Evening journal., 1921-10-05
CHURCH GUSTS
ELKTON PARSON;
MARRIES MANY
CONTINUED from FIrst Page.

lnt MtAn0nlol AlANN'HaA hAAAAA.'NA -
and called upon him to turn his or
dination papers over to Dr. Watt or
some recognized church authority.
DR. Watt at the same time notified
States Attorney Warburton, at Elk
ton, Of the finding Of the ecclesias-
tical jury and set forth that Mr..
Western no longer is empowered to
marry couples under authority Of
the Methodist Episcopal Church.
DR.. Watt asserted that an appeal
by Mr.. Western from last nights
verdict to the Wilmington Confer
ence will not stay his removal from
the ministry. DR.. Watt quoted
from the church law as fol-
lows: I'm no case shall an appeal
operate as a suspension OF sentence. ="
DR.. Watt also is now seeking details
Of the circumstances under which
Mr.. Western was located" by the
Montana Conference.
When Mr.. Western was seen in
Elkton this morning he said:
"I am a respectable Methodist
Episcopal minister. / am not mem
ber of the Mt. Salem Quarterly Con-
ference. which has no right to kick
me out.
I'm in business to stay" con-
tinued Mr.. Western, and propose
to do so"
Mr.. Western came from Montana.
According to his own admissions
last night. he resigned his charge in
that western State and turned farm
er. That was about FIVE years ago.
Later he moved to Elkton. Nd, and
settled. About the first OF last Aug
ust. according to his own testimony,
iitney men who had been frozen
out" Of the Elkton marriage COM
bine by others Of their class ap-
preached him with a proposition to
go into the marriage business and
spiit fees. He testified himself last
night that the proposition was
"hfty-fifty," that he saw nothing
wrong in IT," and had accepted It,
Since setting up as a marrying
parson in Elkton, 1t is estimated
that Mr.. Western has united 200 or
more couples at from 81 to $40 per
couple. These marriages are valid
Il was explained by church author
tiles after the trial last night, so the
contracting pairs need not worry
about their own status, as Mr.. Wes-
tren was an ordained minister al the
time and up to last night.
A feature OF the trial last night,
which was held in a class room OF
Mount Salem NJ. r. Church. located
at the head OF Delaware avenue, was
an attempt on the part of Mr. Wes-
tren and two Elkton jitney drivers
TO shift the responsibility for Mr
Westren's actions onto the Rev DR.
George T. Anderson. pastor OF the
Methodist Church Of Elkton. They
sought to show that Doctor Alder
son had told the jitneurs to "go &c
another preacher"
DR.. Anderson Indignantly denied
these charges. which we're ruled ou
OF the trial record.
Accused Acts As Own Counsel.
The Rev. Mr.. Western is appar
emily about so odd years old. He 4
small in figure and has gray hair and
a white mustache. He is decided,
ministerial in appearance. Last nigh
he wore the longest Prince Alber
coat noted in many a day Thii
coat literally reached 10 his knees
Also he affected a subdued collar and
black cross tie. Sartorially. Mr.
Western should satisfy any couple
journeying to Elkton to hear tn,
fateful words Il pronounce the'
and wife"
Under the rules OF the Methods
Church. when charges are preferre,
against a pastor. trial is to he hel,
at the next quarterly conference
aside from the quarterly conference
in which the accused resides. Thu
it happened that the trial was he'll
last night in Mt Salem Church.
The trial opened shortly after
o'clock. The Rev. Harvey w
Ewing, OF Union Church, was tn
presiding judge. The Rev. Joh,
w. Sumwalt, OF Grace Church. an
the Rev. a. W. Wells. of Wesle
church were counsel for the church
The Rev. Mr.. Western pleaded hi
N Il
Brown. lawyer, OF Elkton. A
Mr.. Brown was not a member q
the Methodist Church. he was IN
eligible TO plead his clients cas-
openly. He was given permission
however, to advise quietly. NJ
Western also was offered counsel b
b the Church itself but declined H.
. The jury, composed OF Is layme
and one minister. all members
Mt. Salem quarterly conference. W,
as follows:
Clinton II. Brown, ]. Harve
Mearns, Joseph A. Haley. ]. Richar
p Kendall, John w. Scott. Richard v
Brown, William Speakman. Wilm,
. F. Drummond, George L. wild
James p. Ponsel, J. Elmer Beatt
Z. T. Rutter Harry f. Lee. Frar
p. Gentieu. J. S. Evans, and the Re
Leonard White. pastor OF Mt. Sale
Church. Mr.. Evans is a memb
Of City Council from the sevent
Ward.
There were four separate charp
and nine specifications laid AGAIN
Mr.. Western. The charges we
l high imprudence and unministeri
conduct "contumacy and defian
OF the law and authority OF Il
p church and its constituted author
{ ties" neglect Of duties Of a loc
j. preacher in the Methodist Episcop
l. church, and Unacceptable in h
n ministry and "mis-statements
n fact rejecting on the Montana A
nual Conference, Of which this d
fendant was member, also on Il
bishop presiding in the said annu
L conference"
% The specifications under these 70
e. charges were developed from I