The Washington times., 1924-11-24
WRECK, :
VICTIM OF
GOSSIP
Famous Preacher In New York
Hospital and Doctors Fear
for Mind
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low Doctor Grant to make any fur
Their statement other than his declar.
tion that he had spent a restful
night and felt good"
The legnth Of time he will under
go medical treatment in the hos
pital depended on the result of TO.
days examination, it was said, ana
subsequent consultation Of special,
lists.
The revelation that Doctor Grant
had become a nervous" patient
was the first intimation to his
friends and former parishioners
that the preacher Of modernism was
not regaining his health after his
near breakdown last June which
forced him to resign from his
Doctor Grant said on his arrival
at the hospital that his old anemia
trouble had returned in spite or q
good summer at his home In Bed.
ford Hills, Westchester county.
am right back where / was
eighteen months ago when this con.
ditiOn was discovered. he said.
Physicians told me / had only
40 per cent Of the blood should
have. They said my condition was
due to sewer gas"
DIR. Frederick Peterson, neuro-
logist and former professor Of men.
tai diseases at the College Of ply.
sicians and Surgeons, who already
has examined DIR. Grant twice and
will be in attendance with DR.. Con-
nor. said today.
''Dr. Grant is a nervous wreck.
would not like to say anything
further until after q consultation.
His physical condition undoubtedly
is grave"
DR.. Common said it was not Ger.
tain what other factors may have
complicated DIR. Grants condition
and that a thorough examination
was necessary.
Blames Organ Pipes.
In his letter of resignation to the
vestry Of the Church Of the As.
cension, accepted after only thirty
minutes discussion, he blamed his
anaemic condition on leaky sewer
pipes in the vestYy.
Since Doctor Grants retirement
he has lived quietly on his place
between Mount Kisco and Bedford.
In his household has been his sis.
ter, Mrs. Madge Stone; Mrs. John
Graham, his housekeeper, and Nelly
Kelly, housemaid.
RumOrs, reluctantly confirmed by
persons close to Doctor Grant, as
sert that his attitude toward Nelly
Kelly constitutes one of the alarm
ing signs they fear indicate Iessened
mental acuteness. The woman, said
to be thifty-eieht years old and Of
Canadian birth, has been In the
rector's service for several years.
Two years ago, according TO re.
liable reports, he became interested
IN Nelly Kelly through information
reaching him that she had fallen
in with evil companions. His syEa-
pathies aroused, the rector, always
the friend Of umfOrtunateS, tried to
improve her lot.
Il Is said that disclosures concern.
ing this situation, with EVIDENCES
that Doctor Grant was breaking
under the strain Of his long con-.
tinued pulpit dispuattons and social
welfare work, brought about his
unexpected resignation last June.
Doctor Grants retirement from
the fashionable Church Of the
Ascension followed by a month the
breaking of the engagement between
the Ascension rector and Mrs. Rita
de Acosta Lydig, society woman. .
Mrs. Lydig, in announcing the
breaking Of the troth, said the
reason was that she was a divorcee
and that Bishop William T. Man.
ming had refused to sapprove the
ceremony under the Episcopal
Church.
While rector OF the Church of
Ascension, Doctor Grant was con-
tinuously the center OF q con.
troversial storm in which he cham
pioned the cause of the modernistic
school Of religion.
This stand brought Doctor Grant
into frequent clashes with Doctor
Manning. Doctor Manning insisted
upon the Church of the Ascension
conforming to the Episcopal law
regardless Of Doctor Grants per.
scnal creed or theological beliefs.