OCR Text |
Show WOMAN ACCUSES MAN IN CHURCH Striking Scene Occurs in Brooklyn. "One Who Takes Communion With You Is Stained in Infamy," She Said. I She Had Been Paid Money for Her "Wrongs, but Had Demanded More, Special to Tho Tribune. N-EW YORK, April 23. There was a lull in the services at the Friday evening prayer-meeting at the "Washington Avenue Baptist church, Brooklyn, when a woman arose In a rear pew and asked permission to speak. She wore a neat tailor-made gown and presented a stylish and attractive at-tractive appearance. Before the pastor .could nod acqulesence to her request, she said: "I came here a week ago and listened to the testimony of those who. were about to become members of the church. I was surprised at the way they woro questioned concerning their spiritual condition. I say I was surprised, sur-prised, because there is one allowed to take communion wine with you whose hands are stained with infamy. "There are lawyers whom I know who with myself can prove that what I say Is true. I don't say It in a spirit of vlndlctlveness, yet justice and truth require re-quire that it be made public. There can be no blame attached to a church Into which deceptive creatures find their way, but the church that would knowingly countenance such crime surely has disgrace and blame at its door." Then She "Walked Out. "Without further ado, and before the congregation had recovered from Its amazement, tho woman turned and calmly walked out of the church. Inquiry todaj' revealed that the man referred to Is not a member of that church, although he has relatives who aro members. It Is alleged that the woman formerly was a nurse In the accused man's home at Mcthuen, Mass. Suddenly she resigned re-signed her place. Further, that she was persuaded to undergo an operation, and later, asserting that the operation had ruined her health, she threatened to sue the man. He engaged a lawyer and the woman was persuaded to sign a paper renouncing all claim on him, tho consideration for which, it is said, was $C00. A short time after she received this money her health gave way again, and again she went to the man for assistance. assist-ance. It was refused, whereupon sho wrote him a letter In which she said: "I want the sum of $2000. That Is tho very least you can do. Refuse it and you will see the consequence, for, ns true its my right arm is on ine, I will see that there Is a warrant out for your arrest next Saturday morning. "I will go In to see your lawyer "Wednesday at 2:20 p. m., and see what you decide to do. He told me he would not allow you to give It to me. He perhaps per-haps can hinder you from that, but never can he hinder me from fighting it In the courts, and also in tho newspapers news-papers " She Accepted Smaller Sum. The meeting signified in the letters is said to have taken place last .November in the lawyer's office In Boston, and on tills occasion the woman ilgncd another an-other paper releasing the man from all obligations, under the threat that she would be prosecuted on account of tho letter. She then received 5200 Instead of the $2000 she had demanded. She again approached the man last January, but. It is said, the lawyer told her he would have her sent to prison for five years because of the letter she had written. This so frightened the woman that sho fled to Xcw York, where sho was shadowed by detectives as late as last February. She decided to bring suit against tho man, who had in the meantime come to New York, and sho placed the case In the hands of a firm of, lawyers in this city, with the intention of suing for 525,000. Sho wa3 again threatened with imprisonment, and this caused her to withdraw her suit. Rev. Dr. Robert McDonald, pastor of the Washington Avenue Baptist church, was at the meeting at which the woman spoke. He hsd also received re-ceived a letter from her. He declared that the man she referred to was, so far as he knew, an upright and honorable honor-able man- He declared vigorously that the man was not a member of the church and did not worship there, and had probably leen In the church not more than three times In hl3 life. |