The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-03-16
ACCUSED MADE
SHARP DENIAL
Rev. c. III. Waldron Testifies
He Did Not Discour-
age Enlistments
DID NOT EXPRESS HOS
n TILITY TO RED CROSS
Had Remarked That if He
Was Not a Minister He
Would Go to War

Burlington, March l6.-Rey. Clarenc
IT, Waldron, who is being tried in Unite
States court on the charge of disloyalt,
and effort to obstruct the draft, was hi
own best witness when he went ON III
stand yesterday. While plainly nervous
he answered the questions in clea
voice and with evident eagerness.
The witness said that previous 60 com
ing 10 Windsor he was a minister of tn
gospel at Passaic, n. j. He was born il
Cleveland.
"Some of your relations signed Oh,
Declaration of independence asked hi,
attorney, MIR. Leary. yes" was the an
swer.
District Attorney Bullard objected anC
the question and answer were stricken
out, because of their remoteness.
Witness said he was educated at Pen
tecostal college in Tennessee and at Ri.
bic college in Philadelphia. He was or
dained minister in March, 1908, at a
Baptist church in New Jersey and served
three churches in that state, coming to
Windsor three years ago.
Mr.. Waldron testified az to hours of
the Sunday services, morning and even
ing, and on Thursday evening, at Wind
eor.
He had full charge of these services.
Did there come time when YOU re-
signed as pastor of the church,"
There did | resigned the night of
Nov. %, l9l7.'
Because of some difficulty in the
church,"
"Yes."
when did the difficulty first begin to
appear'"
'Some time in the early part of Octo-
Der. | couldn't say the exact time"
when did the Pentecostals come into
the church,"
'As near as can remember about Oct
81, but | had attended the Pentecostal
meetings at the town hall before this
time"
The court, after a question had been
put regarding a certain demonstration in
the church, ruled that any demonstra
ton of controversy in the church was not
material
Witness said he knew Paul Brayton, a
witness for the prosecution, and that
Paul disagreed with him about the Pen
tecostal faith. He, the witness, had &C.
eepted the Pentecostal faith, which cut
the friendship between him and Brayton.
At one time Brayton at meeting of
the church said
"The Christ that accepted year ago
is not here now" speaking in reference
to the hostile feeling between the two
men, he and Waldron, said the witness. |
Witness stated that the friendly rela-
tions hitherto existing between him and |
Brayton were strained because of differ
ent religious beliefs.
Brayton attended church pretty regu |
larly before his marriage Brayton was
married at home of the witness by him.
MIR. Brayton asked my advice as to
his coming marriage in reference to the |
draft" said the witness. d
"He asked my advice as to going to
war. | told him | couldn't give him ad-
vice, personally, because my situation
was different. | couldn't, as a minister,
take gun and kill man. | told him
as ! told the other young men, to do
their duty as they saw it,"
did you tell him, or anyone else to
resist the draft"
NO" said the witness in strong tones.
did you ever suggest to anyone that
the Red Cross wasn't to be supported :"
mo. | never did"
Il told the boys the uniform suit looks
good to me-" said the witness in, response
to question of Mr.. Leary. And | told
them that if | wasn't a minister | would
go into the trenches. l never discouraged
the boys about enlisting. | never said to
the boys at any time "A Christian ought
not to fight, or spill his precious blood" I
Did you ever say anything to your {
boys or to anyone else discouraging them !
from enlisting?"
NO" emphatically. '
Witness told of his suggesting that 7
part of the money on hand with the !
Christian Endeavor society be given to I
the Red Cross, and it was so disposed 1t
of. C
Witness told of meeting Mr.. Rice, t
for the defense, on the street one
day when Rice was about to enlist. He Il
told Rice that he was sorry he was GO 2
ing away. He did not say, however, that t
he was sorry he was going into the t
trenches. il
Did you ever say you had no use for t
he Red CROSSE" o
NO f
did you ever take Lawton, Brayton il
or Rice members of his BIZ S
Die class) aside alone and tell them that t
hey shouldn't shed their precious blood a
is Christians"
NO, positively no." a
Witness told of presiding at the pa il
riotic meeting, under discussion. Re fl
,arding the holding of another patriotic l.
Meeting in the church later, witness stat a
d that the church trustees had agreed Fl
With him that they did not want to give v
Up the customary religious worship and
hat he was willing to give up the serv- is
ces only when the majority of the church Ii
Wished il. q
Witness told of the conversation be- fl