Evening star., 1925-01-16
COURT CONFIRMS
BISHOPS CUSTER
Rt. Rev. Browns Formal
Expulsion Now Up to
PreIates' Vote.
By the Associa ted Press.


CLEVELAND. Ohio. January 10
Expulsion from the ministry was an
nounced here yesterday as a fitting
punishment for Right Rev. William
Montgomery Brown. retired bishop OF
the Protestant Episcopal diocese of
Arkansas. The finding came from the
church's board of review after three
days of argument on the action of
the trial court, which last May found
Bishop Brown guilty of uttering
doctrines contrary to those held by
the church.
The reviewing body discovered no
error in the trial, Affirming those
proceedings wfthou, exception. bishop
William A. Leonard OF Cleveland, pre-
siding officer of the court, explained
that the power to put the sentence
into effect rests with the house of
bishops. That body. which meets at
the general convention of the church
In New Orleans next Spring. will hear
the reports of the trial and review
courts and approve or disapprove
them. Approval can be given only
by two-thirds vote of all the 1870
bishops entitled to cast ballots.
If this majority Is obtained in New
Orleans, the sentence announced will
be formally pronounced by the pre-
siding bishop of the church, the post
no" utlu ny blsnOD 1dlDOt OF
Bethlehem, Pa. Failure to obtain a
two thirds vote of all members of
the house of bishops would. 1t was
said. amount to n disapproval that
would in effect be a reversal OF both
the courts.
Vote May BE Taken.
A possibility that the New Or
leans meeting may not be called upon
to vote on the question, was revealed
when Joseph W. Sharts of Dayton,
Ohio. chief counsel for Bishop Brown.
notified the appeal court of his clients
intention to petition the house Of
bishops for the selection OF court
Of ultimate appeal. to which the case
might be further referred. Such a
court Is provided for in the consti-
tuition of the church. but II has never
been constituted. The board of review
held in the proceedings concluded
yesterday that the consideration
which the house of bishops was
bound to give the case was a suffi-
cient safeguard of Bishop Browns
rights.
Unless the house of bishops grants
Mr.. Sharts' proposed petition. the
open hearings OF the case have end
ed. Debate by the house will be, like
all its proceedings. behind closed
doors.
Refuses to Retract.
Concluding scenes in the trial were
marked by the personal participation
of Bishop Brown At the morning
session yesterday he addressed the
court in affirmation of his beliefs and
during the afternoon session, at
which the findings were given. told
his fellow bishops fatty that he had
no desire to retract one word of his
teachings.
'Oh. I cannot do that" he ex-
claimed when Bishop Leonard asked
If he wished to do so. II did not
intend to make my statement of this
morning so obscure as to give rise
to any such possibility. Is there
any idea to the contrary among the
bishops?"
You made so positive a statement
of belief that some of US were un-
certain as to your intention" ex-
plained Bishop Leonard
Bishop Brown then asked that the
members of the court read a lengthy
pamphlet which he recently circu-
lated under a title indicating that
1t was a memorial to the reviewing
court
II have read 1t and I think the
nave, ItJOineO blSnOp Leon
ard amid mods from the other seven
members of the court
Bishop Leonard then announced the
finding that the trial was conducted
without error and that the verdict
of guilty was affirmed. He polled
the court and in turn Bishops Irving
p. Johnson, Colorado; William w,
Webb. Milwaukee; ]. De Wolfe Perry.
Rhode Island; r. H. Nelson, Albany:
c. b. Brewster. Connecticut: William
Cabell Brown, Virginia, and Davis
Sessums. Louisiana, confirmed the
finding as their own.
Again Bishop Brown was asked If
he wished to make any statement
before sentence was announced. After
brief consultation with his client.
Mr.. Sharts answered for him in the
negative. The white-haired defend
ant arose, however, while Bishop
Leonard read:
1T is the Judgment of this court
that you, William MONTGOMERY
Brown. should be deposed from the
sacred ministry
Bishop Leonard also announced
that the appeal court would later
hand down a written opinion dealing
with the disputed sections of church
law and the doctrinal principles in
volved In the case.
Members of the court went to their
homes last night, saying the opinion
would be agreed upon through cor
respondence.