The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1910-01-12
COMMUNICATED.
PAnkEasprno, W. "a, Jan. 1.

pARxEaspuno, W. Va, Jan. 7.
To the Editor Point Pleasant Register
Dear Sir:-I am informed that the
notorious ]. D. Williams, variously
self-styled Prof, . "Rev.'' Evan
gelist,' and at times "ex-priest,
as will serve the occasion best, has
for some months past, been deliver
ing his old-time Trades against the
Roman Catholic Church in number
of the more remote towns and VIII
ages of the state, notably in Cal
houn, Gilmer, Richie, Writ and
Roane counties. have heard too
that in some places ministers of the
various denominations have opened
to him their churches for his filthy
talk, and that many of the people in
places where the Catholic Church is
practically unknown, take these con-
coctions of the deprayed mind and
heart of Williams as gospel truth.
For the sake of common decency,
therefore, and honesty, and truth,
also to undeceive those who have al
lowed themselves to be imposed up.
on, ask that you publish this COM
munication over my name in as early
an issue of your paper as possible.
J. D. Williams is a well known
character in parts of West Virginia,
Ohio and Indiana. From his record,
published in the Columbian of
Columbus, o.. Nov. 5, 1904, also in
the Catholic Universe of Cleve-
land, o., Nov. II, 1904, likewise in
the Parish Monthly of Hartford
City, Ind, we gather the following:
J. D. Williams, Evangelist" and
''ex-priest" never was priest, a
student for the Catholic priesthood,
nor even a Catholic. He was one of
the state leaders of the a. P. A. in
West Virginia. At Buckhannon, W.
Va, he deserted his wife and child
and lived with a prostitute until he
tired of her and went to live with
another woman of the same charac-
ter at Redkey, Ind. This one was
discarded for fourth with whom he
cohabited for some time in Portland,
Ind. In its issue of Jan. l6, 1904,
the Columbia" also charges Will
Jams with bigamy and swindling. In
support of the latter charge it states
f that on or about Jan. l, 1898, he
started to edit an A. P. paper in
Weston, W. Va, which he called
the West Virginia Patriot" He
induced number of the citizens to
take stock in the paper, promising
to purchase complete outfit. He
also procured quite number of paid
up subscriptions for one year. He
had three issues of the paper run of
by another printing establishment,
and then decamped with upwards OF
81, 900 in paid stock and subscript-
ions, without having purchased the
outfit, and leaving his friends in the
lurch. Though Williams had every
opportunity of disproving these
charges if they were false, and of
claiming several thousand dollars
damages from the Columbian ard
the Catholic Universe, no attempt
was ever made to disprove them.
In the fall of 1904 Rev. W. S.
Kress, of Cleveland, Ohio, openly
challenged Williams in the Disciple
Church, Southington, Trumbull Co.,
Ohio, to come to court and disprove
these charges. Williams never dar-
ed go beyond a threat and promise,
which today remains unfulflled. The
challenged still stands, and if the
charges be untrue Williams has now
the additional chance of bringing a
libal suit against me. We cannot
bring Williams to court because his
charges are not against 4 particular
individual but against the Church
which is looked upon before the courts
as corporation. Our charges, how
ever. anainSt Williams are narsoroI