Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-10-12
ATTENDED CAMP WOLF
Were Summer Guests Of
Methodist Concern at
Keansburg Last Season.
PASTOR READY TO RESIGN
Denies Accusations But Says
He Will Step Out in Inter-.
est of Church.
Special to the EVENING NEWS.

Belford, Oct. 12.-This place is
greatly excited over sensational re-
ports that have been circulated re-
Gently involving the alleged conduct
of Rev. John A. Oakes, pastor of the
First Methodist church. A meeting
Of the official board of the church
was to have been held last night to
take up the charges which are said to
have been made by DR.. q. L. Fox, su-
perintendent of Camp Wolf, Metho-
dist summer resort at Keansburg,
conducted as a place to give New
York girls two weeks outing during
the vacation perior. The meeting was
not hold, however, as Mr.. Oakes was
out of town and did not get back
until late. G. e. Runyon, a member
of the official board, who saw the
pastor last night alone Is the author
fty for the statement that although
Mr.. Oakes denies absolutely the
charges, for the sake of the church
and others involved, he is willing to
resign and quit the ministry to return
to his former vocation of school
teaching.
Mrs. Oakes has been SO affected
by the recent developments that she
Is declared to be temporarily insane
and is confined to her home under the
care of a physician and friends. 1t
is understood that the Oakes have-a
daughter who is now an inmate at
Trenton.
The complaint that is causing all
the trouble is said to have been made
to DR.. Fox by two girls who visited
Camp Wolf last summer. The girls
are about seventeen years old and
were sent to the fresh air resort by
the Methodist concern, being tempo
.1arily in charge Of DR.. Fox It is de-
clared they became intimate with the
pastor of the Belford Methodist
church and when 1t came time for
them to return to the city they called
upon him to say good bye. They
state, 1t is declared, that the pastor
invited them into the house and his
wife being away, he became, it Is al
legged unduly intimate with them.
They said nothing about the occur
renee until they returned to New
York, when they are said to have
made the complaint to DR.. Fox, who,
III turn, notified the official board Of
the Belford church.
The first meeting to consider the
matter was held last Wednesday
night. The charges were read to the
pastor, 1t Is said, and according v the
account told of the meeting, he was
asked to meet the girls making the
complaint and have the matter sifted
to the bottom. 1t Is declared the
pastor refused to do this saying, It
is alleged, whats the use, they are
all against me-"
District Superintendent Hanley has
been brought into the matter and he
will be In Belford next Tuesday.
Whether Mr.. Oakes will be permitted
to resign, as 1t Is said he is willing
to do, or whether he will be formally
dismissed is not known. Mr.. Runyon,
who talked with him last night says
the minister insists that he Is inno-
cent Of any wrong-doing, but is will
ing to retire and return to his home
at Pitman Grove until such time as
he can secure a position as teacher.
1t Is declared that there was
sensation at Sharktown ten or twelve
years ago during Mr.. Cakes pastor
ate there, but nothing ever came Of