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SUSPENDun li:hhss u \L trial riMiS mnlt;U ILTl AS lt;11 VR(iEI)EXPERT’S REPORT IS CLEARE\-C hault; elloReyrese 11 Ifit iuu n MoNot Tail) With Showing I romHooLih- i’aiitiui DutyL)oneEx-Chancellor Charles M. Ellinwool of Wesleyan university was last night found guilty of ithe charges on which he was tried by an ecclesiastical court. Me is suspended from ministerial functions till the conference acts on the case next September.The committee from the Nebraska conference continued its sessions at Grace Methodist church yest* relay. Professor E! Lin wood, Dr. Huntington, L. O. Jones, Mr. Poky, A. Adams and J. M. Stewart were the principal witnesses. Pome of the evidence was of a very pos’tlve nature, and went to the bottom of affairs at University Place, in the management of the university and the Win-lorn bank.The defense sought to establish that in all his operations :n floating th* warrants of the university Professor Ellin wood hud acted as an agent for the board oftrustee^ which the prosecution denial Ifc had canied a account business In!university warrants, and had done this through the Wlnfiom bank. It appeared that the bank’s assets wore chiefly on paper.About the middle of the afternoon thecounsel for the church threw a bomb into the camp of the defense by introducing as expert evidence a statement compiled from the books by the accountant, Mr, Poley, which statement showed the amount of money received annually by the treasurer as shown by the university books, and the amount of warrants issued annually by the treasurer. The difference would be the amount of warrants which the treasurer could not pay annually, and this was a flat contradiction of the statements made by Professor ETHnwood to the board in his reports, If he had applied the money to the payment cf outstanding obligations, he did not have on hand the amount he claimed of unpaid warrants which he claimed to be carrying to save the honor of the college. This document fairly 1 floored the defense, who were unable to meet it. They east doubts on the reliability of the paper, but there seemed no way to overthrow it; the books w'ftrebehind it.The court took a recess, and after it reconvened the defense argued a motion for a postponement until a later date, that they might examine the books and verify or prove the. falsity of this important document; it would take several days; but the defense had already had much longer than the law requires in which to prepare for trial, and this investigation not being in any sense final, the presiding elder ruled that it slum lt;1 continue. No further evidence was introduced, and the counsel proceeded to sumup the case.Dr.Halstead spok briefly for the church and In a plain and simple manner presented the main points, it was evident that the defense could not overcome the array of facts there outlined, with the evidence there produced.Dr. Isham followed, also for the church, and made a good presentation of the case, with more eloquence, and entered into other than the figures in the case.Mr. Sheets of Chicago, a Methodist preacher, brother-in-law of Mr. Ellin-wood, made a splendid presentation of what he could not help but feel was a weak ease. He was followed by Dr. Abbott of Falls City, the “Chrysostom ofthe Nebraska conference, who made a pathetic plea for Professor Eilinwood, who with one of his daughters was present. both being much affected by thedoctor’s eloquence, as was also Attorney G. A. Adams, who is supposed to be inured to pathetic scenes in courts.Dr. Lasby closed for the defense, and j Dr. Halstead made the briefest of remarks. He appreciated the pathos of the situation, but righteousness must prevail. He did not trust in eloquence, probably feeling that it was not necessary.In general the best of temper and Christian spirit was shown during the trial bv all concerned, and it was e.v dent that while the complainants and their counsel put up so strong a case that there was no malice in it. Those in charge seemed to be full of regret that they must fulfil so serious a duty. The committee were very attentive and pai l close attention in performing their thankless task. The case was given to them for final action at 6 o’clock.At 10 o' Ho k the verdict was arm Unced-Both charges, of dishonesty in businessrelations, were sustained, the committee being unanimous in its findings, and Charles M. Ellinwoad was declared suspended from the performance of all ministerial functions until the m-eting of the annual conference at Fairbury, Neb.,S September 21. 19S at which time the case is to be finally disposed of by a trial atnew evidence can be admitted and
Newspaper Details
Lincoln Nebraska State Journal
Lincoln, Nebraska, US
Fri, May 27, 1898
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Martha T.
NA, 01 Jun 2023
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