Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-01-26
DR.. COOKE BUSTED;
ADAM STENGLE IS
Sent TO wesley
CONTINUED from First Page)

investigated NAit NQAAAatA AOI AAA1 EMuIGn
and the defence agreed to submit
charge No. / without argument 70
the committee for its finding, reserv-
ing the right to consider charges
Nos. 2, and at the next session
OF the Wilmington Annual Conference.
IL necessary.
After due elaboration, your COM
mittee finds that under charge No. 1,
specification a, the vote was yea 9, no
o.: specification b, yea 9. no O.; speci-
cation C. yea 9. no o (and so on
throughout different specifications to
NJ. Vote on the entire charge. yea
9, no 0.
DR.. Wise then read: BY virtue OF
the authority invested in me By the
, discipline of the Methodist Episcopal
| Church, as chairman of the investi-
/ eating committee. / hereby announce
4 that the Rev. George A. Cooke is sus-
pended from this date from all min
isterial services and church privileges
until the next session OF the Whining
ton annual conference.
Signed w. A. Wise. chairman; W.
r. MOwbray, secretary.
Reading of the finding of the COM
mittee by the Rev. W. A. Wise. pre-
siding officer OF the court. commenced
at 7.35 o'clock last night and occupied
about 10 minutes. The situation was
Of deep impressiveness. All were NOV
| ed Dr. Wise broke down once and
was compelled to stop reading for a
few minutes. At all times his voice
was choked with emotion The
| Rev. DR.. Watt was moved to tears
and many were upon their knees.
The proceeding broke up quietly
and those present went out leaving
members OF the committee and Off
Gals of the court profoundly moved.
The trial had been full of episodes
the session for the most part
yesterday being conducted without the
presence II the defendant, Cooke,
who walked out within an hour after
court had convened in the morning
after declaring the court had no jur-
Is diction in his case and he would
not abide by the decision II IL re-
turned a verdict against him and that
he did not believe he could get a fair
trial. Just previous to this Pastor
Cooke had been debarred from APP
pearing as a witness because of state.
ments regarding the court and being
adjudged in contempt of court and
having been formally charged with
contumacy by counsel for the church
on account of his actions and state.
ments
Admit Pastors Defense.
After the exciting events of the morn
ing session yesterday. Immediately Of
converting of the court for the after
noon, Dr. Wise, the presiding officer, an
nounced that although the church ha'
announced It rested its case so far as !
related to the first charge against tn
pastor. that OF defamation, he felt tina
as Pastor Cooke had not called any Wit
nesses and had withdrawn from Oh
hearing. the defence should have an OF
portunity to call witnesses. With tha
in mind, he said, he suggested the d
fence be permitted TO reopen the cas-
> for presentation Of its evidence on tt
! first charge.
Counsel for the church said the
would offer no objection to this und,
the circumstances and counsel was vii
ing to give the defence every OpportuI
!, ity TO reply TO testimony for I'll
church. Reservation was made Of Of
, portunity to reply.
II w. r. Nickerson. a steward Of We
J ! lev Church. was then called as Wi
/, | ness for the defence. He related
, ! some detail the affairs of Wesley ChurC
q since the second quarterly conferenc
Prior to this. he said, there had been di
= cussion Of the question of raising II
pastors salary.
|, Mr.. Dashiell. of counsel for the churc
). objected to the side comments made
!, the witness on his statements hut wit
drew the objection when Dr.. Wise SUI
rested the court might grant conside
D, able latitude 70 the witness in view
the situation that had developed. IN
witness continued.
This matter came up in the secon
quarterly conference, and there wa
objection to the increase, witnes
said. II was decided to draw u
MA paper setting out that III
church was better of spiritual
4 under Pastor Cooke than it had bee
for some time. Il was decided
ask that Pastor Cooke be returnt
for another year. Nine OF the stew
le ards signed this paper.
l. At that meeting, said the witnes
the feeling was anything but brothe
- IT, and this feeling had grown wor:
ever since At a meeting of q
ve stewards just after this Mr.. Mani
N one Of the trustees, had comments
40 on this, and had said he thought Il
a only way to settle the trouble WI
90 to let the pastor go.
Mr. Nickerson expressed his desiI
re- to be fair in his statements. and urge
w that II he said anything contrary
the rules. he should be corrected.
a. Just after this, he said, at a NEE
70 ing of the Sunday School board,
is woman who was supposed to be
n ! Russeliite, had declared her intent
r of sending a postal card to DR.. II,
re- fecker calling attention to alleg
Russelhsm.
The witness related also what ha
pened at the meeting in Mr.. Burch
at nails office
IS. Knew Of RusselIism.
hit "To your knowledge was there a
it. Russellism in Wesley NJ. r. Church
IS the witness was asked.
'Yesl There was" witness reptile
ITO the best of my knowledge"
/. Have you read Russellism ?" "
asked
ar "Yesr' said the witness. ct Ia
os read some Of the books and do !
Ne believe in it," This lady, abiding
;s the one mentioned by DR.. Hoffeck
- was In the habit of attending Russ
lite meetings he said THAT v
one of the reasons I knew she v
Russellite."
Under cross-examination, Mr.. Nj,
erson admitted that the stewai
merely intended to recommend the
crease in the pastors salary but s.