Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-21
FIGHTING A SOCIAL CLUB
The Rev. Father Birmingham
Creates a Sensation.
ECLUB MEMBERS TAKE ISSUE
They Deny Some of His Most
Serious Charges.


the fiace no Better Than q "Dive"
1.-The Members Admit Having Had
Beer There on Two Occasions.
A mild sensation was created at St.
Paurs r. @. Church Sunday morning
when the Rev. Father Birmingham, at
both Of the morning masses, took occa-
sion to mercilessly score the members of
the Monroe Social for maintaining such
an organization in the western part of
the city. He said he had every reason
to believe that the boys and young men
gathered there to drink and gamble and
make night hideous by blasphemy. He
had been appealed to by the mothers of
the boys, who urged him to use his
efforts in breaking the backbone of the
organization and closing the doors Of
the club.
The remarks of the popular priest
were source of much qualification for
the parents of the social clubs members,
who heartily thanked him for his good
work in exposing to all the kind of
place frequented by the youthful club
men. The language of the priest was
not so gratifying to the members of the
club, however, and yesterday afternoon
several of the leaders Of the organization
managed to muster up courage enough to
pay Father Birmingham visit and de-
mand due reparation for the wrong thew
claimed he had done the organization.
The spokesman of the committee used
language in his endeavors to bring about
a settlement between the priest and the
social which Father Birmingham
deemed impertinent and offensive, and
the result was he took the young man
by the shoulder and led him from the
house. The other members of the COM
mittee at once took the hint and fol-
lowed their leader from the reverend
gentlemen's door. The interview thus
terminated with very little satisfaction
to the visitors.
A representative of The GAZETTE saw
Father Birmingham at the parsonage
on Monday. He said in reference to
the matter: 81 have been at work upon
this so-called social club for the past
week. have found the place nothing
better than dive and, in my mind,
gambling is the chief end of the society.
The organization is composed of about
30 lads, ranging in age from Is to 20
years. have found that they have been
rolling kegs of beer into the rooms, and
that boys are inveigled there for the pur-
pose of gambling. have also been told
that girls have been seen going in there
When the gambling is going on l under
stand the small boys are sent home.
have found that the boys pay 81 as
Initiation fee and dues amounting to Is
cents per week. paid visit to the
room on Friday, and caused surprise
among some of the ough-looking lads
by reason of this visit. They were
seated about stove in the back room
smoking rank pipes.
81 am determined to break the place
up II l have to appeal to the police to
arrest every member of the organiza-
ton. The committee which called upon
me yesterday endeavored to effect a
compromise by excluding the small
boys from the club if | would let up on
them. l told them / would not. The
mothers of some of the boys begged me
with tears in their eyes to stop the
operation of the club This propose to
do and will fight 1t till the bitter end
These boys pay into this club almost
$40 per year per capita, while
they could have full privileges of
the library, gymnasium, reading room,
pAaAoAa thOiNo ah0 pun vi
Brownson Hall for 10 cents per week,
or about one-half the sum they pay into
the treasury of the social club. One of
the young men who called upon me
yesterday admitted that it was 12.45
O'Clock when he left the club Saturday
night. These are the hours these So
called club men keep. The Brownson
Library was established for the advance
ment of young men, morally, intellectu-
ally, physically and socially, and these
young men can find no better place to
spend their evenings than at tho rooms
of Brownson Hail."
As the reporter was passing the corner
of Fourth and Madison streets he saw
five members of the social club standing
on the pavement reading an account OF
the remarks made by Father Berming-
ham Sunday morning. As soon as the
leader of The group, one Carney, caught
sight of the reporter he at once ex-
tended to him an invitation to visit the
rooms of the club on Madison street
between Third and Fourth.
"This is all spite work." he said ION
the part of Father Birmingham. He
wants us to join the Brownson Hall
Association. But | would never Join it
now. The statement that we allow
gambling to go on in the room is unfair.
We neither allow gambling to go on nos
do we permit u girl to enter the room,
as stated. We defy any one to prove
this. Our rooms are open TO investiga-
ton. The only time we ever had beer
in the rooms was on New Years and
Christmas. Come up and take look at
the rooms"
The reporter did take look at the
rooms, which are over meat store on
the west side of Madison street. The
front room was fairly furnished with
good carpet, but the rear room was car
petless. There was stove in each
room and a small round table in the
centre of the back room. The boys said
they had spent $40 in fitting up the
rooms and that it was shame TO break
the club up now. They said they
allowed no one under II years of age to
enter the room. They demanded proof
the allegations made against them.