The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-25
Committee Finds Him
Guilty of Unbecom-
ing Conduct.
BROTHER TO FIGHT
MATTER IN COURT
Will Sacrifice Every Considcra-
ton in Seeking Vindication of
Accused Preacher, Whose
Conviction, He Charges, Is
An Atrocious Outrage.
Statement by Denny.

Roanoke, Va. January oi.-Thc Rav.
W. II. II. Joyce. former pastor of Trim
lty Methodist Episcopal Church. South,
who had been on trial for two days
on charge of conduct unbcconins a
minister Of the gospel, was found
guilty this afternoon by committee
of ministers Of the Baltimore Confer
ence. He was dismissed from the min
istry and from membership I'm the
church. The verdict Of the ministers
was unanimous.
The official statement of Bishop Col
Inns Denny on ,he findings OF the COM
m!,tec follows:
The committee on trial in the case
OF the Rev. w. II. H. joyce was con
fined 10 the sole question OF his char
acter and conduct. By the law of the
church on the charge preferred, no
other question was or could be consid-
cred. The finding OF the committee is
that the letter which the Rev. w II. II.
Joyce confesses TO have written. to-
gethcr With what is involved in the
writing OF that letter, alone consid-
cred. are sufficient grounds to exclude
a man from the ministry and member
ship OF the Methodist Episcopal
Church. South. The foregoing state
ment is given at the request of the
committee.
tSigncd) COLLINS DENNY.
Bishop Presiding"
The defense was conducted by the
Rev. Z. Register, OF Baltimore. while
the Rev. II. II. Hamili, D. D., Of Blacks
burg, conducted the prosecution.
Calls 1t Outrage.
Charles NJ. Joyce an attorney OF
baltimore, brother OF the Rev W. H.
II. joyce. said this afternoon:
II consider the conviction of my
brother. the Rev. W. II. II. Joyce, o!
immortality by the Methodist trial COM
mittee as one of the most atrocious
outrages ever perpetrated upon an
American citizen"
The charge was oased solely and
only upon the fact that my brother
wrote Il letter to hurried woman. In
, which he expressed his love for her
The prosecuting counsel in the case, in
his argument, stated that he was CON
WINGED that Mr. Joyce was absolutely
innocent of any criminal!ty. nor could
from the letter.
The trial was conducted without
any regard whatever to the legal rules
of evidence. We are determined &c
seek vindication in the civil courts
where we are convinced that ultima 4
Justice Will be done. 1t Is my intcn
tlon 10 move my law office from Bal
iimore to Roanoke and sacrifice every
other consideration in the effort to
clear the name of my brother from
this outrageous injustice. One of the
committee who drew the ini'ctmen,
said AZ the Time that tho charge should
have been indiscrction instead of i'm
morality. and that had ii not been for
the presiding elder il would not have
been so worded.
Put In False Light.
The church regards as immoral any
act not in conformity with the teach
mss of the Scriptures, but the world
does not SO regard the meaning of this
word. and when they publish to tho
world that he has been guilty OF i'm
morality they put him in false iigh,
before the world, for which VIC contend
there Is legal redress
Besides this, there arc certain mcr
in Roanoke who have ruthlcssly spread
broadcast reports about my brother
which were false and malicious, ana
shall endeavor TO bring before a
court of Justice the men responsible
for these reports. IL a mans charac-
ter and reputation is held sacred by
the people of Virginia. we feel sure
that ultima tely we will secure complete
and perfect vindication in the courts
OF Justice