The Washington herald., 1911-12-30

1910, was improperly granted, because
he was not qualified under the statute.
and the same should be revoked, and
such will be the order of the court
The order revoking Hunnicutt's author
ity to perform marriages in the District
was signed by Judge Barnard yester-
day.
Facts Were NIsrepresented.
Last July attention was called to the
fact that many couples intending to get
married presented the parsons business
card to the marriage license clerk at
City Hall. An investigation by the
Washington Herald established the fact
that Hunnicutt was not a duly ordained
minister of the gospel; that he had OBJ
tanned his authority from the court to
perform marriages in the District by
misrepresentation of facts. and that he
employed "cappers." These facts were
published in the Washington Herald and
new evidence was added and published
every day.
Ministers OF this city unanimously
indorsed the step taken by The Wash
ington Herald. and in September Rev
William l. MCKenney, pastor of Wesley
NJ. Z. Church, Fifth and streets north
west, openly complained at the City Hall
= I
Rev Mr.. McKenney charged that a run
ncr" fo- Hunnicutt September 6 tried to
persuade a couple to substitute the lat
ter's name on marriage license in place
Of his CMcKenney's). He called the at
tention of a clerk of the District Su-
preme Court to this act, but without re-
suit
Rev. Mr.. McKenney was advised to
make q formal complaint in writing to
Chief JnStfpo Ola hamQh which Ua
The matter was also taken by Rev. Mr..
McKenney before the Pastors Fedora
tion of Washington. which, September
% last, adopted the following resolutions:
Action of Pastors. O.
Whereas the Supreme Court Of the
District of Columbia has issued license
to solemnize marriage to a person or
persons claiming to be clergymen, but
not authorized by any recognized and
incorporated religious denomination, and
who, in the exercise of that function, are
using methods to secure weddings that
are disgraceful. in that they reduce the
sacred relation of marriage and the es-
tablishment of the home to a system of
graft and barter; therefore
Resolved, That We set the seal of
our unqualified condemnation upon such
mercenary and undignified methods, and
that We, the Washington Preachers
Meeting of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, do earnestly petition the Su-
preme Court of the District to revoke
the license Of any such person or per-
sons guilty of the aforesaid practices,
and that we request that hereafter license
to perform the marriage ceremony be
issued to clergymen only of some
established and recognized denomination
which will be willing to put the seal of
its official approval and authorization
upon such clergyman; and
Resolved, That a copy of these reso-
lutions be sent to Chief Justice Clabaugh
to be laid before the Supreme Court of
the District for it's action
Took Decisive Step.
Nearly one hundred clerygmen met at
the Y. NJ. c. A. September % and took
decisive action against the system of
Gaping" and appointed a committee
OF nine to investigate the defects and
possible evils in the laws governing the
licensing of ministers in the district.
The idea Of such a report is to prepare
accommodations to be submitted to Con-
gress for remedial legislation.s
The investigating committee comprises
the following pastors: S. II. Woodrow
w. |. McKenney, G. A. Miller, P. A.
Hicock, F. ]. PTettyman, John E. Briggs,
c F. Wiley, William L. Devries, and
John NJ. Schick.
Investigations made by Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Hawken disclosed that
"cappers' included men Just outside the
cabmen, and railroad Of
fcials, conductor on a Southern Rail-
way passenger train handing Hunnicutts
card to one couple coming to Washing
ton from Richmond, Va, to get married.
Cards handed out by Hunnicutt run
ners contained his name and telephone
number. Frequently persons entering the
courthouse were handed the cards and
asked IL they intended to get a marriage
license.