The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-15
Rev. J. Nj. Mason Convicted at a
Church Trial.
Told Congregation Bishop Was
Sick When He Wasn't.
WERE MANY CHARGES.
Took Jury Three Hours to Make
Up Verdict.
Convicted Preacher Belonged to
Methodist Conference.

Fort Scott, Kan, Oct. 15.-The Rev.
j. NJ. Mason, of Columbus, Kan,
member of the South Kansas confer
ence of the Methodist Episcopal church
was last night found guilty Of untruth-
fulness. His trial was held before Pre-
siding Elder w. c. Bailey and jury
of nine members Of the conference. The
jury was out three hours.
The preacher was charged with dis
honesty, untruthfulness and using
church bulletin to advertise a personal
interest. All of the charges with the
exception of that of untruthfulneSS were
disregarded. Three of the five a1lega-
lions OF untruthfulnesS were sustained.
The charges originated at lola, wherS
the Rev. Mr.. Mason was pastor two
years ago.
The preacher was surprised at the
verdict. He Immediately announced
conference to reverse the verdict. 1t
meets in Paola next March.
Rev. b. Kelly for Defense.
The Rev. Bernard Kelly, of Emporia,
formerly presiding elder of the South
Kansas conference, and pension agent
es for the defense. On the direct ex-
animation Mr.. Kelly took up the
charges one at a time. In answer to
the charge that Mr.. Mason held out
$50 from the benevolence fund at the
general conference in Baldwin in March
1908, he said in substances:
Mr.. Mason told me that he had been
i'll in the hospital several weeks and
that he was short of funds. He said
that he had subscribed $50 to benevo-
lences, but that the subscriptions of
his church were sufficient to meet the
apportionment from his lola church
without his $50. He asked that he be
allowed to hold that part of the money
out until the following year. and as
presiding elder I gave him the permis-
sion. He told me that he would have
to borrow the sum if I did not allow
him to withhold his own subscription.
I'm regard to the charge that Mr..
Mason withheld $15 from a collection
taken in his church in February, 1908,
for the correctional fund, I answer that
in February of that year I requested
that collection for the fund be taken.
asked for only So. His church sub
scribed a few cents more than $40. AS
presiding elder I directed him to put
the extra money in the fund for worn
out ministers in Kansas He did as
advised.
In answer to the charge that he
promised to do the evangeliStic work
or pay for the services of an evangelist
if the lola church would raise his sal
airy, answer that no such agreement
could have been entered into without
the sanction of the presiding elder. 1
did sanction the raise in salary. Mr.
Mason had been receiving 81 800. His
salary was raised to s., 700. I was not
informed about an agreement to do
eVangeLstic work. I do know that an
evangelist conducted meetings at the
church at lola and that a collection
was taken up to pay him."
Mr. Kelly followed the reply to the
charges with a general statement of
Mr. Mason's efficiency as a pastor. He
said he was good at raising money and
in getting conversions On cross-ex.
animation Mr.. Kelly was asked if 1t
was not true that Mr.. Mason was the
cause of dissension in every church
where he had pastorate. He answered
in part;
Mr.. Mason was always very out
spoken. He never was afraid to enter
a fight for what he believed was right.
Such men make enemies
Were Many Charges.
There were nine different charges
against Rev. J. NJ. Mason. Only on the
first charge that of lying" was he
found guilty. That charge was as fol-
lows:
Specification Having previously
announced that Bishop ]. NJ. Thoburn
would preach in the First Methodist
named, the Rev. J. M. Mason, on or
about December Is, 1908. announced to
a public congregation assembled in the
said First Methodist Episcopal church
in lola, Kan, wv. G. Anderson, Rev.
w. H. Underwood, C. R. Morrison, Rev.
A P Hamilton, L. H. Wishard, Glenn
Lawyer and others being presently that
Bishop J. NJ. Thoburn could not be pres
ent in lola at that hour because he,
Bishop Thoburn, was seriously i'll. He
further stated that the sickness of
Bishop ]. NJ. Thoburn was of such a
| serious character that the good bishop
at that time was possibly passing to
| his eternal reward; whereas, he, the
Rev. J. M. Mason, knew that these
statements were misleading and abso-
| Iutely false. Furthermore, the Rev. ]
NJ. Mason had information concerning
| the fact that Bishop ]. NJ. Thoburn was
church in Wichita, Kan, on the day
and hour that he, the Rev. J. M. Ma
son, had announced that Bishop J. NJ.
| Thoburn would preach in the First