The Newtown bee., 1891-08-07
NEwTowN, AUGUST z, 1891.
HUNTINGToN's BELL RINGERS.

Complying with earnest requests of
heretofore published no details of the
now locally famous Huntington bell
ringing case" This request was justifi-
able while negotiations were pending for
an amicable adjustment of the matter out
side the courts. The necessity for silence
vanished when the attention of the pub
lie was so strongly attracted to the mat
ter by the celebration arranged for
Thursday night of last week. The BEES
story of the difficulty seeks to present
each side fairly and impartially, some
thing not heretofore done.
Long continued custom has fixed as
one of tine proper observances of the
night before the Fourth the ringing Of
the bell of both st. Paul's Episcopal and
the Congregational churches. AS in all
towns, there are in Huntington few who
are not always sober. During the years
that have passed, some of these characters
have disgraced themselves and defiled
the church in unmentionable ways, be-
sides polluting it with tobacco juice. TO
prevent this, or any excess in the church,
5. w. Linsley, now junior warden and
sexton, then sexton alone, decided, few
years ago, to lock the bell ringers or
"boys,"as they are universally called, out
of st. Paul's. In this, he was only par
TALLY successful; the boys have found
means of ringing the bell annually, save
two years ago, when he prevented it by
staying in the church. Strenuous but
unavailing efforts to gain entrance were
made. The next year, the boys climbed
the lightning rod to the belfry, but could
not get in; accordingly, the rope was
drawn out through the Stats and the bell
rung. No damage was done, except in
wearing the rope against the wood and
by the breaking of Yale lock on the
door. This lock was plugged with a
piece of wood by the boys and was brok-
en- when the officers Of the church at
tempted to enter. 1t was necessary to
remove the lock and have it mended by
Bridgeport locksmith, so badly was it
damaged. These conflicts, hardly calcu-
lated to increase neighborly love, added
fuel to the flame of discomfort. 1t was
openly stated, this year, that the bells
of both churches were to be rung. The
sections of the two churches quietly de-
cided that they should not be rung.
Doors and windows were fastened in
both churches and coal tar was smeared
on the lightning rod by c. Minor Hub
bell, sexton of the Congregational church.
But all was without avail. The boys
pried open a door in the rear of the Con-
gregational church and walked in. At
st. Pauls, the doors and windows were
so securely fastened that the boys resort
ed to the last resort and climbed the
lightning rod to the belfry. Painting
has been going on here and it was easy
to get inside the belfry. But both rope
and tongue had been removed and it was
necessary to use clothes line and a piece
of railroad iron. Though poor substi-
tutes, they made a noise, the one thing
the boys desired. Hearing the bell and
realizing that the boys must have gained
access unlawfully, Mr. Linsley arose and,
awaking Francis w. Wooster and S. By
ron Brownson, proceeded to the church.
They assembled to the belfry and found
Olin Shelton and William Bedell ringing
the bell. Their names were taken and the
trio withdrew. The boys finished ring
ing the bells, then left the churches. No
damage of any kind was done at either
church and the window broken ut St.
Paurs was the result, probably, of an ac-
cdent. The window itself is of no great
value, but is so situated that the task of
replacing it with new colored glass will
be difficult and tedious. The doors Of ST..
Paul's were closed and locked, but, as
the second door was not bolted, there was
sufficient play in the lock to allow the
doors to be easily swung open. 1t was,
of course, but short time before the bell
ringing was known to all in town. Moth
ing was done about the matter until the
evening of Monday, July G, when Mr.
Linsley laid the matter before Senior
Warden Theodore +. Beard. He,as else
where stated, then approved the prosecu-
ton of the boys and the complaint was
drawn up by Grand Juror S.'V. B. Hub
bard, the following day, at Shelton.
There were two counts in the complaint:
One charging that the boys committed
burglary, a State prison oflense, in enter
ing the church; the other, violation of
the Slade law restraining the making of
Il disturbing noise before o'clock on the
morning of the Fourth. The warrant
was served on Shelton while on his meat
route i'm Shelton, Wednesday, July 8, by
Chief Gideon Tomlinson; Bedell had pre-
viously left for Brooklyn and could not
be found. Skeletons preliminary hear
ing came off, Wednesday afternoon, be-
fore Judge Tomlinson, L. l. STAPLES prose-
cutting, w. III. Williams defending. The
case was continued until the 18th, bonds
of $50 being furnished by Daniel j. Shell
ton, brother of DIN. Believing that the
cheapest course would be to settle at
once, ON condition that nolle be enter
ed on payment of costs, Attorney Will
liams advised that this be done but it
was not deemed advisable to take such
action until other church officers had
been consulted. When, after few days,
it was deemed best to settle, the boys had
decided that they were willing to fight
and declined to settle on the grounds pro-
posed. Realizing, however, that deplor-
able results too often follow the airing of
church matters in court, some of the
members of the parish and others at once
pleaded for the withdrawal of the case.
Frederick f. johnson Of Newtown, who
has been lay reader at st. Paul's for
months, was most active in this good
work and it is to his judgment and earn
est arguments that the case was finally
withdrawn on the 10Th, two days before
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