The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-09-13
African Opera Bou2s An . Methodist
q NJ Church.


While the white Christians of Huntington,
Long Island, have turned two churches into
hostile camps on the question of the tarring
and feathering and the probable murder of
Kelsey, 1T will be well not to hurl too heavy
brick at the colored communicates of
the African Methodist Episcopal Bethel
church of Sullivan street. The brethren
have had trouble, and, according to the
bubbling natures of these tawny children Of
the Land of the Moon, they have let the world
know it. They are religious, and it is COM
forting thought that they can proclaim their
enthusiastic reliance on the Gospel in tones
not to be mistaken for anything but high
pressure Christianity. As with other people
religion cost them money. If there had been
no filthy lucre necessary, life had been one long
hallelujah and glory shout OF blessings to the
Lamb. Wherever there is room for money to
enter His Satanic Excellency (who is not SO
''colored" as he is painted) can slip in ALSO
The offerings of the colored faithful of Bethel
were kept in an iron safe in the church cellar
This iron safe it was that played Old Harry
with the peace of the colored breth-
rem. In the nine years past there entered
its iron jaws $65, $50 SO. There is no doubt
pious children of Africa are puzzled and con-
founded as to how it got out. We have our
own opinions aboutit, founded on our belief in
the ''cussedness" of the Old Gentleman who
sat there chuckling over the fun he would
have when the good people came to look
after their money. The trustees kept
putting money in there and taking money
out until all of a sudden the Old Gentleman
whispered to the congregation just to ask the
trustees how much of the root of evil they
could account for Then they cast up &C
counts, and could only show expenditures in
the sum Of $50, 100 So. That was bad day
for Bethel. The Mortified trustees eleven in
number, rolled up their eyes, swayed their
bodies and stretched out their arms in
agony, while fifteen hundred accusing
spirits glared through nearly three thousand
blazing optics upon them, and one thousand
five hundred hallelujah voices shouted in
chorus: where's dem twelf tousan
not seem to have been kept ON any
very worldly plan, and matters
generally became mixed in that par
ticular. Now it must be admitted that
religious colored people have their feelings as
well as other folks, and they were resolved to
were circulated, to the effect that, what
ever hand Old Harry had in the
matter, the trustees had put the money
in their pockets. The mystic word
"Poko moke'' was banded about; md ''dat's
der policy became its echo. What the ter
rible word may really signify we cannot say;
but '.Poke'' is a corruption of pocket, and the
remaining syllables would indicate that the
whole word meant the pocket of colored
gentleman, whittier it might be supposed the
money had gone. But we leave this point
with the word-splitters, and return to our
colored sheep to say that the eleven trustees
were brought to trial before an ecclesiastical
court holden in the sacred edifce. There was
full jury of fifteen hundred male and
| female and the pastor presided. Counsel
were employed, but to no good purpose
that we can see. Although the verdict, when
it was reached, was simply declaration. of
the guilt of the prisoners, its spirit may
brother to "bounce dem out O. window"
Whitewash was at a discount while the alleged
crime was being beaten on the carpet. Weak
minded people would find fault with the
clever manner in which the worthy pastor
ruled out everything, applause and all.
which supported the accused, but in his own
words, when the propriety Of his action was
questioned by the perspiring counsel for the
defence, he settled the point. He said:-"Tm
President in dis church if amt, jes tell me
So" So well supported was this view by the
| jury, that it was Immediately proposed to
''bounce dat lawyer out Of de window" The
| counsel said something about leaping
into his saddle, but omitted to state
what he would do next A sadder
story remains to be told. The trustees be-
lieve themselves outraged in character in sums
| varying from fifteen thousand dollars down.
ward, and suits in the Supreme Court for
SANDER are threatened. They have refused,
one and all, to ''open their heads" to report
ers, and one of them thinks that the ff-
teen hundred will be swarmed de worst
way you ever saw" when all the truth
is told. We suppose he means in the next
| world, if not in this. The moral of the story
is that the Bethelites should never have kept
the money in the iron safe in the cellar;
for, between Satan, the Trustees and
the mystic "Poko' moke," it seems to
have been all but impossible to keep it
there. 1t would have saved the peace of mind
of the colored brethren if they had put it into
the bank for if the bank had burst, as banks
will, they could have solaced themselves with
the thought that white men were the swind-
lers. They could have chosen several insti-