Evening star., 1951-10-11
Ex-CIeric Describes
Pastoral Trysts With
Pensioners S Wife

uSsVtu uISlS WIN
Pensioners S Wife
A former minister related in
District Court today the circum-
stances in which he confessed to
a parishioner that he had been
having intimate relations with the
latter's wife.
John A. Mcintosh, IS, former
pastor of a church in johnson
City. N. Y, testified that he had
frequent relations with Mrs. Kath-
crime Benjamin, 80, over a long
period. starting in June, 1912, but
he denied paternity of her 8-year-
old daughter and. denied ever
promising to support the child.
Mr.. Mcintosh. a builder who
now lives at 1902 Connecticut
avenue, Chevy Chase, is the de-
fendant in a $500 suit in which
Mrs. Benjamin claims non-sup-
port OF the girl. Mrs. Benjamin.
a resident of Binghamton, N. Y,
sang in the choir of Mr.. McIn-
toSh's church.
Called as Adverse Witness.
The former minister was called
TO the stand as an adverse witness
by attorneys for Mrs. Benjamin.
He told the jury and Judge WAL
ter M. BaStian that he and the
plaintiff made their first date after
meeting OF church young people
in June, 1912. They were at the
home OF friends washing and dry
Ing dishes after supper.
She washed the Dishes" Mr..
Mcintosh testified. i volunteered
to wipe them. with no thought in
my mind at that time of anything
else.
AS We talked realized we were
both leading up to the point where
we were going to declare some ,
things to each other. And we did !
that We were interested in each !
other. We made a date, so to :
speak. for several days later"
Walked to pretty Woods" !
The ex-clergyman said he and I
Mrs. Benjamin met as planned, I
drove to lovers lane, parked I
their car and walked through al
very beautiful field to some very G
pretty woods" He said they had
their first relations there.
In reply to lawyers questions. C
Mr.. Mcintosh estimated that he C
and Mrs. Benjamin had such re- il
lations on an average of once +
week for several months. Once n
they went to an abandoned gravel
pit which was overgrown with C
grass and which he described as G
"a very pretty place" q
Intimate in Her Home. 4,
Did you ever have relations N
with Mrs. Benjamin in her own h
home?" asked David Carliner. one /,
OF the plaintiffs attorneys. "
I'm ashamed to say SO, yes"
replied the former minister.
Mr.. Mcintosh said he and the
choir-singer took a trip to New
York City together and that he
thought he signed the hotel reg !
lister as "Mr. and Mrs. j. K. Nc
1ntosh" but that he may possibly >,
have signed the surname as NC =
1ntyre." 1t was after this trip, the r
defendant said. that he was con- ~
aronted by Mr.. Benjamin. :, -
Roger Benjamin tagged my r
car down and told me he wanted F
me to go with him to his house. -
Fhe witness said. He was agi- u
lated and I could see then that
something was up" Ii,
Admitted Guilt to Husband. Il
Mr.. Mcintosh said Mrs. Benja- tt
man and two of her sisters were e.
Rt the house when he and the hus- v
band arrived. Under questioning s.
he testified: Z
He wanted to know whether I
had taken Mrs. Benjamin to New u
York City. At first I made fee N n,
BILE attempt in a statement to deny u
1t. But I soon saw that it was n
useless. o'
I saw the uselessness against
all that testimony and suspicion. Z
I had a real sense of guilt in :
my heart. So I admitted it."
Even after this incident, the
defendant stated, he had another :,
tryst with Mrs. Benjamin. He "
said he wanted to talk over the "
adding: !, II
After we had finished talking N
about what happened there was
that horrible attraction between u "
us and it happened again." Mr.. >, -
Mcintosh said that the infatua- ~
tion he had first felt now had de- el
veioped into love for Mrs. Ben 7
jamin.
Feared Goods Judgment" q
II told her that I knew we were e]
doing wrong and that we would d
have to stop. I told her that we 7
would meet Gods judgment if we L
kept it up" Ii
Mr.. Mcintosh said he took d
measures to get pastolTte in an fl
other city. Eventually he was c,
called to Rochester, N. Y, but he fc
testified that before leaving John d
The Wo~4Lo.