Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-10
THE MINISTER'S STRATEGY.
His Plan for Making Majority Brings
the Congregation into the Police Court.

Yesterday afternoon, in the Police Court,
there was a gathering of the members of the
Mount Olive colored Baptist church on 6tl,
between L and NJ streets northeast. Mr. ID. L.
Cahill, who represented the church, appeared
as prosecuting officer. He carried a book con-
tanning the rules governing the church, but he
frankly admitted that he was not so familiar
with it's contents as he was with those of the
law books. Mr.. w. A. Cook appeared for the
defendants. The information filed showed
that VIM. L. Carter, Jno. T. Crittenden, Wash.
MINIS and Andrew Bell were the members
complained against. Carter and Crittenden
are two Of the old trustees, Edmund Washing
ton being the third member of that body. The
election of VIM. Dorsey, l. Edwards and N.
Morgan as their successors is what led to the
trouble in the church. The pastor favored the
newly-elected trustees. but it appears that a
majority of the members were with the old
board. Mr.. Cahill called into the bar the
pastor, the Rev. 8. J. r. Nelson, who took a
seat beside him to give him points.
What does the information charger" asked
Mr.. Cook
'Disorderly conduct answered the Judge.
..In and about the church." added Mr.. Ca
hill.
docs it charge the minister?'' asked Mr..
Cook
'well have no Righteousness about this
through on game of bluff, if you know any
thing about that game"
Lets proceed to business" said Judge Mil
Ter.
THE PASTORS TESTIMONY.
Mr.. Cahill called the pastor as the first wit
ness. The witness said that his name was
Simeon ]. r. Nelson. On the night charged,
he said, he was sitting in the moderators chair
conducting business meeting, which was fire.
rv.fnr tod f1a dAfn
others. They claimed the floor when they
were not entitled to it. and finally succeeded
In breaking up the meeting. rush was made
for witness and Carter grabbed him. During
the struggle witness saw that he could not re-
tain possession of the books and he broke loose
and went for an officer. Carter, he said,
grabbed the books and papers.
What was in the books?" asked the judge.
''The church business and minutes" he an
swered
What were the papers?" asked the court
Charges against Carter. Crittenden and Ed
mund Washington"
What was the charge against them?'
Refusing to obey the order of the church,
and rebelling against it's authority"
When the first vote was taken, he said it was
carried by friends of the defendants. If the
final vote had been taken they would have
been expelled. When questioned by the court
the minister explained that many of the men,
bers had been DISTINGUISHED from voting by
witness because of their alleged disorder in the
meeting.
On cross-examination witness was asked if
he had ever had any trouble in the Mount Zion
Baptist church. Witness answered that he
had never had any trouble with the church,
but the members claimed that they had some
trouble with witness.
MIR. Cook then offered in evidence paper to
show that the witness was excluded from the
Mount Zion church for failure to show his
ordination papers.
WHAT THE POLICEMAN SAW.
Policeman Cutter, the next witness, testified
that he found an excited crowd of men and
women on the sidewalk in front of the church
near midnight. Many of them, including the
women, he said, were armed with clubs while
others carried heavy canes.
Arthur Matthews, clerk of the church, con-
tradlcted the testimony given by his pastor and
was inclined to help the old trustees out of
their difficulty. He produced the records of
the meeting to show that when the first vote
was taken there were 20 who voted in favor of
sustaining the old trustees in their refusal to
turn over the books to their successors, but
DISTINGUISHED 20 voters, leaving a majority of
2 on the minister's side.
CASE FOR PRAYER.
Judge Miller thought he here saw the cause
of the trouble. 1t was the Acknowledgement of
20 voters. The judge thought that if there
were some politicians present they could get a
valuable lesson showing how a minority could
be made into a majority. Another witness
was called, but Judge Miller said he had heard
enough of the case. little season of prayer,
he thought, would do them more good than the
Police Court. He, therefore, dismissed the
case.