A VICAR'S MISCONDUCT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1062, 27 February 1911, Page 5

A VICAR'S MISCONDUCT.

CASE OF HEV. J. LAX. By Telegraph—rrcss Association—CopyrleTit London, February 24. ' '. Tho Consistory Court found tho Rev. John Las, vicnr of Stainmorc, in Wostmorland, guilty of misconduct. On September 28, 1909, eight young men wero. charged on summonses before tho magistrates at Kirkby Stephen, Westmorland, with u common nssault'on tho Rev. John George Lax, vicar of Staiuraore, and Miss Mary Rcnnisou, school teacher and organist of Stainmorc Parish Church. Tho defendants, with one exception, were farmers. They pleaded not guilty. In tho prosecution it was explained that Stainmorc Church is in a lonely and isolated spot on tho Pennine Hills. On tho night of Soptombor 13 tho vicar was walking through the fields with Miss Rcnnison. They reached a spot known as Skerry Gill, and Miss Rennison was in tho act of getting over a stile, when men who had concealed themselves . behiud a wall rushed,out and seized Mr. Lax. Tho vicar struggled with his assailants and was getting tho better of them until someone fired a' pistol and mado other signals for help. Thereupon mora men came, and by forco of numbers Mr. Lax was ultimately overpowered, thrown to tho ground, and bound with ropes. Ho lay upon the ground for three-quarters of an hour, while a mock religious ceremony was held over him. Then ho was mado to wnlk homo with his arms bound, and 'Miss Rennison was mado to accompany him. On arrival at tho vicarage, Mr. Lax was thrown down, on to the loni}, and his assailants ran awav. The .defendants stated that what they did was prompted by a desire to nut an end to ..what they believed had become nn in- ' tolerable stato of affairs. Each defendant was fined £5, and costs.