New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-24
cu1rpCH MEMBERS AT WAR.
-, .vr1.MACHINE MOVEMENT IN CEN
TRIAL PARK BAPTIST CHURCH.
,,,v e Y. PATTERSON. THE piston. ALL
THE pEAcoNs. THREE TRUSTEES AND THE
ru.rcd CLERK DEPOSED FROM OF


c,uEca CLERK DEPosED FROM OF
r,cE-AN EXCITING MEETING
r. Central Park Baptist Church. in East Eighty
,,.ao, has been having A little anti-machine
.o,,ent of its own. and in consequence the Rev
~ v Patterson Is no longer pastor of the church.
"a all the deacons and trustees who were elected
a@oo unde, his sway have been deposed The
.1or accomplishing these reforms taken
last night
According TO the anti-machine Baptists in the
nurch Mr. Patterson is a sort of John y. Nc
zane Edward Murphy. IT., and William r. Shee-
IN rolled into one He became pastor of the church
ahout eighteen months ago. His opponents say
that they do not know whether he was ever regu-
81, ordoins1 They understand that he used to
rim A laundry. They are positive that he tried to
,un the Central Park Baptist Church In a way
that was highly dispensing 10 them Nhen MI
na,terso, became pastor they say. the church had
between 100 and 800 members. He Immediately be-
ran to drop members. it is alleged of his own
rnot Gill All the notification that member got
was when he tried TO speak or vote at church
meeting Il have dropped you.' the pastor would
saw and that was the beginning and the end OF
It. ~
II is charged that Mir. Patterson dropped 2oS
members at one time. At any rate, according TO
erures credited to him. only fortytwo of the orig
,nal 400 or 500 members now remain on his rolls.
He has added about one hundred making the mem
bership of the church. according 20 these figures less
than 100
If is complained moreover. that Mr.. Patterson
caused all bylaws and rules OF order to be suspend
Cd while he get the church offices filed by his own
nar,isans In short. according to Mr.. Patterson 8
onnonents he got absolute control of the church
and proceeded to its affairs in about as high
handed a way as the gentleman in Sing Sing used
10 run things in Gravesend
The revolt against the pastor took a violent turn
Mr. refused
certain people who thought they were members or
the church to take part IN rs affairs oa -, nrotoi ~
STtSereupon MIR Patterson called upon "A policeman
TO arrest him and then adjourned me meeting &
war and the members of the shurch IN large
numbers. attended the meetings held at the ehurch
last night, prepared TO hght II out ooo,o,
After the usual prayer meeting MI Spoo ,ion
wSs Carried Mr. spooner said and he elected
moderator by a vote of 100 to % MT opoone! WeII
u aSereupoI Mr. Patterson seized him and tried TO
push him from the platform telling MN nm III e KIN
Snooner who is a strong man physically, STOOD ms
Ground and got the best OF the struggle Most o1
inr and surrounded the principals shouting
and shaking fists and making other deh'o"s'I'''0"'
Ne. Patterson called upon policeman VINO Was
msnded % the arrest Of Mr Patterson Mr. patsr.
son thumped the policeman on the shouiuciS -;
way OF Vas calm and declined to make any
srrest unless an actual breach OF the peace oo-
The choir started sing to divert the a' snaY
Of the combatants, but 1t was no use, anu MAJ aX
W Patterson called all his adheren's 70 ~ H.,
na church About twenty-five Went OUT Win n,' :;
Spooner and the remaining 100 or 50 , stdr sI
,sht In 70 do business II voted UNANIMOUSLY
Sst Mr. Patterson be Immediately dismissed from
the pastorate of the church; that the churcH ps
Closed for the present except for such ousiiies !,
meetings as might be called by MT. Spooner; tnas
Wessrs Hail. Young and Lee. VINO Were c.ecteu
rnstees at meeting declared TO be illegal, be re-
sed recognition as officers of the church. ana that
the term of service or all the uedcOhS anu "''
church clerk be closed. - ,r,od
Immeda ely after these measures We're GarIdvu "a
William 4. Conger elected cnurch S.elh, anu
7 Y Snroul William 4. Conger James /. Brown
J. j. Stevens and ID. Heyems were elected deacUms,
The names of ali church members present were
nlaced upon the roll to insure the correctness Oh
It was said that Mr. Patterson had secured du-
rlicate KEYS to the church. and So after me jam
Tor had surrendered his bunch of keys, by direction
on new locks which should bar out MI Patter-
son Mr. Spooner and his adherents held the lott
until the new locks were fitted at late hour III
Mr. Spooner said that arrangements would be
made as soon possible to resume the churcn
Mr. Patterson's autocratic rule was the only charge
against him. Mr.. Spooner said: Ihat Is all 'he
charge we are making at present
Mr. Patterson's address is given in the directory
as No 100 East Eighty third-st.; and members OF
ccSa cburch said they thought he lived there. A
Tribmne reporter went there after the meeting An
aldariv Frenchman in dressing gown and slippers,
opened the door a crack $3.50
'.Js Mr. Patterson in p was asked.
no: ne not live here not for six months
"Do YOU lnow where he lives now"
no: know nothing about him. and the door