The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-12-12
REV. NETTLES REPLIES.
Issues Statement in Regard to Trial
and Conviction at Recent Meth
cdiSt Conference.
Editor The Herald and News:

before the people of South Carolina
and to stop the tongue Of slander, Rev.
s. A. Nettles deems it necessary to
present the facts with regard to his
trial to the public.
He was found guilty Of immortality
by the committee appointed to try the
case. immortality in church law
means any crime expressly forbidden
in the word of Cod These are the
words of the Manual Of Discipline.
MIR. Nettles denied before the commit
tee and he denies now, that he has
bees guilty of any immortality in the
entire course Of his ministry. His
purpose in this statement is to ac-
quaint the people of South Carolina
with the facts brought out at the trial,
in order that they may decide for
themselves the proper conclusion to
be drawn from them.
The charges preferred against Mr..
Nettles were two. First: immortality,
and, second, improper temper, words
and actions.
Under the charge Of immortality
there were four specifications as fol-
lows: QJ Improper and ungentle-
manly approaches to "a young wo-
man in his Office in Spartanburg,
South Carolina, on or about the last Of
July, 1912, she at that time being his
bookkeeper''. (2) use of profane
language and an assault upon R. D.
Blowers, of Spartanburg, South Caro-
lima, about the first Of the year 1872.
60 AN assault upon J. B. Chick, stu
dent of Wofford college and local
preacher in our church, on or about
the 18th Of May, 1872. (4) "False-
hood in statements made to Rev. A N.
Brunson on or about the first Of May,
1913; Rev. NJ. w. Hook on or about
the first of June, 1913; and Rev. W. A.
Massebeau on or about the last of
May, 1919"
There were two specifications un-
der the second charge as follows: CD
"All of the specifications enumerated
in the complaint of immortality. (2)
Treating creditors unpleasantly or
abruptly and an unwillingness to meet
honest obligations until forced to pay
same by legal procedure.
president of the committee Of trial, in
effect, told the committee that under
the rulings of Bishop Wilson both
specifications of the charge Of "im-
proper temper, words and actions"
should be stricken out. The commit
tee did strike out the second speci-
fication, but refused to strike out the
first, and found Mr. Nettles guilty of
Improper temper, words and actions.
The church court of appeals will be
asked to pass upon this, as we'll as
their verdict on the charge Of i'm
morality
The Improper and ungentlemanly
approaches" to the lady as charged in
the first specification under the head
of immortality consisted in the fact
that Mr.. Nettles had kissed her on one
occasion. She is lady of unques-
toned character. Mr.. Nettles admit
ted that he had done so, but denied
that there was any immortality in the
act, and the committee Of trial said his
act was not immoral. Mr.. Nettles is
not a married man.
Mr.. Nettles admitted that he slapped
the face of R. D. Blowers, following
an insult, and the committee found
him guiltless of immortality on that
score.
The prosecution offered no testi-
mony upon the ]. B. Chick matter. MIR.
Nettles admits that he slapped Chicks
face, because Chick used insulting
language about his brother.
The only charge of immortality Of
which the committee Of trial convicted
Mr.. Nettles was the charge relating to
falsehood in statements. 1t was al
legged that Mr. Nettles told a falsehood
with reference to one, or both, Of two
conversations, as will appear more
fully hereinafter.
One of the conversations took place
in Spartanburg between Mr.. j. B. Car
Isle and Mr.. Nettles. Mr.. Nettles wrote
Rev. w. A Massebeau letter with
reference to that conversation, and it
is on this letter that a charge Of false
hood was based. The letter reads as
follows:
81 wish you could have been with
me last Thursday and heard conver-
Sation with Brother j. B. Carlisle. The
Cauthen petition was exactly as sur
missed. He carried it around himself.
Brother Carlisle told me that when he
presented it to him he declined to
sign it, whereupon Brother Cauthen
asked him to read it and stated to him
that it was intended largely for my
vindication. He also told him he had
carried it to Wright Nash, who had
modified it somewhat so that there
could be no objection to any one sign
ing it. Carlisle told Cauthen he knew
nothing against me-.
This letter is not private and you
may make whatever use of it you
think proper
AS Mr.. Nettles stated on the witness
stand, the petition mentioned in the
ABOVE letter was "adroitly worded"
and its evident purpose was to cause
the board of managers to refuse to re-
elect Mr.. Nettles to the editorship Of
the Advocate.
Rev. A J. Cauthen took the stand