The Detroit times., 1912-09-17
CHURCH. TELLS INSIDE
sT0Af OF NEWELL TRIAL
Moody Officials Claim Wrong.
Doing On Part of Evangelist.
Known in Detroit

CHICAGO. Sept 16.--The Moody
. church, which declared Evangelist
william r. Newell UNIT for the min
lstry three years ago. issued COM
plete statement yesterday, answering
the bitter criticisms OF the preacher
against the instltution for its snap
Judgment : -. -. -
The church shows no answering
bitterness. II recites the several
criticisms by Newell and accompanies
each with quotations from the trial
record Some are from the testimony
OF Newell himself Salient bits of
evidence are presented without COM
ment in support OF the charges for
which he was expelled. These
charges were:
Persistent use or narcotic drugs
Confessed adultery.
Unreliabifity IN statements
The evfdence supporting the
charges, cited IN. detail IN, the state
ment. was suficientfy strong 10 bring
unani4ous vote sustaining all
couuts. HhWVote declaring him UNI
mt Cor the flfhistry was 80 to e. A
minority protest. signed. by 1--WE men.
the statement says, was mot written
by these men. but submitted 20 them
by Newell himself Others refused
to sign. OF the five. three afterward
acknowledged they had done wrong
and asked forgiveness OF the commit
tee The other two men have since
been communicated.
The preamble calls attention to
the fact that Newell Is still mem
Der of Moody church and was not
disciplined in the regular way be-
. cause OF doubt or his mental respon-
sibility.
There stir confronts the Moody
church the questions as to the uiti-
mate action 10 be taken In Mr..
Newelrs case" suggests something
unpleasant may happen to the evan
gelist
The statement is addressed to the
public, and especially to Christian
churches everywhere After calling
attention to the story OF the case pub
lished by The Tribune two weeks ago.
an dto subsequent denials and asper-
sions by Newell, the statement pro-
ceeds:
"The governing body OF the Moody
church, the executive committee. com
prising the pastors. elders, deacons,
trustees, and other officers, all duly
elected to their respective Offices by
the church membership, has been IN
willing hitherto to make any state
ment 10 the press on this sorrowful
matter, although detailed statement
was soon after the. trial placed In the
hands on the memBers-of the church
and ofcfergy1nsu ana chrtstfan work
ers elsewhere. who requested inform
alton ~ 49, ~ : s-s~s 1880
st wAs hoped Mr.. Newell would. be
led tdsf8et right With God and the
churclhk6 which for years he was an
elder. 3nAso he enabled again to ex-
ercise s1>6iptably his unusual gifts
for p4hiie ministry, Christian love
and a. diity OF the church towards
its erTf1t member, us well as the best
interesf# OF the public dictated pa
tient fofbeafance as long as that pol.
icy offered any promise OF happy re-
suits.
ST has now pecbms sadly apparent.
however. titat forbeararce has faffed
and that q cornprehensfve statement
OF the, facts must be- given to-the pub
lie. 49,, s-.-
According to the eonstitution ty
which II is governed and which eyery
member is required TO sign on join
ing Mr. Newell Is still a member OF
the Moody church. Though declared
united for the ministry he was not
disciplined In the regular way be.
cause OF the doubt strongly entertain
ed at that time by some of the corr
mittee as 10 his mental responsibility.
An Irresponsible man cannot be held
respopsiblel Tor his words .andr acts.
TherE@-Eiill !. confronts- the Moody
church the question as to the ultimate
action to- be taken in Mr., Newelrs
case
From the ordinary human view
point the DOWNFALL OF Mr.. Newell was
accomplished chiefly by his use o.
narcotic drugs. The moral democrat
zation resulting from long indulgence
In such drugs Is undisputed."
A declaration by Newell few days
ago that his confessions were given
while broken In mind and body,
when two friends took him into the
country, tried to strap him in his bed,
. and gave him insufficient food, Is re-
viewed. The church comments
Mr.. Newell did not explain in bis
interview that he fell under the power
OF drugs In 1903, as result OF treat
ment for Insomnia and nervous break
down, at sanitarinm, and that When
he returned to the sanitarium badly
broken down In health In 1905. IL was
In the hope of overcoming the habit"
d.
TWO BOYS TOUR Europe