The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-04-23
DRIVEN FROM Worship.
A Drunken Ruffian Takes
Possession of the Dun
can Avenue Church.
THE CONGREGATION FLEE
Worshippers Make for the Streets
While the Invader Stands Guard
at the Door.

A remarkable story was developed in
Police Justice Wanser's court on the Hill
when John Gelise was arraigned yesterday
morning. Gelise is resident of West
Side avenue whose convvial habits have
heretofore brought him to the notice of
the police.
Before going on further it may be ad-
visable to say that there are two versions
of the occurrence This is Police Ser
geant Finley's version of it.
Last Sunday afternoon Gelise had been
indulging in his usual excesses, and started
from one of the Bergen avenue saloons in
quest of another bar to drink at. He
reeled down Duncan avenue, and the first
open door he saw was that of St. PauFs
Episcopal Church. An afternoon service
was in progress, and the convivial West
Side avenue man staggered in.
He sat down in pew and behaved HIM
self with propriety for a few minutes. By
that time he thought he had become well
enough acquainted with the people he
saw there to make little free with them.
So rising in the pew he had invaded, he
began to shout oaths and to indulge in
personal observations which were not
complimentary to the worshippers.
THE CONGREGATION DRIVEN OUT.
The ushers attempted to quiet him, but
the more they tried the noisier he became.
The services were suspended, and fright
ened women and children rushed out into
the street.
To add to the embarrassments of the
situation the man began to disrobe IN his
pew First his coat was flung to the floor
and then his vest was hurled into the aisle.
Then up came the lower ends of his not
over clean shirt, and in a few minutes ne
looked like prize fighter ready for busl-
ness.
f. H. Tower, New York banker and
brother-in-law of the late Peter Bentley,
was among the worshippers. His carriage
stood under the carriage shed. Jumping
into it he started out in quest of police
man. At the car stables he met Police
Sergeant Finley and hurriedly stated the
case to him. The Sergeant hopped into
Mr. Towers carriage and was rapidly
driven to the church.
HE RESISTED THE POLICE.
When he arrived there the Sergeant
saw the congregation standing in groups
on the sidewalk, while the half dSessed
uTuukdfu .SUOOU OI1 utt1o Ill bAC doOi
uttering the vilest imprecations against
the heads of those whom he had driven
from their place of worship.
The fellow offered resistance to the
Sergeant and it was no easy task to bring
him into subiection. He was finally over
powered and hurried to the Library Hall
lookup.
This morning when Police Justice
Wanser heard the story, he committed
the man for trial.
A MILDER NARRATIVE.
'It was I who made the arrest" said
Policeman Cavanagh, giving the other
version of the affair late this afternoon.
Finley has made more time over it
than it was worth. | did not
see anybody in front of the
church except the man I arrested, and Mr..
Tower. did not understand that Gelise
drove the people from the church. Mr..
Tower drove up and asked me to arrest
him, and took him to the church.
AT No. 8 engine house, on the corner OF
Duncan and Bergen avenues, they said
they had not heard of any disturbance in
the church, though they knew of the
arrest of the man.
Rector Brush was not at home, but his
wife said that she had not heard of any
disturbance in the church. She was kept
from the service by her sick child. After
the afternoon service was over number
of the congregation called on her to say
that the service had been specially inter
eSting one.