Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-16
WESTERN SAID TO
HAVE APPLIED TO
UNITARIAN CHURCH
Continued from page

Dd06 MI. w CUtA0u liOin Ln0
marriage ceremony pending tho meet
Ing of the Wilmington Conference In
March.
But In. the meantime Mr.. Western
set up tho claim OF jurisdiction.
and he seems, according to newspaper
reports to have found an attorney In
Elkton who advised Mr.. Western that
he had a right to marry couples"
presumably on the basis Of a certain
crciential unlawfully retained by him.
Just what tho attitude Of the courts
will be when this matter In tried out
remains 10 be seen. 1t would seem =
rather strange code of legal ethics
which would permit An attorney TO
advise a client that he had right to
use a forfeited credentjal. after he
had been deprived OF his ministerial
standing and functions; In other
words. to advise a client that he had
a right TO use a badge Of authority
to exercise certain functions, after by
due process Of law that client had been
unfrocked and required by the same
judicial process to surrender what was
not his. To the lay mind this seems
like strange legal ethics, but let the
courts decide.
Bux. Mr.. westron raised the question
OF jurisdiction When? After Ne had
appeared before the proper tribunal
and after fair trial unfrocked. Thrice
prior to the trial he either personally
or through an attorney, asked for a
change OF venue and postponement OF
| tn trii That is, a minister who knew
the law OF his church. and knew that
the tribunal which had summoned
him to answer for his alleged mis-
deeds; and who also acknowledged
the Jurisdiction OF that tribunal In
the manner described. who did not
question it's validity. who appeared be-
fore 1t and stood trial. without protest
then after he Is unfrocked he cries
Il am a member of the Montana Con-
ference" or Il am amenabIe to the
Montana Conference" etc, and expects
sensible people to believe 80 prenos-
ferrous a claim, Well he evidently
found mn attorney who was hoodwink-
ed by an unfrocked minister; at least
such In the report.
Now what OF this silly and 1round.
less claim? This man was for year.
a member OF an annual conference
He knew the law OF the church. II,
was conversant with the fact thai
when a minister Is located that &C.
Icording to paragraph 16a. OF the Boob
of Discipline OF the Methodist Episco
pal Church, that fact terminates hi,
membership in that annual confer
ence. In fact the caption OF the para
graph referred TO Is Termination o
Conference Membership" But FUR
ther, his attention was directed at hi
; trial TO the fact that when the Mon
tana Annual Conference located hin
he was presiding within the bounds o
the Wilmington District OF the VII
mington Annual Conference. He kney
and he now. knows that the law OF tn
! Methodist Episcopal Church makes
local minister ordained or unordaine,
: amenable to the church authorize
where he resides at the time OF hi
, location. II is too late In the day 10
him TO set up the belated claim O
{ jurisdiction, and It Is amusinl
that an attorney should have bee,
caught with a groundless claim.
: What action the states attorney WI
! take in view OF the fact that westre
disregarded the authority OF tn
states attorney, remains 70 be see,
I According TO newspaper reports, III
A: states attorney said he could not prs
| coed until he had official knowleds
that Western had ignored the orde
of the states attorney. The press re
ports all stated that as soon as West
, rem filed his returns Of marriages pei
: formed he was 10 be prosecuted. Il
reported that he has filed his return
and quit. II he has filed those return
: he himself has furnished proof this
he has fiouted the mandate OF the OF
ficer OF the law. that is. he has M
, only defied the church authorities, bl
the civil authorities as well.
' Seeks New Connection.
!, The latest development, however.
an attempt on Westerns part to Ell
ter the ministry Of the Unitaria
Church. In letters from the author
ties OF that denomination this fact
revealed. The only reason assigned (,
this effort 10 enter the ministry
another church Is In his own languag
e the reason why / seek admissio
W youI IS Oh account OF
e liberal and changed views OF Chri
: tianity." Whether this application vi
! be granted can be learned by writir
= to the Rev. Walter Reid Hunt. FL Ea.
e Thirty eight street, New York, n. Y.
There are those who are raising III
y cry Of persecution against this ma
1t Is wholly without foundation. Fro
8 the beginning q brotherly attitude ws
: shown toward Mr.. Westren. He W;
9 asked to desist from a practice whit
r was bound to entail unpleasant col
q sequences He disregarded all remol
: strances and advice firm those wi
y had to deal with the case. So far
c the writer IL concerned his action W,
not optional. When formal ceCnplai
y was made there was nothing for hi
4 10 do but to proceed according to Il
Discipline OF hts Church. He acted
the advice or his superior officer.
II might be of interest 70 the publ
TO know that attention was called
}. the fact that another minister hs
been induced 10 act In con1unctit
with certain Jitneusrs. But the m
:. ment that Ministers attention w
: called to the nature OF the practi
4 lin fact before letter reached hi
. he. because OF what he saw, absolute
= declined 10 act further even gu.I
4 80 far as TO say that II any coupl
were brought TO his parsonage
n would refuse 10 marry them und
n any circumstances) Not so NJ
, Western. He continued 10 disrega.
all warnings and advice and ~,
n when told that discipline must be r
70 sorted to he paid no heed but CO..
h tinued his practice, and showed !,
l. defiance by marrying even after h
expulsion.
There is no Wish on the mart