New-York tribune., 1901-12-30
ILEETING IN WILD UPROAR.
FACTIONS OF BIRTH ABRAHAM HOWL
AND STRUGGLE IN DARK-POLICE
SEPARATE THEM.

The Great Central Palace, at No. 96 Clinton
st. fun of uproar yesterday. About five
hundred members of the Jewish order Birth
Abraham were inside making the noise They
yelled and howled, they struggled and pushed.
they called names and made insinuations. and
finally pulled over the platform stand and fell
to fighting. till three policemen interfered and
separated the factions At p. m, after two
hours continual performance. the lights went
out and the meeting broke up. Nothing 1t met
for had been accomplished.
The meeting called by Oscar Wiener, Past
Grand Master Of the order, of Newark; Moses
Lubelsky, Past Grand Treasurer, and Robert
Strahl, Past Deputy Grand Master to take some
action about a reported shortage OF $4,000 in the
endowment funds Of the order Grand Master
Samuel Dorf. with other officers had gone over
the accounts of a late grand treasurer Dorf
had appointed the treasurer in question and
didn't want any action taken till the executive
committee had made its report, which it is 10 do
in a few days.
But the Wiener faction wanted something
done right away and wanted to do little in
vestigating of its own. So it held the meeting
yesterday to take action. The Dorf faction,
however came to the meeting in equal numbers.
1t was Dorf men on the right hand and Wiener
on the left and language began TO fly before
the hour set for the meeting.
Wiener was nominated for permanent chairman
by his side. amid an uproar. Then Louis Levin
was put up for the same Office by the adherents
Of Dorf. There six temporary chalrmen
but it six against bedlam. They smashed
gavels and loosened the marble block; they
yelled themselves hoarse trying to put the vote
but in vain. Two hundred and fifty men were
calling two hundred and fifty other men liars
and thieves, and asking about that $4,000 in a
crescendo chorus that reached the street The
three policemen sat in the back of the room and
resisted all appeals from either side to inter-
fere. They said they would wait till there was
something illegal DONE
A big man with megaphone voice finally
brought silence by speech in Yiddish, and
vote for chairman by the raising of hands was
taken. All the hands side went up for
Wiener all the hands, and bodies, too on the
other side for Levin. 1t looked like a tie vote
but nobody counted it. Levin and some of his
men started for the platform. So did Wiener
and his men. They met in front of the platform
stand Some OF them Rugged the stand. like the
cane in cane rush, and the rest pulled clothes,
showed. and finally struck out hard. Policemen
decided the Illegal mark had been reached.
stepped in. and, threatening arrests, stopped
Then Grand Master Dorf entered the hall and
got up on chair on the platform TO speak He
stood there fifteen minutes, waving his hand
appealingly for silence. His men cheered. The
other party yelled, We don't want the grand
and I'VE won't hear him" Then the lights
went out. Some one in the dark shouted that
Wiener had paid 500 TO have them shut off.
But they came up again soon and Dorf made
himself heard. Il came down here upon the
information that a meeting of this evil nature
was being held" said he. These people would
cause disruption. They have come here to
create disorder. They have accomplished their
object This kind of meeting what they
wanted. They wish to cause CONSERVATION
They are lot of anarchists"
He got further. His opponents set up
other concerted shriekng, and little
kept up a steady yell at Dorf: Tell us about
that $4,000 Tell US about that $4,000. Tell
us about that $4,000" Dorf tried to get his
name and lodge, and warned the Wiener men
that they would all be suspended
At $3.50 o'clock 1t was announced that the lights
would go for good at o'clock. and one of
the temporary chairmen said there would be
another attempt TO do something definite next
Sunday.
Some stayed In the hall long after tho
lights were out. talking violently IL the dark.