Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-02
RICHMOND VERDICT
APPEAL Is REJECTED
Rector Refuses to Appear for
Sentence-Says He Will
Preach Next Sunday

Bishop Talbot, Of Bethlehem. president
| OF the Protestant Episcopal Court of Re-
! views Of the District of Washington, to-
, day notified the Rev George Chalmers
; Richmond, rector of ST. Johns Church,
/ ed and Brown streets, that his appeal
I from the verdict Of the tricrs in his recent
! ecclesiastical trial could not be granted.
Soon after receiving this letter the Rev.
Mr.. Richmond received a communication
from Bishop Rhnclandcr. requesting him
to appear at the Church | Ouse at 10
o'clock Friday morning for sentence
MIR. Richmond said today that he does
not intend to comply with the Bishops
request He declared also, he would
preach next Sunday morning and evening
in ST. Johns Church. and that Bishop
Rhnelandcr could not prevent him from
preaching
AssAGIs BISHOP
Furthermore, Mr.. Richmond proposes
To continue his work with st. Johns
parish, and does not intend to have any
thing whatever to do with Bishop Rhine
lander, the head of the diocese Of Penn
aylvania. The clergyman voiced his con-
tempt for the Bishop today.
~ will not he present at the Church
House on Friday" said Mr.. Richmond,
land | do not intend to pay any more
attention to Bishop Rhinelander than he
las been paying to me for several years
But | shall preach in St Johns Church
next Sunday morning at 10:45 o'clock
and in the evening at T:45 o'clock. and
will have some things to say about
Bishop Rhinelander during my sermons.
Understand me-" he continued, II do
not intend to break any of the Church
CanOns. | have never broken any of
them. But | shall live up to tho technical
requirements of tkr decision of the trlers
They are refusing my appeal on tech
ncalities, and I shall take advantage Of
the same method IN serving St. Johns
Church. do not intend to exercise my
prieatly functions, but shall exercise my
prophetic ones, and the Bishop cannot
stop me. | shall exercise the latter
functions because m vcstry wants me
to and until the Supreme Court of Penn
sylvania says | cannot.
QUOTES CHURCH CHARTER.
"Thc charter Of St Johns Church,
granted by the state of Pennsylvania in
1917, makes ii an independent parish and
the Bishop has nothing to do with 1t. And
I'd like to know who is going to enforce
any sentences he might pronounce upon
me. You can say have the utmost con-
tempt for Bishop Rhinclandcr and will
not have anything to do with him. He
Is an ecclesiastical sneak"
The letter, refusing the appeal for a
review of the case, from Bishop Talbot |
sets forth that .wo learned lawyers had |
decided that the court should not be called |
together to hear the testimony because of |
a delay in filing the appeal so that 1t was |
a day over the time stipulated by the |
canons of the church, !. week ago, Mr.. |
Richmond said. he received assurances |
from Bishop Talbot that the probabilities |
were that the appeal would be granted.
In replying to the letter. Mr. Richmond |
said that he thought, from a moral and |
standpoint, the request |
might have been granted. even though .
from the legal standpoint he had filed his |
appeal too late, At the same time, he
says he believes the members of the Court !
nf Review were too lazy to listen to the
Mr. Richmond has heen notified to ap-
pear in the office of Chancellor Henry
5udd on February 10 at $3.50 o'clock I'm
the afternoon, when presentments are
10 be made in new trial that has been
started against him.