ARCHDEACON ACCUSED.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 55, 5 March 1921, Page 19

ARCHDEACON ACCUSED.

MISCONDUCT ALLEGED. .Extraordinary charges hare been made against the Yen. John Wakeford, Precentor of Lincoln University, .by his brother-in-law. Dr. Wakeford, who is an archdeacon, is well known and popnlar in the .North of England. The charges were Investigated by a Consistory Court in .Lincoln. The court was convoked at the Instance of Archdeacon Wakeford. According to the prosecution Archdeacon Wakeford misconducted himself at Peterborough on two occasions, the second of which was Good Friday of last year. A hotel manager save evidence that a cleric and a woman signed the register in the name of Wakeford. WLen the woman sat down to dine, the cleric enjoined her to put down her hands, thus arousing the curiosity of ' the maid, -who ascertained that she was not wearing a wedding ring. The 'brother-in-law, the .Reverend Mr. Worthington, tinder cross-examlnatlon, adTnit'ted that Canon Moore, who is also pense of the inquiries concerning .Archdeacon's Wakeford's movements Iα Peterborough. Witness said tliat he had never heard Moore, whom "Wakeford unsuccessfully prosecuted at the Consistory Court In 1015 on a charge of immorality, cay that he would ruin Wakeford's career. The archdeacon in tfie witness-box declared that this was a conspiracy by Moore and Worthiivgton to ruin him. The hotel .people were their satellites. 'He admitted having stayed at the hotel, but alone. He went there for peace and quiet. Archdeacon Wakeford'9 wife deposed that when her bTotber, the Rev, .Mr. Worthington, mentioned the subject he advised her to get a judicial separation, but she told her husband everything. They hjtd since done their utmost to secure an lnvestigaAfter prolonged deliberation, the Consistory Court found the archdeacon guilty. [A cable Oβ February 28 stated that the Privy Council had granted Archdeacon Wakeford leave to appeal against the Consistory Court's findings.]