The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-05-12
Trouble in the United Pres
byterian Church Over
Her Dismissal.
WHO TELLS THE TRUTH !?
Mr. Joseph McComb, Her Champion,
Relates His Version Of
the Matter.

AAdhkAS way WILL q peblpko4 LUZ tti1 AcAi4-
statement of pretty organist in a Press
byterian church. The OLD adage has re-
ceived another forcible verificat ion in the
breeze which has been stirring things up
in the United Presbyterian Church on
Summit avenue. the Rev. ArneyS. Biddle
pastor, which was mentioned in Satur
days JERSEY CITY NEWS. Instead OK
having been raised over a young mans
falsehood as Domino Biddle's statement
would imply. the breeze sprang up over
the pretty organist of the church.
For almost three years an estimable
young lady, good looking and accom-
plished, presided over the organ in the
church with spirit and understanding
which won the admiration of the con-
gregation. For the first fifteen months
she played without any fee or reward,
save a paltry donation of $25. During
this entire time the young lady did not
miss single service and not complaint
was heard against her, either as woman
or an organist.
1t was then suggested that she be paid
salary, and the generous session voted her
the munificent compensation of $50 per
annum. She continued her services with
out q break until one Sunday during the
past summer she committed the unpar-
donable sin Of being absent. 1t is said
that she was away in the country on her
vacation. Nothing was said OF the occur
renee at the time and matters progressed
as smoothly as a marriage bell. Suddenly
about six or eight months ago, the con-
gregation, one bright Sunday morning,
were thrown into state of excitement by
the announcement from the pulpit that
applications for the position of organlst
would be received.
HER FRIENDS HUSTLED.
Then there was a time The pretty or
ganist's friends, and she had many,
xxyo or frt " "a
and why she was to be deposed. At this
iuncture one of the most popular young
men in the church, Mr.. Joseph McComb,
took up the cause of the young woman
Mr.. McComb was one of the original thir-
teen members or the church and with
them had struggled and labored to bring
the church up to its present prosperous
position.
He was for eight and one-half years a
member of the Board of Trustees and sec
retary of the Board. He Immediately
started out with petition praying for
B the retention of the pretty young organ
ist. His popularity made him an able
champion of the young lady's cause and
in a short time he received l06 signatures
to his petition.
the session in person. That august body
took offence at the petition and declared
that It Ii " ssss :.rScssthful and defamatOfY.
For this Mr.. McComb was disciplined and
privately rebuked by the pastor, and the
matter was supposed TO pc at rest
Some time afterward Mr.. McComb was
served with set Of charges alleging that
he mad told 8 falsehood and summon1ng
him to appear for trial.
1t was alleged that Mr.. McComb had
told q falsehood, inasmuch as he had cir
culated petition which stated that the
position Of organist was vacant when it
was not; and, second, that he had stated
that all the names on the petition had
been signed by the persons themselves,
who had read the petition before they
signed it, which was not so; third, thai ne
stated that he had not asked member OF
the Session to sign the petition. which
was also not true.
To these charges Mr.. McComb sub
mitted written reply in which he stated
to the first charge that, ii the position
had not been declared vacant. why was
an invitation extended to organlStS TO
apply for the situation. People do not
generally advertise for help they do not
want.
As to the second charge, he denied that
he made such a statement, but did say
that some Of the signatures were IN ms
handwriting that he had, or understood
that he had, the authority to wr1te
them, and that every person whose name
was signed to the petition either read the
petition or had it read or its contents told
| to him.
asked an elder to sign the petition, Mr..
| McComb maintains that he did not. Hd
had a conversation with one of the elders
upon the subject, and explained TO nim
| the object of the petition. but told MIN
that he could sign it OF not as ne pleased.
MR.. INCOME WITHDRAWSs
| After deliberation. however, Mr.. Nc
| Comb concluded not to stand trial and
/ Withdrew from the church. His reason
was tina he did not want to be tried by
men who brought the complaint, who
were the only witnesses, who set IN Iudg-
| ment upon their own complaint and Ies-
| uimony, and then executed the sentence.
| In his statement to THE JERSEY CITY
| NEWS on Saturday, Mr.. Biddle said thar
| the motion to request Elder Ballenden ta
resign was made by q member q MT.
| McComb's family. This Mr. McComb
| declares is not so, He says it was made
/ by no one in any way related to him, nor
| in anv spirit of revenge for the manner in
| which the session had treated him.
/ Notwithstanding the sessions charge
| that MIR. McComb's petition uttered q
! falsehood when it stated that the position
of organist was vacant, the pretty organ
| ist plays no longer and another manlpu-
| lates the keys of the church's organ.
| What became of the petition is mys-
| terry. One of the early members OF the
| church recently sent polite letter TO the
! the asking for information concern
| ing the whereabouts of the document.
| The session took umbrage at the letter
| and suspended the lady from the priv
1 eleges of the church. She immediately
/ appealed TO the Presbytery. Several OF
the members OF that august Dody put
their heads together over the matter and
recommended that the suspension be
| withdrawn. That was done, but in q
| manner distasteful to the lady and the
trouble in that direction is not all over
yet.