preliminary
witnesses for the defense. Mr.. Nc
Neal produced the records of the
quarterly conference containing a copy
Of the alleged Congregational Church
certificate.
DR.. Lightbourn then took the stand in
his own behalf, and made a long state
ment of his connection with the minis
try and his business life covering many
years. He went back to his entrance into
the ministry and how after leaving the
Wilmington Conference he became secro-
tary Of the Wool Exchange in New York
and later became an editorial writer on
the New York Mail aisi Express He told
Of his going into the Congregations
Church and Of his readrnission into the
Wilmington Conference.
He denied any knowledge OF such a cor
tihcate as purported to be from the Con.
gregational Church, and asserted that Il
references had been made in the com.
mittee on conference relations to a GER
tihcate he supposed these references were
to his original credentials or papers ane
not TO any such certificate from the
Congregational Church
Mr.. Berry, Of the Congregational
Church, left for his home last night.
He was recalled as a witness before
goin and showed that Dr. Lightbourn
had been Recognized by the Congrega-
tional Church because Of the presen-
tation Of his original endorsed papers
on which he entered into the ministry
In the Independent Methodist Church.
from which he went into the Methodist
Church. There was no hearing in the