The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-04-19
CHARGED
IMMORAL CONDUCT
THIRTEEN MEMBERS OF CLERGY
DECLARE HIM NOT GUILTY.
kIONAP HIM.

uluShOSter OhId', Aplli 10 IN
Rev. A. NJ. Brannon on trial for al
ledged gross immortality at the Metho-
dist church, F street and East Okmul-
gee a venue was declared not guilty
by the jury of thirteen ministers last
night on the first ballot taken,
As soon as the result of the trial
was known thirty-eight Stigler citi-
zens. who had come voluntarily to tes-
tify for the accused minister, demand
ed that he preach in Stigler Sunday.
We will not take no for an an
swer," Cne of the men said I'm not
q member of your church, and many
don't promise us that you will come,
we'll kidnap you"
The minister was oyerioyed at the
result of his trial last night. The YER
dict gives him the right to take back
his Hugo pastorate, from which he
vas removed when the charges were
| filed, if he SO desires. Last night he
had not made up his mind whether
he would go back to Hugo or not.
q have scarcely had time to think"
he said The worry of the trial was
so great that | could not shake it
from my mind even in sleep. | had
the greatest confidence that | would
be indicated, but | never want to
| face another such ordeal
Il have nothing but thanks for the
courtesy l was shown by the other
ministers during the trial The at
| torneys' the Jurors and the Doctor
Limbaugh were very kind and fair"
1t is understood that Brannon com
pletely indicated himself on the most
serious charge against him. When the
men prosecuting him gave the date OF
the conversation with a woman, not
his wife, in a local hotel" Rev. Bran
non produced Baptist minister OF
Sueler who swore that he had come
to Muskogee with him on that date
and had been with him all the time
and that no such conversation took
place.
Several letters not signed were in
troduced against Reverend Brannon,
tending to show that he carried on
clandestine correspondence with wo-
men. One of these letters was writ
ten since the trial began. Brannon's
attorney" laid great stress on it de
claring that it could not have been
written mailed, opened and sent to
Muskogee since the time it was al
legged to have been mailed. He openly
declared that a conspiracy had been
discovered against Rev. Brannon and
suggested that it might be well for
the church to make an investigation.
At the conclusion of the trial last
night. the jury" announced that IL
was ready to bring in a verdict with
out argument but the attorneys"
were allotted thirty minutes TO a side
and consumed this time. The attor-
neys and others then left the church
room, the Judge and jury" remain
ing to argue. The first ballot resulted
in acquittal. All votes in the confer,
ence trial must be unanimous.
The Stigler men were in good spir-
its last night.
The best way TO read a mans char.
acter" said one of them, lis to get
him out on a fishing trip. I've been out
with Rev. Brannon. and | know he IS
all right. He can drive an automo-
bile faster than Barney Oldfeld. He
hardly ever misses a bird he shoots
at and he can catch fish where nobody
else thinks they live. He is every inch
man. I'm not a member Of his
church but went to hear him every