The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-05-20
HOBOKEN CRUSADE
Four Ministers Lead One
Hundred People in. Pro-
test Against Ball.
CHIEF OF POLICE HOLDS BACK
Says There Are Various In
terpretations of the Law
and Commissioners
Must Decide.
CHIEF OF POLICE HOLDS BACK

One hundred people, headed by four
clergymen, marched from the First M. E.
Church to Police Headquarters in Hobo
ken after the morning service yesterday
to protest against baseball game sched-
uled to take place at St. George Cricket
Grounds in the afternoon. The Rev. VIM.
Barr, president of the Ministers Union
and pastor of the United Presbyterian
Church, acted as spokesman of the Sab
batarian party. He showed Chief OF
Police Donovan copy Of an ordinance
passed in 1866 which prohibits Sunday
baseball and requested him to see that
the law was not violated. The Rev.
Charles Meade, pastor of the First M. E.
Church; the Rev. Conrad Bluhm, pastor
of the First Reformed Church, and the
Rev. John Campbell pastor of the Second
Baptist Church, Joined the Rev. Mr.. Barr
in his appeal.
Chief Donovan explained to the party
that the law regulating Sunday games
could be interpreted in different lights and
said he did not believe he could prevent
them from being held without receiving
instructions to that effect from the Board
OF Police Commissioners. He promised to
lay the matter before the meeting of the
Commissioners this afternoon.
One impulsiye member of the party
wanted to draw up petition requesting
the Chief to stop the game but the sug-
gestion was not to the liking of the Rev.
Mr.. Barr, who finally induced the party
to let the matter rest with the Chief and
rely on his promise to attend to it.
The game scheduled at the Cricket
{rTOnnfS haf a nd
the West New York teams. 1t was post
poned on account of the rain.
Allusion was made to the demonstration
of protest in the pulpits of all the clergy
men who took part in it. The Rev. Mr..
Meade, preaching to his congregation in
the evening, referred to Hoboken as New
Jerseys Nazareth and added that Sun
day baseball filled the city with Bowery
toughs and Jersey City buns, who go
about insulting women and causing dis
graceful scenes on the streets"
The Rev. Mr.. Barr in discussing the
demonstration said:-
The formal protest registered today
was the result of an agreement reached
at meeting of the Ministers, Union on
Wednesday. Something, it was concluded,
was necessary to arouse public sentiment
to the gross Sabbath dissertation in He
boken. The clergymen interested in the
movement now launched have other
things to protest about beside the base
ball games. They believe the games can
be stopped, but realize that a lot of hard
fighting will have to be done in view of
the affiliation of the present Sheriff with
the liquor leagues and other similar or
ganizations. There is more mystery
about the management of the games than
is apparent on the surface, it would also
appear. The Cricket Grounds are leased
and sub-leased several times over, and
to proceed against the responsible party
is no easy matter. The clergymen hope
however, to be successful The games
have been stopped before
The partially successful crusade against
the games several years ago was directed
by the Rev. H. Z. Beatty, pastor of the
First Presbyterian Church. who took nc
part in the demonstration yesterday.
That fact is being commented upon.