The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-18
CHURCH is RENT BY
SABBATH AUTO RIDE
Methodist Elders Array Them
selves Against Pastor, Who
az. May Resign.

CHICAGO 17.-Auto cars do not
go well with the conservatism of stern
Methodist elders and trustees in Oak
Park, and as result the Rev. John
Norris Hail. for. three. years pastor of
the First Methodist church offti1e West
end suburb, will resign if the confer
ence will permit. With the pastor will
go as many of the First Methodist
flock as took part in the latest exodus,
when DR.. Rasmus was driven from the
same church by the prosecutions Of the
unliberal Is
The bitterness against DR.. Hall,
which Is to result in his resignation,
receivedia climax one Sunday in the end
of last July, when the Methodist min
lister went sailing out to the Methodist
camp meeting grounds in John Far
sons red devil wagon" Since then
friends of DIR. Hall say that majority
of his church officers have combined
against him.
DR.. Hall has been for more than a
year the bone of contention betwee
warning factions in his flock. His pro-
gressive ideas, 1t is said, pleased the
majority Of the members. Many who
HdQ gone 10 Otn6r c1luFcn6S WQ6n LII.
RasmuS left the Methodist church in
Oak Park were beginning to return.
when the Opposition the leaders eof
which, according to one of the liberal
Methodists," would notzstroll down the
leafy avenues of Oak Park on a Sun
day afternoon without their fingers
crossed, began to criticise DR.. Hall for
not frowning upon performances which
the staider members of the ruling
I'd CT licrf1f nd lori
legious.'
At last the opposition, said to have
been led by Deacons Sampson Rogers,
| George D. Elderkin, j. B. White, N. M.
Jones and j. J. Davis, decided in secret
meeting, to which the pastor and his
| friends were not invited, that the pray
| Ter meetings were not being conducted
with all seriousness and spiritual con-
fessions they believed necessary. In
stead Of conf1ding their views to their
/ pastor they went to the Rev. F. H.
| Sheets, presiding elder of the district,
land entered a complaint. Elder Sheets
immediately told DR.. Hall Of the
| trouble which certain of his congrega-
were trying to make for him. DIR.
/ Hall, in turn, went to his accusers and
demanded a Straightforward under
standing with them. The Opposition
at once grew conciliatory and finally
Lied the pastor to believe that he had
| secured peace.
4 Then came the dreadful Sunday
jaunt in Banker Parsons red automo-
| bile, and the prosecutions began anew.
/ The elders started gossip for the pas
| tors benefit and it travelled fast.
Wasn't 1t dreadful for a Methodist
| minister to quit the pulpit for an auto
mobile and break the Sabbath?'
i And, worse than that-the touring
car was actually called by fearful
| French name, lie Diable Rouge"
And still, by far, the worst of all
to enter the sacred haunts of the camp
meeting grounds with grunting
i squawlzing engine of destruction that
a pagan might blush TO be seen in"
+ These and other things they said
about Dr. Halls jaunting trip with
| John Farson, though both were bent
upon religious erra1ld when they I'M
Willingly caused all the disturbance
The majority of the congregation are
much more literally inclined than the
now famous Opposition, and they a.
once rallied to the support of theil
pastor, whom they had -Decome attach
ed to and admired.
4 The strife became bitter and DR.
Hall tried to effect a. reconciliation, Of
fering to do all in his power to please
the stricter brethren of his church. Hi,
churchIy foes. it is said, met his ad.
vances with seeming Hiendliness, an6
behind his back continued their al
4 legged work of persecution by mean:
of innusndo and slight Mrs. Hall, i
is now told by indignant friends of thu
Halls, suffered many petty humiliation
| because of her husbands unpopularity
When MrS Hall would come into tn;