Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-10-08
PASTOR MUST QUIZ
4. Brauer Must Leave Pnrscnags
and Give Up Church Where
nc Preached for Fe-r

The Rev. L. Brauer, former pas
cor Of the German Evangelical
church at Shady Brook, Ihust move
out Of the church parsonage and
hold no more meetings In the
church Just across the road. o.
which he had been the minister fol-
years. So Judge r.. L. King ruled
concluding the case which has been
Brewing for years in the Shady
Brook neighborhoDd and (which
reached q climax with the bringing
OF the suit in district court. Judge
King ruled that Mr.. Brauer had
been legally ousted and that he
had NO right TO claims to the par
sonage and church. The attorneys
completed their pleas about 5
o'clock and Judge King immediate
" announced his decision. All day
long the court room was crowded
beyond its seating capacity.
Was the Meeting Eegalf : !,
The case simmered down TO the
question Of whether or not a meet
ing held on June "a was ItsHiF I'm
sofar as vote upon retaining or
dIscharging the pastor was CONCERN
cd. The defense admitted that at
ahis meeting the stote had been TO
Gust the pastor. witkesses diSagreed
N to whether or not the vote was
rs in favor Of ousting the minister
90 20 against, or 20 for busting and
n against, but this disagreement
made no essential difference. But.
the defense insists6 and liatroduCpd.
testimony tending TO prove their
.,e!astt, that the voting congregation,
which consists only Of male men,
bers, did not know that st this par
aIcular meeting that the question Of
retaining or discharging the minis
Ter. was to be voted upon and 50. did
not all attend, although majority
favored Mr.. Braner. Witnesses for,
the defense testified that they knew
there was to be meeting, but did
not know until after they were in
the church that they were to vote
for or against busting Mr. Brauer.
Turns Defense's fright Wingr
This line OF defense was broken
down when Judge King said that
ne did not believe the question Of
whether or not the voting congrega-
tlon individually had been informed
Or the object Of the meeting made
my difference IN the legality Of
such meeting and in the voting
which occurred, and that as long as
NE congregation In q general way
knew that such a question might
come up. that blythe bylaws Of the
church itself the congregation had
! right to discharge their pastor II
hey wished and hirAaa new one.
I'his ruling practically ended the
sase, and although the n lawyers A
pleas were yet To come, the result
u the case was .foFecasted by the
sourt's ruling @la.s "a isassi
q. w. Hurd and. y. 8. smith, at
iorneys for the defense. in their
pleas set forth the additional allie
cation that r. o.. schlesener, g. P.
Weber and william Tucker. who ,
alleged themselves the trustees of
he church, were not in reality the
egal trustees since they had been !
elected by only part Of the congre- ,
cation, and that even though they
we're, they had no right to bring the
Iuit In their own name, as was /,
lone.
Judge Kings Ruling I
Judge King ruled, in effect: That
he meeting June "a, at which the /
'ote to GUST the pastor was in the |
majority. was legal; that the pastor !
nd been suspended by the Kansas.
ynod; that the question as to o
whether or not he was wrcngfuIly /
uspended and whether or not he 1
Vas guilty Of preaching false doc !
rine was a case for the church to q
sCide, and not tor the court; that I
Vhen the congregation voted to
ut Mr.. Brauer, he lost his rights !
. pastor, and that Ahe two trusz 4
ees. August Rindt and Goothilf d
chlesener. who after their pastor Z
ad been busted. \ adhere to him and I
Dntinued to sanction his holding \
MEETINGS in the church. thereby I
'ithdreW themselves from the I
hnrch, and that that part Of the I
which stood By the 8
Sc r.