The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-07-11
NICE CHURCH BOYS
Members of the Lafayette
Reformed Boys Brigade
Celebrate in the
PeWS.
WHY THE BIG BELL GLANCED
Cushions and Hymn Books Flung
About the Sacred Ediice-Se-
we're Discipline Now.
WHY THE BIG BELL GLANCED

On last Wednesday afternoon while Sex
ton Quick of the Lafayette Reformed
Church was eating his Inner he was startled
at hearing the loud changing CT a bell. Al
first, the sexton thought the fire bell at No. !
truck house was sounding an alarm, but
when he listened more attentively he recog-
nized the clang-cleng as that of the church
bell. Why the bell should ring on indie
pendence Day was more than he could under
stand, SO he left his meal unfinished and
started out to Investigate. Oa his way to
church he met numerous members of the
congregation who piled him with questions
about the bell, but as he was unable to ex-
plain he invited them TO accompany hun.
BY the time he reached the church he had
over o score of people and a dog at his
heels.
Tho sexton assembled the church steps, but
bell was changing as though its mission were
to wake the Seven Sieepers.
ssThere's no one in here" said the sexton
to his followers. "You see everything is
locked up tight"
0 A o AFFAIR.
AS he inserted the big brass key into the
lock the Changing of the bell sddaenly
stopped, and when the door swung open the
sexton saw four boys disappear through the
open door at the rear of the church. This
explained the mystery The youngsters heu
gained entrance to the church and were
celebrating the Fourth by ringing the bell.
But their celebration did not end there.
When the sexton entered the church he
found the place in a startling condition.
The cushions. which ON the previous evening
were in the pews. were scattered about the
floor. Hymn books and Bibles were found
iii every place but in the racks where they
belonged. The interior of the edifice looked
as though the boys had fought a sham battle
with the cushions and BOOKS
Sexton Quick set matters right and notified
the member of the consistory. An inves5i-
CATION was Immediately ordered and Mr.
Harry Louderbough was instructed to Sc
cure all the information possible. MIR.
Louderbough learned that the boys who
were implicated i'll the affair were with one
exception members of the Seventh Company,
Bows Brigade, connected with the chnrch,
nanely:gSecond Lieutenant William
Schoppe of Pine street, Corporal Arthur
Hasiett Of Halliday street, Private Halsey
Evans of Pine street, and Henry Jungman,
also Of Pine street.
REAPING H ENALTY
On Monday evening the regular meeting
of the Boys Brigade was held, but nothing
was said of the affair. Before the meeting
adjourned the Captain notified the officers
that a meeting OF the Company Council,
which consists of the officers, the consistory
and the Pastor, Rev. T.. j. konamers, would
be held Immediately afterward.
Edward Smith presided at the meeting,
and although the above named members of
the brigade were asked to attend. Lieutenant
Schopps was the only one who put in an ap-
pearance.
Schoppe, when asked about the "celebra-
tion,n at first denied that he had a hand in
it. but when Pastor Kommers questioned
him he admitted that he helped to ring the
bell and throw the cushions around. He
also said that all of the above named boys
assisted him, and that he only entered into
the thing with a patriotic spirit and q desire
to celebrate the day.
Harry Moore, one of his fellow officers,
then pleaded with the council to deal
lenieatly with the lieutenant. 1.-THE boys
were only celebrating the day in q patriotic
way, = said he, but he was called to order
promptly and Pastor kommers gave him a
severe lecture in addition. Schoppe then
presented his resignation and it was
promptly accepted. The council decided to
prosecute the case still further and bring
the other members OF the brigade up for
trial.
TRIED TO KEEP IT QUIET.
The next session was set down for Monday
night. The members of the Brigade and the
consistory have made every endeavor to
keep the matter quiet, but the facts leaked
out yesterday. 1t was rumored last evening
that warrants would be sworn out for the
arrest of Jungmann and Haslett, who, &C
cording to Schoppe, did most Of the damage
to the interior of the church,