The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-28
SCATTERED THE FLOCK.
Graphic Relation of How Pastor
OIden Removed Members
From His Church Who We're
ThOrns In the Flesh.
A Long Drawn Out Trial in the Dis
trict Court.


unmistakabIe fist fight in the Second
Baptist church, presided over by Rev.
Mr.. OIden, coIored.
Nobody was badly hurt but R. NJ.
Frazer and one or two others were ar
rested and tried in police court.
The trial took a whole day and should
have been enough, but it wasn't, and
the case is now on trial in the district
court in another form.
The court room is full of coIOred
faces and Dennis d. Hope, who has
been the porter at the First National
bank for about II years, was the first
witness.
His testimony was interesting. 1t
was clear and concise, and his imita-
tons of Mr.. Olden were so true to life
that even the dignity of the court was
upset at times, and Bailiff John Coyne
had to hold his hat over his mouth
when he steadied the bar.
Mr.. Hope and several others who
claim that Mr.. Olden railroaded them
out of office and membership, seek re-
instatement. Hope was treasurer.
"On that evening" said Mr.. Hope, st
went to church, and just as I entered
Brother Frazer was reading some kind
of a resolution Brother Olden jumped
up and moved to table it. Right here
was where the fuss commenced and
after it was over Frazer and some of
the other brothers left the church. I
saw Olden go talk a little while in Abe
Sykes ear and then he went over to
the corner among the sisters and
whispered a little. Then he gets a, big
stick of wood and gets up in the pulpit.
" I want to hear a motion; I want to
hear a notion he says.
6 I move that r. NJ. Frazer be Sus-
pended from the church. says Sykes.
" All in favor of r. M. Frazer being
s-T7e- n M fTrT1 hn oh IV~a1
says OIden.
Some of the sisters says aye
" Brother Frazer is excluded from
the church. says Olden. I want to
hear another motion; want another
motion
. I move that J. P. Novels be excIud-
ed from the church, says Sykes.
IS All in favor of excluding Brother
Novels from the church will say aye
says Olden.
''some of the sisters says ave. and
" Want another notion says Olden
swinging his stick.
. I move that J. P. Paige be exclud-
ed from the church, says Sykes.
g All in favor of excluding Brother
Paige from the church say aye says
Olden and out goes Paige.
q" Want another MOTION says Olden.
" I move that Charley Brown be ex-
cluded from the church. says Sykes.
Hold on there says I, what's the
charge against Charley Brown
II.
g I want to know what the charge is
against Charley Brown says I again.
6 You sit down, says OIden, you
haven't a vote in this at all
That's because you haven't ever
put my side says I
g I want another notion says OIL
den.
=" 7 move that Brother Hope be ex-
Guided from the church. says Sykes.
That was me.
g What's the charge against me-
D." All in favor of excluding Brother
Hope from the church say aye says
Olden, but nobody said aye.
g I move that Brother Hope be put
under the dealings of the church, said
and that carried
This unique recital was greeted at
every fresh turn with a subdued burst
of laughter from the several lawyers
who had stopped to hear it, and even
Judge Hazen Joined in occasionally.
This sort of testimony lasted for
nearly two hours.
Hope testified that a member of the
Olden faction by the name of Higgins
offered to fix his matter up in the
church if he would succeed in with
drawing his CHigginsO application for
membership and his initiation fee from
the K. of P. lodge.
I got his application and his money
back said Hope, and that was the
last L ever seen of Higgins in the case
The testimony was fraught with stOr-
les of how Olden desired the officers to
church, but they refused: how he in
sisted on having his money every Mon
day morning, and when Hope wouldn't
give 1T to him without an order. had a,
friend of his bradshaw sweep the
collections into his own pockets, though
Hope himself was treasurer. On one
occasion at a church meeting Hope said
OIden told MIN on his application that
his case be settled to GO away, go
away; go to h, tt-tt-tt-tt-tt," which
he didn't do.
that we had with Olden was when he
bought a piano for $3.50 and put it in
the church.
He called US three trustees together
to sign the order.
I says that's one order won't
sign"
I've got three good reasons for
not signing it, 1 says.
What's your reasons? What's
your reasOns?' said Olden.
g The first reason says I, is that
the church hasn't ordered US to buy
. The trustees act for the church.
says Olden-
{. When the church tells them to,
says I.
q What's your other =reason?' says
Olden
. Well says I. the trustees of a
church are just like township trustees,
says the law. and when a township
trustee spends the townships money
without the townships orders, he is
guilty of embezzlement'
And the third reason says T. con-
tinued Hope, g is that I am the only
member of the board of trustees who
has got property that can be held for
this piano .
Tt would be hard to convince a man
| suffering from bilious collie that his
/ agony is due to a micrObe with an I'M
prOnouncable name. But one dose of
DeWitt's Collie and Cholera Cure will
/ convince him of its power to afford
/ instant relief. 1t kills pain. G. W.