Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-16
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DrsrArcH.a

New YORK, December 15.-Old st.
Marks Episcopal Church, in Stuyvesant
street, has been the scene of many his
torical gathering and of many religious
service conducted under very striking cir
cumstances, but it is doubtful if any service
held in the church was ever attended with
| quite such peculiar circumstances as the
morning service there to-day.
| The Rev. DIR. Joseph 81. Rylance, for so
long time the rector of the. church, who is
accused by certain members of his church
and congregation of improper and scandal
GUS conduct, preached. The vestrymen
claim that DIR. Rylance is no longer the
rector OF st. Marks, and DR.. Rylanee
claims that he is, and he has begun suit
against Lawyer Quackenbos and William
| V. King, of his congregation, for libel In
| circulating the slanderous stories about him.
The Quackenbos party say that all the men,
bers of the vestry save one are against DR..
Rylance, and DIR. Rylance's friends are
very earnest In declaring that nine-tenths of
the congregation firmly believe in DR..
Rylance's innocence.
HIS FRIENDS RALLIED.
OF late DR.. Rylance's counsel, Mr.. John
Brooks Leavitt, and other friends have
urged upon him that he was occupying a
very inconsistent position. If he was rector
of the church they said he should go to st.
Marks and conduct the services, and SO it
was decided. DR.. Rylance sent word to the
vestry week ago that he proposed to con-
duct services in the church on Sunday, De
cember 15 The Quackenbos party says that
DR.. Rvlance and his friends also notified
all their friends in the congregation by let
ter and by word of mouth of the Doctors
intention.
Hence, so says DR.. Rylance's opponents,
the services to-day took on the form of
grand rally for DR.. Rylance, which was
really marked by the absence of the inhu-
ential church members. Anyway, the serv-
ices at the church this morning were about
twice as largely attended as usual. There
is no doubt about that.
DR.. Rylance came to the church at his
usual time, a little before II O'Clock. He
was met in the vestry roomsby James Rem
wick, the senior warden of the church, who
is, it is said, the only member of the vestry
who is counted as one of DR.. Rylance's
friends.
A LITTLE PALER THAN USUAL.
The assistant minister was already in his
place when the vestry room door opened and
out came DR.. Rylance, in stole and surplice.
His step was firm, but his face was little
paler than usual, and his lips were pressed
tightly together. He bowed in prayer for a
moment, and then rising, began reading the
service in his deep, full voice.
The services went on after the usual dig
nifed ritual. DR.. Rylance announced the
regular meetings of the various societies and
organizations of the church, and said that
the rector of the church would attend at the
vestry room, as usual, on Tuesdays, Thurs
days and Saturdays, between 10 and IL
o'clock in the forenoon, to render the SER
vices of clergyman to those who might ask
for them.
DR.. RYlance made no allusion to his trou-
BILE He preached about Herod and Hero
dias, and said nothing that could be twisted
into a reference to the peculiar circum-
stances of the occasion. The congregation
listened with the utmost attention.
RENDERED AN OVATION.
When the service was all over and DIR.
Rylance was on his way to the vestrY room,
he stopped for a moment to shake hands
with an old woman who sat in one of the
front seats. 1t was the signal for an ova-
tion. The congregation stresmed out of the
pews and into the aisles, and almost every
man, woman and child among them trooped
past DR.. Rylance and shook his hand and
told him they believed him innocent, and
congratulated him. Many women were in |
tears.
Lawyer Quackenbos was not in the |
church. Neither was Mr.. William v. King, |
or in fact, any OF the hostile vestrymen |
Senior Warden Renwick was the only MEM |
Der of the vestry present. Every one in the |
church seemed to be a friend OF DR.. Ry- |
lance, and his enemies at least had stayed |
away. One man in the congregation told a
reporter OF The DISPATCH, who was pres
ent, that the ovation to DR.. Rylance could |
not be considered as indicative of the true
feeling of the church, because those opposed
to DR.. Rylance had purposely absented
themselves