Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-07
TRUSTEES RESIGN.
Another Phase In a w ealthy
Church's fractional War.
Rev. John Halls Congregation Bound to
Stand by the Pastor-Beginning
of the Schism.

New York, Feb, 6,--The trustees of the
Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church have
resigned. Announcement to that effect
was made from the pulpit by the Rev.
Dr. John Hall this morning, and men,
bers Of the congregation were notified
to meet at the church Monday after
noon, Feb. IA, and choose new trustees
The church was crowded, and prior to
the giving out of the text Of his SER
mon, DR.. Hall read the following an
nouncement:
"a meeting of the congregation of
this church will be held in this church,
on Monday, the fourteenth day of
February, 1898, at o'clock p. M, for
the purpose of electing seven trustees
for the following terms:
1.-THE trustees whose terms will ex-
pire on the 10th day Of Decemer 1898,
in place of E. Francis Hyde and Mr..
Robertson, resigned.
''Three trustees whose terms of office
will expire on the 10th day Of December,
1899 in place Of Horace e. Garth, John
P. Duncan and George G. WheeloclS, re-
signed.
1.-THE trustees whose terms Of office
will expire on the 10Th day of Decem-
Der, 1900, in place of John S. Kennedy,
resigned, and James Frazer, deceased. -
DR.. Hall read the notice in sad tone
of voice, but he made no comment on
the matter though it attracted atten-
ton among the pew holders, who began
whispering to one another, but desisted
when he began his sermon.
After the morning services DIR. Hail
held short session with many Of his
warm supporters in the congregation,
and afterward there were many confer
ences in the veStry room and pastor 5
private room. The congregation is
bound to stand by DR.. Hall, no matter
what may be done by the session next
Thursday evening, and today they were
giving him the warmest assurances of
their support and assistance. The men,
bers Of the congregation were 10th to
discuss the significance of the trustees
action, but it was admitted by Robert
Bonner, J. H. Work and many others
that it was the direct outcome of the
differences Of the factions in the church.
The trustees are the financial govern
ors of the church. They are also the
financial hackers of the church. They
not only represent in themselves finan-
cial support, but also represent the
McCooks, the Maitlands, and Sloanes,
who are supposed to be opposed to the
continuance of DIR. Hall in the pastorate.
The resignation of the trustees follow
ing close upon the stand taken by the
congregation last Wednesday night, is
the first step in the schism that has
arisen in the church, which is expected
to be followed next Thursday night by
the withdrawal from the session, the
governing board of the church, of many
influential and wealthy members.
Robert Bonner, warm advocate Of
DR.. Hall, said today, that the reSigna-
ton of Dr. Hall had not been prompted
by the financial condition of the church.
Mr.. Bonner asserted that the dissatis-
faction with DIR. Hall by members of
the session commenced with the War
zawiak incident last summer Had that
not. occurred there would never have
been, Mr.. Bonner bellows, the slightest
opposition to DR.. Hall. Herman Warza-
walk had charge of one of the missions
Of the church. Charges of misconduct
were made against him and he was
found guilty by the session and dis
missed from the church.
CDR Halls sympathies were with
Warzawiak and he stood by him a little
too long continued Mr.. Bonner. "At
the time said that either WarZawiak
was guilty and should be dismissed from
the church, or that John E. Parsons
was guilty of a great libel"
This incident, Mr.. Bonner thought,
tended to make a breach between those
who thought Warzawiak should be dis
missed and DR.. Hall.