Evening star., 1922-05-02
OFFICIALS PROBING
PASTOR SLUGG|NG
County Attorney Takes Hand
in Lawton case-cails
80 Suspended Members.

LAWTON. Okla, May 2.-The Law
ton Presbyterian Church controversy
got outside the confines of the church
hand. A civil court Of inquiry was
under way. directed by Fletcher Riley,
county attorney, who announced he
would go to the bottom of the whole
dissension IN an effort to determine
the identity of three men who last
Saturday night abducted the pastor,
the Rev. Thomas J. Irwin, and threw
him in a ditch beside road outside
Lawton, half conscious and securely
tied and gagged. Filing of criminal
charges. he said, would depend upon
the outcome of the investigation.
The county attorney started about
his inquiry today by preparing sub
poenas for about thirty persons who
had been suspended from Pastor
lrwin's church. They were ,ousted by
the, church session or executive
board. with the sanctiono of Mr.. Irwin,
and have been aligned against the
minister in the movement to have
him expelled frofn the Lawton pulpit
on formal charges drawn UP by the
governing Ell Reno Presbytery.
VIII Question Factionists, r-
County Attorney Riley said all the
suspended members and anti-Irwin
tactoinists would be interrogated
about the abduction OF the pastor,
and 1t was indicated that each would
be asked to explain his whereabouts
on the night the alleged slugging and
kidnapping took place.
Pastor irwin and three members of
the church session were called in last
night and questioned at length when
the county attorney decided to con-
fene the inquiry court.
Their testimony was kept secret,
and 1t was not known whether Mr. Ir-
win gave any cue to the identity of
his abductors. He has publicly stated
men.
sCenters ON Trial.
Speculation today centerei upon
whether Mr.. Irwin would submit to
trial before commission appointed
ty the FL Reno presbytery on charges
of conduct unbecoming a minister"
The trial Is set for May 9.
The pastor asserted he was going
to carry his case before the Okla
homa synod. and intimated he planned
a strategical move.
Mr.. lrwin's mainstays in the dis
sension, which has been seething In
the congregation for months, the
Iamembers of the church session, re-
Nsned yesterday after condemnins
t1e presbytery for alleged "persecu-
tion" of the pastor.
They announced they were still In
: the fight in support Of the minister
and that their withdrawal from the
church and the presbytery did not
mean they had folded their tents.
May Question Authority.
With new turn of events, observers
Of the fray interpreted the predicted
strategy was possibly g. refusal by
the pastor to admit the state synod
authority. Recourse to the civil
courts, where the pastor already has
obtained an Injunction to prevent in.
reference with his church, also was
considered as a choice Of battle and
another lay in following the course
of the executive board In resfEninR,
but still sticking by his guns on the
Lawton battle ground. All this, how.
i, ever, was In the nature Of unofficial
speculation before the agreements.
A marriage bond tied by the pastor
at bathing pool; church movie ex-
hi6itfons. and remarks made by the
pastor In his funeral sermon a year
ago over the body of the late Jake L,
Hamon, republican national commit
teemAn, from Oklahoma. are some OF
the seed from which the dissension
grew .--is,- -