Evening journal., 1917-01-19
RIVAL Church NOT
AIM OF MR.. COOKE
Continued from First Page)

have been passed upon by the Triers
OF Appeals.
There were just twenty people at
church last Sunday morning, accord /
ing to several members OF the church. |
more than one Of whom said he went !
TO see how many there were present. |
At the evening service, there we're
Just forty five present, including the
pastor and members OF his family.
Many OF these also, said they went to
hear and see what was going on.
Mir. Cooke has responded to the re-
cues OF the Rev. Dr Watt TO decline
any further interviews until he mas
had an opportunity to meet the case
OF the church by publishing DR.. Watts
letter. DR.. Watts letter, which also
fixes the time Of the trial az IL o'clock
in tho morning Of January "a, follows;
wilmington District, Wilmington, Del,
January le. 1917.
Dear Brother Cooke
II am not sure that in giving the
date OF the forthcoming investiga-
t.ua nat The houy was mentioned in
connection with the date, January the
fstL eleven o'clock e. M. Asbury NJ
J. Church.
will you permit me to make one
suggestion prompted alone by your
personal interest. Seeing that any
thing that you may be tempted TO
say. either privately or publicly can
be used against you, would II not be
the part Of wisdom for you to de-
cline any further interviews, until
you can have opportunity to meet
the case Of the church againts you.
] earnestly trust that you will see the
wisdom CT this course.
+Fraternally yours.
"ROET WATT"
Commenting on the suggestion that
he might attempt to establish an in
dependent church and on matters Of
the election Of trustees, Mr.. Cooke
says:
title is vested in the Methodist
Episcopal Church, to be held in trust
for the use of ministers and members
of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
according 10 the rules and regulations
Of the Methodist Episcopal Church"
MY judicial opinion. unofiicially
rendered is that the church property
cannot be legally used except for
something conducted according TO the
Discipline Of the church"
Mr.. Cooke declared there was no
movement TO change the church from
Methodist Episcopal to independent.
The trustees are in demoralized
condition" ne said and the time for
the converting Of Conference 10 near.
We want to get trustees in whom we
have confidence, so that We may finish
The conference year In good shape"
Regarding the appeals Of Clayton
J.. Crew and George r. Thorp, Mr.
- Nr11arr~4srcr
ment:
Some one 10 responsible for giving
out certain information TO the VIII
mington papers in regard to the
church trials Of Clayton l.. Crew aud
George F. Thorpe, and the appeals
that we're taken to the Appellate
Court. which convenes at Scott
Church, Tuesday evening, January %.
1917
THE Discipline makes it the duty
Of the district superintendent to Sc
lect the committee, who are Triers
OF Appeal, and to decide questions
of procedure and Of law.
1T Is the duty Of q pastor who
conducts or presides at church trial
20 be careful that the rights OF the
accused party are all respected and
that the forms OF law are observed
as closely as circumstances will per-
nit. Even then there may be mis-
carriage Of Justice.
I'm the trials at Wesley Church, It
was my aim as the administrator OF
the Discipline. 10 see that there was
fair play to the accused parties and
"Whoever attempts TO overthrow tn
verdict in these cases will not find al
easy task on their hands, unless the
resort to unfair means
There are two possible things Cour
of Appeals for laymen in the Methods
Episcopal Church can do. IL can remanl
the case for another trial if it finds Their
were serious irregularities iu the trIaI
Or It may reverse the decision and plRc
the member back In the church in goo
standing. This can not be done lawful
without going into the merits OF tn
case and having proof that substantia
injustice was done TO the deposed mem
ber The Discipline ssya; But the Az
pellate Court shall not reverse the jude
inent nor remand the case for . new tTia
on account Of errors plainly not affect
ing the result. Paragraph 3lS, Sectio
6. Discipline 1915.
"If it can be shown that the verde
was in harmony with the evidence an
With the law Of the church, and that III
accused was notified Of the time an
place Of the trial, sufficient TO prepare
was allowed TO testify and produce Wi
nesses: was allowed 70 raise points {
law and TO address the jury, and this
none Of his disciplinary rights were d.
MED. where is the Substantial ground o
which the verdict can be reversed, {
the case remanded for a new trialf
objections that may be raised b
counsel for the deposed member on oth'
grounds will possess no weight IN Il
Judgment of men who weigh facts wit
q view 20 arriving at the truth.
might bs proven that the district supe
intendent wanted to stop the trial b.
fore Il began, and that the pastor b.
iieved very earnestly that the accuse
ought to be expelled from the churc
and that he presided at the trial and >
lected the Jury, and was q witness
the trial and was counsel for Il
church, decided the time necessary
prepare for the trial and for reason r
fused to recognize counsel selected /
the accused or that he had an ulteri'
end In view. All of which IL wide
the mark as criticism on a church tris
81 believe it can be shown from II
records Of these trials that the dis
pine was not broken nor strained at ar
point; and that everything was dol
that could be done to secure fairness
orr members who were accused