The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-27
CITY NEWS
MEMORIAL WINDOW
STARTS MERRY ROW
COlOred Members of Sunday
Club Pass Resolution Re-
opening Old Feud

The handsome window I'm the Peo-
pies church. placed there to perpetuate
the memory of John Brown and in
scribed as from the "Afro-American
Citizens of Minnesota" bids fair to be-
come the cause of a lively war between
the members of the St. James A. NJ. F.
and the Pilgrim Baptist churches
The window was placed in the church
upon the responsibility of Mrs. T. II.
Lyles, prominent worker among the
colored people of this state, and il is
yet unpaid for.
Yesterday the Sunday Club of the
Pilgrim Baptist Church passed resolu-
tions censuring Mrs. Lyles because the
window was still unpaid for, and pro-
viding that mass meeting of the col
ored citizens of St. Paul to make ar
rangements for paying for the WIN
dow, which cost 500, be held.
Mrs. Lyles, who is a member of the
St James A NJ. Z. church, was pres
ent at the meeting and asked that the
resolution be not passed, explaining
that illness and injury had prevented
her giving the matter the attention it
should have received otherwise, and
declaring that the money to pay the
full amount of the claim would be rails
ed before the return of the pastor of
tie W flO Is dt IflG pres
ent time in the holy land. and who is
expected to return about May Is.
Despite this explanatory address the
resolution was passed, although only
by a slim vote of s to z.
Members of the St. James a M. E.
church declare that the passage of the
resolution is to be regarded as an in
vitation from certain members of the
Pilgrim Baptist church to reopen the
trouble which arose between the two
congregations four years ago and re-
suited in the collapse of the movement
to erect monument over John Browns
grave in New York state. Those who
favored the motion declare that such is
not the case, but that the pastor of the
Peoples church has asked the club to
take some action towards settling the
debt and that they felt called upon to
do so.
viii Block Mass Meeting
The date for the mass meeting was
not decided upon in the meeting yes
terday, and until it is decided nothing
can be done by the society. So that
in the meantime every effort will be
exerted by the members of the ST.
James congregation to avert the meet
ing and TO allow Mrs. Lyles to collect
the money quietly and without giving
the matter more publicity than is nee
essary.
Mrs. Lyles talked of the trouble last
evening.
When the Peoples church was being
rebuilt" she said. "the pastor came to
me and suggested that as other socie-
ties and organizations were placing
memorial windows in the church he
thought the colored people of the city
might wish to remember some one of
their heroes in that way. AS he knew
that / was, at that time, greatly inter-
81.
ored people of the state do something
to further the memory of John Brown
he suggested that John Brown window
might be suitable.
'T had organized the John Brown
Memorial society with the purpose of
erecting a monument over the martyrs
grave. but through the quibblings Of
dissatisfied people the project had
hopelessly failed and / quickly agreed
with the pastor. / knew that 1 could
easily raise the 500 to cover the cost
of the window. When he asked me
what inscription desired placed upon
the window 1 told him: From the
Afro-American citizens of Minnesota
and sc 1t went
About four weeks after my con-
versation with the pastor l was in
jured in a street car accident, and 1
have been constantly i'll for two years.
] am just getting we'll enough so / can
commerce to work in collecting this
money. 1t can. all be raised through
the John Brown Memorial society, and
/ propose that il shall be so raised.
"A short time ago committee from
the Sunday club called upon me and
asked me about the matter / told them
of the circumstances and said that
would be glad if they wished to help
in the mater of raising funds, and that
/ would willingly cooperate with them.