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Show "EX-PRIEST" DELANEY. His Own Confession Proves His Evil Character. The last remnant of the foul breed of so-called "cx-priests," who have in times past made commerce of their apostasy by appealing to dense ignorance ignor-ance and bigotry, has just turned up in Brooksville, an Interior Kentucky town, says the Catholic Columbian. He is the notorious Delaney, whilom evangelist, Baptist preacher, etc. Since he was dismissed from the pastorate of the Baptist church at Martinsville, Ind., and denounced as a thief, a liar and a swindler, he found it advisable for obvious reasons to change the initials in-itials of his name from W. J. to W. L. He still parades himself as an "ex-priest," "ex-priest," although he was never even so much as a seminarian. He did at one time aspire to be a Christian Brother, and studied for a time at St. Charles' college, Ellicott City, Md.. afterward being admitted to Epiphany Apostolic college at Baltimore, from which he w-as expelled by the Very Rev. Father Slatterly. He figured in a number of doubtful transactions and finally disappeared. In a year or so he was heard of as "ex-priest" Delaney, De-laney, preaching rabidly against the Church. At one time he attempted to enter the Lutheran ministry and had gained the confidence of a minister and his family,-but they dropped him on account ac-count of immoral letters he sent to the minister's son. He then drifted west and became an "Old Catholic," and finally turned up as a Baptist minister. ! Delaney is wily enough to choose the smaller towns, where ignorance of the Catholic Church intensifies the bigotry against it, to work his propaganda, and in some instances he has succeeded succeed-ed in hoodwinking the people for a time. A few months ago he was pastor pas-tor of the Baptist church at Martinsville, Martins-ville, Ind., when he was denounced and exposed for what he was by the Columbian. Co-lumbian. The exposure caused a watch to be put upon the newly-found shepherd, shep-herd, with the result ttiat upon Aug. 20, 1902, the congregation held a meeting, meet-ing, at which these charges were formulated for-mulated and duly presented to the Baptist district council: "First We charge that Rev. W. J. Delaney did at various times and of different persons collect money for the I new church building; that he did not report the collection of the same to the trustees, and that he did appropriate the money collected to his own use. "Second We further charge that the said Rev, W. J. Delaney did in May of j this year collect money for books, j which he sold at various places and to ' different persons, on the promise that books would be delivered in about ten j days; and from evidence we have we j find that the books have not yet been delivered. "Third We further charge that the said Rev. W. J. Delaiicy was at rif- ferent times and to different persons guilty of falsifying." The charges were sustained by practically prac-tically the unanimous vote of the seventeen sev-enteen members of the council. These members were as follows: The Revs. C. E. Clough, H. C. Brannock and William Wil-liam Giles, of Bloomington; the Rev. E. H. Brookshire of Ellettsville, the Rev. George Goss and Joe A. Goss of j Samaria church in Ashland township, : L. T. Duncan and Jerry Mugg of ! Quincy, the Rev. J. M. Holmes of New I Salem church in Baker township, the Revs. B. F. Mugg and D. Hannah of I Providence, the Rev. P. H. Faulk, R. i j N. Gray and G. A. McBride of Free- ! j dom, Madison Avery, R. G. Storm and j James B. Farr of Martinsville. : When notice of the charges was served on the defendant requesting his appearance before the council, the accused ac-cused responded by letter, in which he admits that he is a swindler, a liar and a thief. He wrote as follows: "Indianapolis, Ind.. Sept. 5, 1902. "To the Members of the Council Convened Con-vened in the Baptist Church, Martinsville, Mar-tinsville, Ind.: "My Dear Brethren In answer to the charges brought against me by the church at Martinsville, I will make i confession specifically to each charge, and, as I have already asked pardon ! and mercy from my Lord and Savior, I do now humbly beg pardon of the i church and all whom I have offended, and the leniency of your august body. ' "Charge 1. I acknowledge in this ! first charge the general statement that ' I collected money and failed to turn it over to the trustees at once. I regret re-gret and am sorry for this sin. But since collection of this money the trustees trus-tees have my back salary to make good the shortage and are still in debt to me. Be this as it may, however, I humbly ask pardon of all whom I have offended. "Charge 2. That I sold books and collected money for said books, but with good intention. The books will be delivered just as soon as I can get them from the publishing house. "Charge 3.-That I was guilty of falsifying, and this is true. It is a predominant fault and I have asked God's pardon and will now ask ' the church's pardon,, the council's mercy and the prayers of the faithful for spiritual strength to correct myself. "I now surrender my credentials to your body. I feel unworthy to hold them and will hereafter keep silent until un-til proven worthy to possess them. "I now close, begging once more pardon par-don for my faults and sins and hope the council will show mercy to one who has sinned but repented. "WILLIAM JOSEPH DELANEY." The church authorities had numerous letters in their hands with which to sustain the charges preferred and the council heard some oral testimony in addition. ' That the people througout the country coun-try are learning to distrust these self-styled self-styled "ex-prJests," "ex-nuns," etc.. whose main object is calumny und vi lification, is evidenced by the editorial comment in the Brooksville (Ky.) Review Re-view of -March 6: "W. L. Delaney is billed to lecture at this place Friday and Saturday nights. It is said that the object of his speech is to denounce the Catholic religion. Such men as Delaney should not be permitted to come into a town to stir up strife among the churches. Trouble was caused at Maysville some years ago by another such person as Delaney and , the people of Flemingsburg would not permit him to speak in that town. I Neither should this man be allowed to . lecture in Brooksville." ! The Rev. J. A. Cusack. pastor of St. i James' church, at Brooksville. placed $100 in Bracken County bank to be ' turned over to the trustees of the j Brooksville graded school for library I purposes on condition that Delaney prove that he was ever ordained a priest. The Catholic News. |