Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-08
EBENEZER'S In COURT.
The Colored Church Fight Will be
Settled by Judge Collier.
MAY BE KNOWN BY A NUMBER.
Gray's Heirs Deny the Philadelphian' 8
Right to Share the Estate.
THE BIJOU TICKET SELLER FINED

The argument in the dispute about char.
ters for the Ebenezer Baptist Church wa,
taken up yesterday by Judge Collier
James S. Young, ESQ.,, Represented the
Rev. Pryor faction. and James Prescott
Esq, the other side.
Mr.. Young stated that the present mem
bership of the church, corner of Colwell
and Miller streets, was 262. and they wanted
to secure charter. Twenty mem bers who
had been expelled from the church had filed
| an application for a charter for church un.
| der the same name. The Ebenezer Church
| was organic ed in 1875, and the congregation
have been worshiping ever since in the
building built by them for church purposes.
Judge Collier asked Mr.. P rescott to ex-
plain how he expected to get charter OF
the same name as one already existing. The
Judge had made it rule not to grant char
ters of the same name to di fferent organi "a
tions. The object of this was to prevent dis
cord and pickering among citizens.
CHARGES AGAINST THE CHURCH.
Mr.. Prescott replied that there never had
been any charter granted to the Ebenezer
Church and besides there were charges pend
ing against the present church before the
Baptist Association. Judge Collier replied
that it mattered not whether the church was
chartered one or not. The granting of char
ters to two organizations of the same name
would lead to confusion.
Mr.. Young continued his argument by
stating that the Baptist Church is an inde-
pendent church and acknowledged to no
higher body. Each church or congregation
acts for themselves. therefore the ahsocia-
ton before whom charges against the man
ner of conducting the church are pending,
has no power whatever over the present
church. The church property is in the
hands of the Baptist Sustentation Commit
tee, and has been all paid for. Mr.. Young
then went into the charges pending against
the church, which are that they do not fol-
low out the rules of the Baptist Church,
and that they hold open communion, allow
ing others than those who belong to the
church to take part in it. This he denied,
and stated that If any outsiders did partici-
pate in the communion service it was by
mistake. Rev. Pryor, once a month, read
the book of rules to his congregation, and
they tried to live as close as possible to
them.
WANTED TO NUMBER THEM.
Judge Collier suggested that the diff
Guilty might be overcome by granting both
sides charters and designating them as No.
and No. 2. All Presbyterian churches
were numbered.
Mr.. Young further argued that the church
property was in the hands of the Baptist
Sustentation Committee, and as there were
charges pending against the present church,
there was nothing to prevent that committee
from turning over the property to the op-
posing faction, as it was stipulated that it
should be turned over to the congregation of
the Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Mr. Prescott stated that the church was
built by Rev. Mr.. Marshall, and that the 20
petitioners were members of the church. In
1884 Rev. Pryor took charge, and from that
date the trouble began. The 20 members
were excluded one at a time. and were never
notified what the charges were against them
or given a chance for a hearing. The appli-
cation for their charter had been filed II
days previous to the other, and as court
made it q rule to grant to the first appli-
cants, they should have the charter.
Judge Collier said that the church trouble
would have no consideration whatever
in the case,