Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-06
CHURCH AFFAIR
To BE AIRED IN
MACON COURTS
Accused and Accusers Engage
Counsel for Impending Libel
and SIander Suits.


Macon been as agitated as they are
over the scandal charges which have
been preferred against the two
church leaders of the First Christian.
That Professor Charlton, the choir
leader. not only Of the First Christian,
but a teacher of music also in the
Jewish synagogue as well as in the
First Presbyterian Church, and Mrs.
Lester should be guilty as charged
seemed incredible to the majority Of
people. And yet there were the
charges which were 50 strong that
one of the elders, a member of the
investigating committee, declared
that on the first day of the investiga-
ton he believed the parties guilty
from the evidence.
Probe Starts Gossip.
The very fact that the First Chris
tian authorities felt warranted to
conduct a thorough investigation of
the matter caused people who passed
the thing up as a hoax at first to
think twice and then begin to search
for themselves. AS a result gossip,
whispered in the church circles and
openly INDUCED in society circles and
elsewhere. has been the order of the
day ever since the story became pub
licly known
While the investigations of the
committee have been conducted quiet
ly, usually at night when people were
in bed, the general trend Of things
has been pretty we'll known for sew
eral days following the exposure.
First came the incident itself on
the night OF June 5, Of which little
was then known, however and then
the publication Of an anonymous
story in an afternoon paper, but
which in most subtle manner hint
ed at the affair. A few days later
copies of this paper were anonymous
~ mailed to Mr.. Lester, husband Of
the accused woman, and to Mrs.
| Charlton, wife of the accused choir
leader. The whisperings became
holder and holder and finally open
| gossip resulted in the appointment
| Of a special committee in the First
| Christian Church to investigate the
affair.
If time counts for anything, this
committee has done its work well.
| for It probed for a full week Secret
conferences have been held with both
| accused and accusers, as well as the
neighbors who were said to know
thing or two" The newspaper man
who Sprung" the anonymous story
was even subpenaed as a witness in
the case. All have testified. Mrs.
jenkins has repeated time and again
| that she heard the mysterious tele-
phone conversation in which the al
! legged appointment was made between
the music professor and Mrs. Lester.
Mrs. Armstrong, it is said, although
| she refuses to make statement to
| the press, has COrrOborated Mrs.
| jenkins testimony in substances;
while Professor Charlton has estab-
nshed what he claims is an alibi and
| Mrs. Lester has submitted certain
proof which she says clears her of
all the charges.
Principals Prominent.
The good character of the accused
| persons has played but small part in
| the investigation, according to mem
bers of the committee, who say they
have gone after the facts in the case.
! These facts, they now claim, disproye
| the charges which have been pre-
| ferred.
| The prominence of the parties, par
! ttcularly Of Professor Charlton, who
has been connected with musical ac-
| ttvities in Macon now for about five
or six years, has lent color to the af-
fair sufficient to carry It all over the
State and far beyond. Professor
| Charlton is English by birth and came
| to Macon from Bloomington, III. His
residence in this city was by acct
dent only, as he was passing through
here on a revival tour in which he
| was assisting an evangelist Some
months later he married a Miss
| Woods, the daughter, 1t is said, Of
one-time prominent Georgia legis-
lator. In addition to his church ac-
| tivities, Professor Charlton has a
| large class Of pupils girls and boys,
members Of prominent families in
Macon.
Mrs. Lester has been connected
with the First Christian Church for
about seven or eight years, serving IN
various capacities in the ladies' or
CARNATIONS. At the present time she
| is secretary of the Ladies' Aid Socie-
| ty. Prior to marriage she was a
Miss Head, OF Zebulon. Mr.. Lester
is in the lumber business. He is also
an officer in the First Christian
Church, where he has held member
ship for about four years.
0