Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1911-09-28
The Case of DR.. J. o. Knott.

The Baltimore and Richmond Chris
tian Advocate" one OF the strongest pa
pers in the M. E. Church South, has the
following to say Of the case of DR.. 0.
Knott in its editorial column within the
last few weeks:
The Baltimore Southern Methodist re-
ports that DR.. John o. Knott, talented
minister of the Baltimore Conference,
who has held many prominent appoint
mentS, and who has been instrumental in
building some beautiful churches, and
who has made many warm friends in
various sections of the church, has been
expelled from the ministry and member
ship OF the church. DR.. Knott positively
denies his guilt in connection with the
charges made against him. DR.. John A.
Kern was counsel for DR.. Knott before
the committee, and has taken an appeal
from the verdict OF the committee TO the
committee on appeals, constituted by the
action Of the last General Conference.
This committee is composed OF one
bishop, to be selected by the College OF
Bishops, having regard TO the accessible
ity OF the bishop OF that year, and also
four travelling ministers and three laymen,
to be elected by the General Conference
on the nomination OF the committee on
itinerancy, who shall continue as men,
bers until the succeeding General Con-
ference. The bishop shall preside at all
meetings OF the committee, and a vote oi
four members OF said committee con-
curing shall be sufficient to decide all
questions. The committee shall sit for
the hearing Of appeals at the Publishing
House in Nashville, Tenn, on the call OF
the presiding bishop, unless for good rea-
sons the bishop shall designate differ
ent place. When the case is called for
hearing, the appellant shall file a written
statement of the errors complained OF by
him, and OF the reasons assigned by him,
and upon which he relies for areverSal a OF
the decision. The appellant shall then,
either in person or by his representative,
state the grounds Of his appeal, and he
shall be permitted TO make his argument
in his defense. The representative ofthe
committee of trial Of the Annual Confer
ence, from which the appeal is taken,
shall then be permitted to respond, and
the appellant may reply thereto. AT the
conclusion OF the argument, the commit
fee shall consider the case privately, and
announce its decision TO the respective
parties. The decision OF such committee
shall be final, and it shall reportits decis-
ion to the next General Conference.
II the judgment OF the committee ofap-
peals be that the appellant be expelled
from the membership of the church, or
from the ministry, he shall not be restor-
ed TO the communion OF the church with
out giving satisfactory evidence ofrepen-
tance Of the offenSe for which he was ex-
PEELED, unless the Annual Conference be-
comes convinced that he was innocent,
in which case the Annual Conference may
restore him to his former standing by
vote of two-thirds Of the Conference.
The committee Of appeals may reverse
the decision OF the trial committee, in
which case the accused minister shall,
by said decision, be restored to the same
position as il no trial had occurred, or the
committee may remand the case foranew
trial.
The fact that DR.. Kern, who is well
known throughout Southern Methodism
as one OF the strongest and best men OF
the church, has taken an appeal from the
decision Of the committee, causes many
friends of Brother Knott and ofthe church
TO hope that the trial committee has made
a mistake in its verdict, and that the COM
mittee on appeals may be ableto find that
Brother Knott is not guilty, and therefore
should not be expelled from the ministry
and membership Of our church. 1t IS to
be taken for granted, Of course, that the
committee of trial which found Dr. Knott
guilty would be delighted should it be
made plain that the committee was mis-
taken in its conclusions.