Presbytery Suspends Minister for Slander
A long-running ecclesiastical dispute concludes as Reverend M. G. Mann is convicted of slandering his successor using hearsay from the Puyallup reservation.
The story, cleaned up
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Tacoma, June 23 — Rev. M. G. Mann, formerly in charge of the Puyallup reservation Presbyterian church, was suspended for six months this evening by the presbytery following an investigation into charges of slandering his successor, Rev. Pamment. The presbytery sustained two primary charges of slander, which included seventeen counts. The investigation alleged that Mann repeated unsubstantiated statements from members of the Puyallup tribe regarding Pamment's management of church affairs. Mann has indicated he will appeal the decision to the synod.
“The burden of the charges is that Mann placed credence upon and repeated the statements made by Puyallup Indians reflecting on Pamment's ability to manage the affairs of his church.”
This incident highlights the complex power dynamics and cultural friction often present in historical mission work on reservations, where interpersonal conflicts were magnified by the structures of institutional authority.
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