The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-06
POLICE BLOCK CHURCH GATE.
THE REV. MR.. LEE SELECTS his
VOTERS WITH CARE.
Says Members Out In the Rain We're Not
in Good stRndlng-Eleots His Own
Elders, AboIiShes His Trustees and
Has His Own Salary Raised $500.

Has His Own Salary Raised $500
The ruction between the Rev. John IIoyc
Lee. pastor Of the Westminster Presby.
terrain Church, in West Twenty-third street
and a considerable fraction Of his hocl
came 10 a head last night 1t started more
than a year ago, when Mr.. Lee proposed
to the trustees that the church be moved
from West Twenty-third street 10 West
/ Twenty-second street The trouble has
been aired in the courts and the news
papers several times since then. Two
members Of the church have been excom-
| municated and six have been suspended
/ from communion.
/ Last night was the annual election OF
( elders and deacons. DR.. Lee issued a call
on Saturday for the members Of the church
! 10 attend and notified them that he had a
/ proposition to submit. He wanted the
/ board Of trustees done away with and the
/ elders OF the church empowered to act as
I trustees.
At s o'clock. when the rain was pouring,
! 200 Of the members lined up in front Of the
church, at 2lO West Twenty-third street.
! The iron gate was locked. There was
light in the parsonage next door, but no.
body appeared TO say word Of welcome.
Right there appeared two plain clothes
men from the West Twenty-second street
station, Butler and KeoRh, and behind
them Roundsman Pyle and six patrol
men. The policemen put their backs
against the gate and waited.
In a few minutes two well built young
men opened the gate and told the crowd
in the street that Mr.. Lee was ready 20 call
the meeting to order and that everybody
that had a right 10 enter would he allowed
to pass in. One Of these young men had
long sheet Of paper in his hand.
The crowd surged forward. One Of the
first was John T. Stanley. a soap manu-
facturer who lives at AS West Twenty
third street. He was gently but firmly
thrust back
why can't 60 in?' said he. 4 am
member Of this church. have been for years.
am entitled 10 a vote demand my rights. ="
Cant help it, replied one Of the guard
inns Of the gate. 'Your name is not written
here"
Mr.. Stanley attempted to force his way IN.
He is a small man, rather stout, with a long
gray beard, He got a hand on the gate
and tried TO wrench it open.
Officer. don't let that man in, said one
Of the men behind the gate, He has no
right here
Mr.. Stanley showed ahead ARREST
met said he to Detective Butler. ARREST
me. wish you would. III bet you there
would be few things aired { hat needed
airing badly II you ran me in -
Neither Mr.. Stanley nor any member of
his family got into the church. Other
uaU Ey1 - ha Nt,.,
who were kept out because their names
were not on the list that the pastor is said
to have prepared were Or. Fred A. Car
penter, Matthew Galbraith, a trustee Of
the church who has been opposing DR.. Lee;
William Davies, Mrs Margaret Robinson,
president Of the Christian Endeavor So
ciety; DR.. Joseph L. Messenger, Walter
Findlay and Miss Anna Blair.
One determined woman punched Detec-
tive Keogh in the stomach with her umbrella.
1--WE been a member OF this church for
twenty-five years said she. 'No more
for mine. St Francis Xavier's after this
They are the people who know how to run
church matters
The first citing held was supposedly
for me MIXERS Of the church 10 elect elders
and deaoons.
Mr.. Ice presided as moderator. By
his process Of ehmina ton he had, accord
ing to the faction opposing him, kept out
enough Of the other side to elect whom he
pleased. Motions were made to adjourn
until May 10. The moderator would not
recognize them. The six elders and three
deacons were elected, all Of them favorable
TO the pastor
While the election was going on an anxious
voice was heard in the hallway. 1t belonged
10 a young man named Kindlund, a leader
Of the opposition.
I'm running for deaconl' he called out.
Il want TO get in"
let him run said one Of the insiders,
and the door was shut again,
At 10 O'Clock Dr. Lee called a second
meeting, that Of the church corporation.
His proposition to substitute the eleven
elders for the board Of trustees was put and
carried in a storm Of opposition in which
members Of the church shouted names at
one another that perhaps they would not
care to be reminded Of in cooler moments.
Right on top Of that one Of the doctors
partisans moved that his salary be increased
from 5000 to 81, 500. That provoked nearly
riot. It was ten minutes before any
ton was carried by vote OF 1873 to 50.
The opponents Of the pastor charged then
and there that he had not allowed all the
votes against the motion to be counted
II Was after II o'clock before the church
was emptied. Men and women shouted
at each other for the distance Of block,
accusing each other Of all manner Of un-
pleasant things.
well, / guess It was Gods work. after
all, said a woman Of the pastors faction,
as she got into her carriage.
Gods work? II vas DEVILS work
shouted back q woman who left afoot.
Mr.. Lee said that the proceedings were
strictly right, and that he took no undue
advantage. Everybody who had right
TO enter the meeting was allowed 10 60 in
he said. Only those were kept out who
had not paid their dues or who were in
bad standing in one way OF another.