The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-07
POSTAL CARDS SLOW TRIP.
OYER SEVEN MONTHS IN GOING LESS
THAN A MILE.

TIE Postal Cards Delsy Causes . Facttonal
Fight In . Hebrew Lodge and Occasions
Trousic TO an East sidc uecr Bottier-Post-
master Ven Cote TO Nc Asked 20 Investigate.
A delay in tho delivery OF q postal card.
through some neglect Of the Post Office Depart
mont, has caused n factional fight in the
Scholem Lodge. Independent Order Birth
Abraham. and also occasionod considerable
trouble for Simon wertheimer, o bcor bother Of
20 Essex street.
Worthoimer is one OF the leading members of
the order In this city. The rules of tho order
provide for q death benefit for n member. or any
Of his family. Whom Wortheimer's wife died
last November he Immediately notified the lodge
officials, and a committee was appointed to visit
tho house. console with tho boreavcd members
OF the family and mako tho necessary affidavit
to the cffoct that Mrs. werthcimer was dead.
There was q scene In the house Just before the
time set for tho funeral to proceed to the cemc-
terry on Long Island. One of the members Of the
committee made tho announcement that Mrs.
Wcrthcimer was n Christian and that IL would
be q gross outrage to allow her 10 be buried in q
Hebrew cemetery. There was a storm OF pro-
tests from Wcrtheimer and tho dead woman's
relatives. Tho objector also made the announce
ment that, IL no was right in believing Mrs.
wcrthcimer was n Christian, her husband would
DO unable to collect the death benefit. This
possibility threw the mourners into wild demon
s%trations Of Indignation as well as Of grief. On
account Of the disturbance tho funeral was de-
layed for some time. but finally the other mem
bers Of the committee were convinced that Mrs.
Wcrtheimcr was a Hebrew and the funeral was
permitted to proceed.
This was not the end of tho trouble. however.
Wcrthcimer made charges against tho member
who had questioned his wifc's Hebrew connec-
ton. The charges were duly considered, and n
committee OF investigation WINS appointed to
try the accused. They met in the house OF one
OF the members ut ia Lewis street on Doc. IS
last. The accused member and his friends were
present, hut Wcrtheimcr did not appear. Then
the accused mcmber's friends had q ~jollifca-
ton, and II almost resulted In his vindication.
At q subsequent meeting w"rtheimer was pros
ent, and he declared that he had not been noti-
fed TO appear before the cominittce.
The Secretary. Max Wicker. declared that he
had mailed n postal card to Wertheiiner notify
ing him of the meeting of the committee.
the accused mans friends and Wertheimer's sup
portcrs were about equally divided. Some time
afterward Wer hcimor formulated new charges,
and the accused member was found guilty and
suspended for six months. The dispute about
the notification caused a break which is not by
any means healed as yet.
On July 20 q letter carrier handed Wcrtheimer
1896. and signed by Secretary Wicker. The
postmarks on the card showed that 1t had been
Third avenue al .:30 o'clock on the afternoon
Of Dec. IL. 1896. and had reached the Post Office
in Grand street on the afternoon OF July 20.
1897. No explanation was furnished Wcrtheim.
or by tho postal authorities as to why II took
over seven months for tho card to travel be.
tween the two Post Offices.
Werthcimcr attended u meeting OF the lodge
last Monday night and produced the card. and
there WAS a partial reconciliation between tho
f%actions: but the memory of the hard words
passst during the past seven months was too
Therc will be another meeting OF tho lodge a
week from next Monday night, md 1t Is proba.
an investigation by Postmaster Van Colt