Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-06-26
M'ROR|E'S CONFESSION
is PRODUCED IN COURT


! Court clerk, TO his feet.
That was damnab1e statement
to make" he shouted
Mr.. Stein turned fiercely on Mr.
Gebhardt.
Nothing of the kind he asserted
st would like to tell my opinion OF
a Supreme Court clerk defending a
case of this sort"
At this point Judge James C. Con
nelly interposed and ruled out tn,
question.
Prosecutor Stein Immediately pro.
tested.
IF these objections are to be sus.
tained," he said, IT am afraid 1 shall
not be able to make out a legal case
be nolle pressed"
Cross-examined by Mr. Voorhees,
Mrs. Schaffer admitted that she die
not have a very high opinion of Nc
Rorie.
II thought that his attitude toward
the girl was altogether too attentive
for a married man with a family,
she said.
Chief of Police Patrick S. Kelly. OF
Plainfield, was then called. He testi-
fed that he had met the girl on No
vember %, 1912, when he had gone
to the business college in which she
was a student; that he had been
called into the case by the prosecu-
tors office
I'VE went to Mrs. Schaffers house
to get some letters written to her
by McRorie," he continued. After
20
McRorie was there. He was shown
the letters I had obtained.
THE prosecutor took up one of
them and read the first paragraph.
He had no sooner finished it than
McRorie said
=" I am guilty.
Tho prosecutor then made out
statement Of the facts as told by
McEorte. who voluntarily signed it.
After that the minister turned to
Edith's mother and said: Z am en-
tirely to blame for this thing. Don't
blame Edith"
Chief CrOss-examined.
The chief was then turned over to
the lawyers for the defense.
Wasn't the dominic excited at this
81 didn't think he felt very WE'LL"
was the dry rejoinder.
Although Mr.. Voorhees, managed to
give the attentive audience in the
courtroom a good laugh or two, he
did not in the least shake the testi-
mony of the chief.
Miss Nelson, when she gave her tes-
timony, proved to be an unwilling
witness. In a voice so low that even
the stenographer again and again had
to ask her to repeat her answers she
repudiated yesterday afternoon the
statement previously made by her in
regard to McRories guilt. She denied
fatty that she and the minister had
ever been too friendly.
Said to Have Signed Confession.
When she caused his arrest last
November, however, not only cid she
admit intimacy with him, but Nc
Rorie is alleged to have signed a
confession.
Two years ago Edith became a
choir singer in the Methodist Epis-
copal Church at Martinsville, near
Plainfield. McRorie, who has a wife
and daughter 6 years old, was the
pastor of that and another church.
In September, 1912. it was noted by
the parishioners that the minister
was strikingly happy in the company
of the girl. But suspicion was fend-
ed off by the fact that his principal
subject of pulpit and outside dis
course was morals.
McRorie has an automobile. Sew
eral women saw him and the girl to-
gether in 1t on many trips. That cir
cumstance provoked a curiosity which
was satisfied On November % last
when Mrs. Mason and Edith went to
Chief of Police Kelly and Assistant
Prosecutor Walter l.. Hetfield and
charged that the clergyman had been
too friendly with the girl. McRorie
was arrested on a warrant. He pro-
fessed amazement at the accusation,
which was specifically that he had
misbehaved with Edith in his auto
at Westfield, N. j., on Novem Der 10.
Dropped for "Insufficient Evidence"
The case was given to the grand
jury, but insufficient evidence"
caused it to be dropped. His church
superiors tried McRorie and suspend
ed him from preaching until Septem-
Der next. After that Edith went to
Brooklyn to live.
When Albert A. Stein became pros
ecutor of Union county last April he
reopened the case and placed it be-
fore the May grand jury, which not
only indicted the clergyman, but
treated the girl similarly, as she had
refused to appear against McRorie.
She was extradited after a long fight.
Former Governor Voorhees, was re-
tanned to represent her and the
clergyman.
The girl, who is decidedly pretty,
made a good appearance on the wit
ness stand, although she was plainly
dressed. When not testifying she sat
beside her mother, Mrs. Amelia
Mason.
In answer to the questions of
Prosecutor Stein she said that she
was 10 years old and that she had
known McRorie for two years. She
seemed disinclined to answer ques-
lions In regard to her relations with
McRorie and her attitude was dis
tinctly favorable to him. He watched
her intently While she testified ana
to be pleased.
did you ever go out with Mr.. Nc
Rorie?" asked Mr.. Stein.
Yes" she answered. The stenog-
rapher was asked to read her an
swer. for even the judge had not
hear it.
How often did you go out with
him?"
II don't recall; maybe once" was
the reply.
THE charge states that you went
out with him on November 10, 1912
Do yolf remember that?"