The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-12-16

YOU put these questions That all grew out
The Islander suits. the divorce. suits. the
ha'ted' that even, oplafshnr 90 not .igI,
ar arc ' Gife s!.vc or iIanSd'rcGs,Y}v ' 'TaS.a III" to- "" Do d.
SSsscd on .Iy. Tho -,',adard' village PAIL fFfy.
. monument 10 he memory Of sullivan
countv'S brave soldiers.
IT. va, 80 "r Ac,t. nso t.ni ihi. NOM,
ago y Whlic-suiritoi lady ~ sho ,illasc,
the wife of Ntr Thornton Nivcu, one ~ Nonti-
ooliu's vealthir.i and most prominent ci'i'
1rus. was 'orinlllv committed - u lur1ft. -
ere ullf cun,ioccd, hv tho bounding and hgt-
issinr and iIlrlN d"tili"h lcr' "rulinn W,hl'n
~" brought down ui"n h"r'rlL. ~ tlhliE
tho iuiti NV" Gud q prominent TART IN n move
""ni - commemorate the vnlor 81. SnillElu.
county 7, -pns in The ttvtl N0r. The ntN
trouble over ih" soldiers monument nueSti'n
grey On, Of re- r,S,lr. between ihc ,"wns
nave the county sast transferred to within
nrr borders. When the question Of erecting
IL" the cnuntN scat Monticello = monument
Liberty 10 eatcd ia" ulun
Thcn II was that puhlic-splrlted citizens
In Monticello determined to erect q uoh,i-
men, hy their own Efforts and w,thoVt .nn
was the leader and th" chief Inspiration nl
the aid Of other puhlic-sp'rit"d. citizens she
got together "a sum Of several thousand dnl-
lNIN 10 NllNl Ni' l"iN'aA ~ -
orally for this purpose. There were pes1l-
inistS who scoiIcd at the movement from, the
outset and pIsdlctrd IT. ia'',r", a, Work Work
IL not to defeat. ut Least t. discourage the
undrit laInS. When. however. Il wa. seen
thtt ia" plan had every assurance, Of sue
,rss. those hOatiis ones and doubling Ihomases
began To change 'h"ir attitude;
Of 'rr%HSy W sIdfv a' There came dissen ions as
regards the management of the fund, as re-
yards the site Of the proposed monument.
"a regards pretty much everything in con-
n"ction with the enterprise. Inelr dIsseno
ions became more and more bitter he
monument workers split into two hostile
hocl suits. From dlScord the sentiment
grew to something like the bitter hatreds
that now exist. From one movement 70
with lie own fund and each charging, tho 9
back OF the other with all sorts of Violations
side would Weld an inch. All Efforts to bring
them together proved f%ruitless.
The NiEen m%nnmsT9bt o % 1rna,I'6n nrS wsn.
cation went on with theirs. The absurd
result was two soldiers m~onuments. one on
the-wny place in the village outskirts-tnon-
uments which to the strangers eye may
seem to commemorate the soldiers, but which
TO the residents of the place are only ever
present reminders OF one Of the most IAN
tastic a. well a. h~lttcrest wrangles that ever
The hatreds and dissensions and warning
factions which grew out OF, the controversy
over the monuments are as alive and are burn
ing a ficrcalv as they ever have in the past,
They ent. n into the entire social and political
He of the comruunlty. Homes have been
broken up. l~iic-lon; friendships wrecked,
church communities rent in twain and all bus
DESTROYED. Some few instances there are
of lcvel-headed citizens who have manaeed
10 keen out Of the maelstrom.. There was a
case Of this kind developed in the recent trial
one Us the most respected. peaCe-ioving clti-
zens OF the place. 2 quiet: scholarly man;
who r. happy only when in the retirement or
hi Hbrary and i'm communion with MS DOOk-,
was IA rlv dragged by the heels to the wit
ness stand To testify In the local cause cetbre
Lord knows" he said desrairins ely in the
course of his testimony. that ] have tired
hard with oil the skill at my command TO keep
ont Of this moss. But here an in tin it
No TO the neck
rho Uroone sit. or. rather suits for divorce
-fornow thatMrs. Greene has failed TO divorce
her husband there still remains Mr.. Greene.
suit - divorce his wife-t the outcome or
one Of the most dramatic and thrilling groups
az vet developed a group that involves two
wrecked homes and all but the breating. no
of 81. Johns Episcopal church CONGREGATION.
When the monument warfare was at Us height
there came here n young Episcopal clergyman,
the Rev. David T. Howells. TO ttHc charge Of
the st johns church parish. He was Il bright,
enjoyed u a very high degree the confidence
nHd respect 81 ms eCcle1iaIt!eai sn npe hscn
ait pgstner happy before his arriv al an Month
cello that there had been more or less dis
Spa-inti bsINFtn hlin anu NY NiI'' dui 'huh
at tunes their relations we're surlGlehtiy
strained to make seeds sown by malicious
eossips fail on fertile ground. That wa one
OF the fundamental conditions which existed.
Another was TINT Mrs Thornton, NINeni
who had been tine head and front OF one 81
the monument movements, was, a member
Of st. Johns Church. and not only that. but
happened to be n very excellent singer, she
Is a daughter of the late judge J. man re-
ahiity and spirit. In an UNHAPPY monlfm'
for his own peace Of mind. Mr.. Howell IN
yited Mrs Niyen TO sing n ne nnoIt, IN
etautly there was an explosion IN the church.
Anti-Niven monument members ieit ainlost
In a body. The connection spread t. other
consr,ssttors, pro,Atye 1r 19 GtHrr chu nrSris
nocked 10 the iviscopa! Church u take IN"
places Of arti-Niyen monument tnlscoraiitis
Who had let. The Jaw courts we're aploaIed
t. With applications for inlunotions TO re-
strain the pastor from removing the names
Of the people who had Withdrawn from lhe
But very soon there developed another
line Of attack. MIR. and Mrs Thornton
Aiven lad a very hands9me spirited GausM,eI,
young lawyer OF wealth and scholarly attain
ments Between Mrs Greene. who was an
active worker IN the church, and the ioNells.
at an event, between Mrs. Greene and Mr
Howell. there grew w a warm friendship,
Mrs Greene was fond o, a!G "nd s3cie'! &nd
Greene's tastes dIi not run IN the same lines.
Mr. Howell was a frequent VISITOR at tne
Greene house too frequent the gosslps
soon began to say. opera glasses from
houses commanding views OF the. Greene
home were brought to bear. kapiu-ilre
gossip tongues We're unlimbered, stores
about the windoN-sirra ling discoveries o!
the Popping Toms began to circulate. GOOD,
natured. sympathetic friends carried ~ all
and a gooq deal more to Mrs. HoWel. MIS-.
Howell went to the Greene home and asked
Mr. Greene 20 forbid SIR. Howell his home.
lhuns- grew hotter ana hotter lhtl'tCP III
PrN of tho village was ID a hutter ol de- lighted
agitation lie trotted hither and. trotted
thither, leaving a fine Shiny trail OF scandal
IN hi, wake wherever he went The Tlval
cohorts of the monument warriors got out
their longest knives ,and sharpened them
to a razor edge
Then came tho first explosion There was
a squabble " cen Mi. and Mrs Howell
over the presence OF a cat In q certain room
in tho parsonage. Mrs. Howell caused Mr.
HOwcll'4 arrest Tor assault Nr. Howell woo
convicted and fined $40 He refused TO pay
and vas sent to iail Ills fine was paid over
his head IN silte Of his protest aud he was
released A New York Newspaper printed
a symyathetiC letter from Bishop Potter adj
dressed to Slr Howell and containing coln-
mcu'f on the situation
The newspaper was sued for libel and
Bishop Potter was DIR Egcd into the mess
and putupOn the witness stand. Mrs. howeli
sued Mrs. Greene tor damages in the sum -!
50. $50 Tor alternating ncT husbands ailcc-
tons. Mr.. Green" sued Mrs. Greene Tor d.
yOrCc. AirS. Urc"ne sued Mr. Greene Tor
divorce. Mrs. howell sued Mr.. towel Ter
divorce. Mrs. Howell took out n warrant