The Detroit times., 1914-10-13
FIRE FOUND SOON
AFTER GOTHAM /
LEFT PARSONAGE
Pastor in Pulpit Zone to Three
Minutes" When Flames Are
Discovered
CHURCH TRUSTEE FIRST
WITNESS FOR STATE
Says Rope Attached to Church
Bell. Used As Alarm, Had
(, Been Cut

The trial of the Rev. Joseph A. Cot
tam, former pastor OF the Methodist
church in Dearborn, on the charge OF
burning the parsonage there. got un-
der way In Judge Weists court, Mon
day morning.
The selection OF Archie .. Black.
OF No. SO Regular-ave., Detroit. con-
ductor Monday morning, completed
the jury, the other eleven having been
passed by both sides Friday.
Assistant Prosecutor VOORHEES, at
once opened his address to the jury
In which he outlined what the state
hopes TO prove. He declared that the
state had evidence that would show
that the fire resulted from the appli-
cation OF coal oil to the house furnish
tngs and that match had been APP
piled with incendiary intent. He held
that the story told by Pastor Gotham
was q frame up and. that letters
claimed by the defendant to have boon
received by him both prior to and
after the fire I'm which threats were
made and pleasure expressed that the
parsonage war burnt were TAXED"
He said that the net woven by fire
marshalss deputies sheriff and others
was complete. "a
Ersnk w. Edmunds. church trus-
tee and as far as known the first man
at the scene of the fire. was called TO
the stand by the state. His testimony
was long drawn out but established
little Of moment for either side.
Mr.. Edmunds said he went to the
church at 6.15 p. m. on the night Of
the IRE. and acting In his capacity OF
usher began to arrange the chairs.
About Z O'Clock. he. said. Mr.. Gotham
scame In and made his way at cnce to
the pulpit. The church was wen
nlled at this time. He said that a
: lecture entitled .sWhy I, am Protes-
tnnt" was scheduled to cbe delivered
and that 1t, had attracted attention,
thereby accounting for the. crowd.
From one to three minutes after
Cotton had seated himself. Mr.. Ed
munds testified, boy ran into the
vestlbule of the church and began to
ring the bell, the church bell beinA
,zsed as the town alarm In case of Are.
Mr.. Edmunds asked the cause OF the
alarm, and the boy told him the par.
Sbnage was burning. BY this time the
flames could be seen from the window.
Mr.. Edmunds motioned to the min.
lister and then ran to the scene OF the
blaze. The front door or the parson-
aEe was open. he said, and he passed
on into the living room and attempted
70 enter the dining room where the
6Ames were hottest He declared that
The floor was burning. AZ was also d
.rug and the flames seemed to run
about the boards.'
He made his way out and ran to
the rear In an effort to reach q, pump,
/. but fcuh dthe fire In the kitchen even
hotter than In the dining room. BY
This dine the congregation had arriv-
cd. He described In detail the situa-
ton of the church. the parsonage and
the wagon sheds.
On REORGANIZATION ne said the
minister had told him he had gone to
the parsonage TO gargle ,hh throat
before speaking and had come direct
" to the church. The witnes sAls0
said that he discovered upon his an
rival that the bell rope had been cut
. few feet from the ceiling, and that
between the time Of the discovery and
the time OF the are he had helped re-
pair the rope. He said the minister
had told him there was no sign Of IRE
when he left the parsonage.
A recess Of ten minutes was taken
after Judge Weist had cautioned the
fury not to talk about the case or to
read Newspaper reports. Pastor Cot
tam. seemed In an unusually cheerful
mood and often smiled during the
testimony. A small crowd was pres
emit at the opening or the case. but
| increased In numbers as the morning
wore on until the room was fllled.
Less than score or women were
present.
Clarence Foster. II years old. jani-
! tor OF the church ut the time Of the
T are, was called a. the second witness.
He said that after the morning SER
vice. Pastor Cottam told him some
one had torn down the posters adver-
tiajng the lecture. and asked that the
| boy keep lookout that night about
| the church. The boy said he arrived
| at the church at 6:45, and after MOTTO
| 1ng that the rope to the bell was cut
| left the church and started to 60
around II on the outside. He met
| Lawrence Edmunds and Howard Orr,
two boy friends. and he said they
were standing at Jog" In the