Smyrna times., 1910-03-23
CONFERENCE CLOSES ITS
SESSIONS AT SALISBURY
BISHOP READ OUT APPOINT
MENTS AT NOON YESTERDAY
Rev. {, L. Hoffecker, Rewarded With
Superintendency of Wilmi ngton
District t-BusY Session.

With a large attendance Of minis
ters and laymen the forty an
nual session of the Wilmington Con-
ference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church closed its session yesterday
after one of the most interesting
and profitable gatherings the confer
ence has held in recent years. Sails
bury is an ideal town and being
favored with beautiful spring-like
weather, the town was filled, not
only with its quota of ministers but
with visitors from all parts of the
peninsula. Bishop John W. Hamil-
ton made an ideal presiding officer
and struck the popular favor of most
everybody. Sunday was the big day
of conference. The Bishop was, as
usual, in charge of the morning SER
vice and his vigorous sermon has been
widely commented upon. All the
churches, nearly, were filled by
Methodist ministers. Congressman
Richard P. Hobson, the Hero of the
Merrimac, talked to crowd of 5000
or more at an open air meeting on
"a Battle of the Nations, America
the battle-ground" No hall or church
was big enough to accommodate those
who were eager to hear him.
Baker Dismissed from Conference. /.
Quite the most exciting business
before conference was the trial of
Rev. Charles S. Baker, recently of
st. Michaels, Md, who withdrew
some months ago. Dismissed from
the Wilmington Conference four
years ago and reinstated by the judi
cial committee-of the General Confer
ence three years ago and sent to St.
Michaels, Md, Rev. Charles S. Baker
was on Friday dismissed from the
Wilmington Conference a second time.
Charges of imprudence, unministerial
conduct, fraud, falsehood and en-
bezzlement had been formally made
against him October 30 of last year.
He signed the receipt of the charges
November l, and on November 5
mailed his withdrawal. When the
withdrawal reached the hands of Bis
hop Hamilton this morning the Bis
hop decided that it was necessary to
appoint a committee to take charge
of the case because of the omission
of the words ''under charges, which
had to be included to make a plea of
guilty. to the charges. The COM
mitttee met at Methodist Church
South. 1t found that he had really
withdrawn under charges and that
it was equal to an expulsion, as it
will not allow him to enter another
conference without consent of this.
The charges we're read by Rev. r.
K. Stevenson. 1t is said that he
borrowed money, was negligent of
his charge, preach such sermons as
TO bring scandal and distress upon
the church. and that his conduct was
unministerial.
Rev. Adam StengIe's Relations Changed
Rev. Adam Stengle, upon his own
request, had his relations changed
from active to superannuate, as were
those of Rev. w. H. S. Williams.
c. N. Jones was selected solicitor or
the Peninsula Methodist. The ap-
portionment of the conference for
the episcopal fund will be 81, $40 this
year. The dividend of the book con-
Germ to the conference for invest
ments was reported to be 81. 772.
The managers of the Conference
Educational Society were elected as
follows: Rev. v. S. Collins and F..
F. Carpenter and Laymen A. B.
Mayor and James B. Tawes. Rev.
Alfred Scott withdrew from the min
lstry and turned in his parchment.
In the memorial services presided
over by the Rev. C. w. Prettyman
those in whose memory the services
were held were Mrs. Cadd,e Ander-
son, wife Of Rev. J. F. Anderson,
read by DR.. 7. E. Terry, and Mrs.
Annie Belle Lindale, wife of Rev.
!. M. Lindale, read by Rev. G. l..
Hardesty, and Thomas L. Frymire,
read by Rev. J T. Richardson. Rev.
A. S. Mowbray. retiring superin-
tendent of the Wilmington district,
was presented with a purse contain
ing Sl00 in gold. Rev. S. M. Nor
gan, retiring superintendent of Dover
District, was presented with a chest
OF sterling silver. Rev w. T.
Lewis was transferred from the Will
mington Conference to the Wyoming
Conference; Rev. T. H. Jones to the
New York Conference; Rev. j. W.
Easley from the Kentucky conference
to the Wilmington Conference; Revs.
CONTINUED on FIFTH PAGE.