Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-05-23
A MELBOURNE NN|-UP
Rev. Thos. M. Nielsen. the
Methodist Minister. in High
Disfavor There.
Melbourne People Say He In.
suited Womanhood by In
temperate Language.
Preacher Enters Denial and Says
He Is Being Prosecuted
by Bootleggers.

the NJ. L. pulpit that stirred the town
to anger. and has made Mr. Neillson's
position there one not to he envied.
There s more than the dance sermon
back of the trouble. according to the
! minister and the few who support him
as against his opposition. They say that
an attack on places where the flowing
bowl is alleged TO flow Illegally furnish
es the real animus of his enemies
The contention of those Who oppose
the preacher is that he outraged the
4 feelings OF the community and offered
insult from his pulpit to those ladies
who attend dancing parties. Dancing
10 faHorite diversion among the youth
4 Of Melbourne and many OF the most re-
! speeted people attend TIE social dances
which are properly conducted, orderly
| and altogether all right from the aver
| age point Of view.
Some time ago Rev. Neillsen, 1t is all
/ legged. preached against dancing, and in
the course of his sermon is said to have
asserted that no woman not lost to all
sense of decency would enter a dance
Ihail and made other assertions de.oga-
| tory 10 the character of ladies' who
| dance. 1t is said that he assailed the
| good name of the village and said,
| among other things. that Melbourne
, contained more he'll to the square inch
| than could be found elsewhere. y por-
! ton of his audience rose and left the
church during the sermon. and many
who had beer in the habit of attending
! services al the NJ. l.. church ceased to
worship there altogether. These utter
ances and a communication which ap-
peared in a Marshalltown weekly in
which the people of Melbourne came in
Tor u severe roasting have aroused a
pitch Of feeling in that village that may
Vet eliminate in tragedy.
Thu minister claims TO have received
Threatening white cap letters, 10 have
been laid for on the street at nigh: and
10 have heard men urge each other TO
go for him" 1t is a matter of common.
report on the other hand that the
pivaEner carries reviewers and that one
At least Of MIS- supporters goes armed.
This Mr. Nelson admits 10 be true. He
says he carries a pistol and that he has
the right TO dosso as n special officer. He
also justifies his course on account of
thr threatening demonstrations made
against him in different rays
The feeling on both sides has reached
the point where a spark might cause an
explosion.
According to Mr.. Nelllson and his
friends the row started with visit
MIST made the city By Rev II H
Abrams who preached a characteristic
anti-rum sermon at union meeting.
Mr.. Abrams blew up against the porter
for the Pearson Hotel when he landed
from the train. ON tho walk from the
Depot TO the hotel NJ. Abrams com
planned of weariness and thirst. asking
If there We're no place whore the weary
soul might be refreshed With beer ghe-
rorter says he told him nay. Then. so.
the porter states. Abrams asked, We'll.
amt there any whisky in town." 81
told him didn't think he could get any
But said. There's place where a
fellow can get mop ale. We went down
10 the hotel and the old duck says, Say.
let's go and get some OF that We went
over TO Gus and two fellows were TAX
ing a bottle. Gimme some of that. saws
Abrams. Gus poured out u oupfull and
the fellow grabbed 1t and downed ii. He
kept looking all over the place and L
wondered then if ] hadn't been drinking
with a preacher. When he preached he
told the story: said ne had to reach over
four deep to get it. That was untrue.
and if there was bugs in H. as he said.
ne seemed to have fine taste for bugs"
The incident and the sermon Rev.
Neillson says. were the beginning Of the
trouble. However, when Mr. Abrams
preached in Melbourne there were those
who subscribed money to temperance
work at his meeting whose names are
row on a paper condemning the Ian
guage used by Neillson in his dance ser
mon. In justice to Rev. Neillson it
should be said that he denies, the Ian
gnage attributed to him and says his
Istrongest statement was that the hest
I class of respectable people do not attend
Dances"
| However it may be, Mr.. NELSON'S
usefulness as pastor seems to be at an
end in Melbourne. A paper condemna-
tory of his action is signed by almost
every business man of the village and
many of the ladies Of the town. He has
removed from the village and is now iiv-
ing in the country near by and states
that ne proposes to stay by the work
he has begun. He was until he took
charge of the Melbourne church stu
dent at Cornell college at Mt Vernon.
Whether liquor is being sold Illegally
| IN Melbourne or not is not known and
very naturally Rev. Abrams state
lnent on the subject will not be accepted
as truth much less any statement re-
ruted to him in the heat of town
quarrel. The Melbourne community is
one of the best parts of Marshall county
respectable. law-abding and peaceful
neighborhood. 1t is possible that there
has been much Hell there as the preach
ers charge but it has been kept very
much under ground and those who have
caught Whit or two of the sulphuric
fumes of the recent disturbance have
seen no appreciable subsistence of its
Eellishness since. One thing is certain
that from the following communication
sent to this office over the signatures of
such people as are represented thereon
1t may be presumed that the preacher
agitators have not all of the argument.
RESENT THE ARTICLE.
Melbourne, May 23-Editor Times
Republican: A writer from this mace
who signs &C NJ" to the article he has
written and had published in last
weeks Herald at Marshalltown directs
vast array of slurs and Slams
against Melbourne and her people. They
called the article the true story cf the
! difficulty here. and then proceeded, to
| make charges in many instances wholly