The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1907-04-19
zH0T TIME:
6r and tho vestry Have
aRattls IN Church.
DvELY FIST FIGHT

Quo OF Philadelphia's Churches
I'm Which the Rector, Several of
tho Vestrymen and Even Some
Women Were Active Participants.
The Trouble Had Been Brewing
For Several Months.
A rough and tumble fight Sunday
morning, March 81. in which the rec
tor. several vestrymyn and even
some women took a hand was the
elimination of the trouble that has
for months been brewing in the con-
gregation of Emmanuel Protestant
Episcopal church, Marlborough
street west of Guard avenue, of
which Rev. E. G. Knight is rector.
1t was after Rector Knight had
preached on the text. "Let not your
heart be troubled" and in closing
had delivered the message, peace
be unto YOU" that the fight occurred
and all of those participating had
partaken of holy communion. The
real battle took place in the vestry
room, located under the chanel in
which the beautiful morning service
had just been held, and started over
the claims for the morning collection
entered by accounting wardens rep
r~esenting the two factions into which
the congregation is divided.
The trouble was expected and was
pulled off on schedule time, when
George Shegog, who, still claiming
his right as accounting warden, hav-
ing been elected to that position on
"Wednesday night by the faction op-
posed to the rector, started to take
the collection from the two silver
plates that had been carried down to
the vestry room by the rector and
placed on a table preparatory to sep
arating the envelopes from the coin.
Shegog left the main auditorium
during the occasional hymn and was
waiting in the vestry room to claim
the money.
He made q reach for the money,
but as he did SO he was grabbed by
j.. H. Watkins, who also claims to be
the accounting warden, having been
elected by the rector's faction at q
separate meeting on Wednesday
night, and Jacob Davis, Sr. The two
men grappled and pummeled each
other at q great rate. BY this time
several of the other vestrymen had
taken q hand in the fray, and the
rector, wearing the vestments that
he wore in serving the communion,
was soon in the thickest of the fight
ing.
Chaos reigned, while the women
screamed. The fight, a running one
was kept up from the vestry room tc
the Sunday school room, ther
through the hall to the choir room
and finally back to the vestry room.
at one time Rector Knight and She.
cog had each other by the throat
and again as many a. four men were
hammering Shegog as he lay on the
floor.
The rector faction seemed to have
the best of the fight at the wind-up
while to the rescue of Shegog came
his 18-year-old daughter, Alice, who
dramatically demanded that the rec
tor take off the vestments of his Of
flee and not disgrace them any long,
er. Sobbing bitter, she cried:
~ will stand by my father until
die. Let me go to him. He need.
me at a time like this" With the
young woman was her brother Har
~, a husky lad of 16 years, who gave
and took punishment like q soldier
Several miXups we're pulled off be
fore the fighters were separated.
Rector knight was exceedingly
nervous after the ARRAY, but beyond
admitting that the money was in his
keeping he declined, as at all times
during the trouble in his church, tc
discuss the matter in any of it's phas.
es. Shegog made threats in the hear.
ing of all present that during the
proceedings in court, when the case
will be called to prosecute the rector
on the charge of embezzlement of
church money, there would be some
starting revelations that would not
only disrupt the congregation but
unfrock the minister.
The trouble centers around the
Easter collection of 1906, and has
brought much discussion into the
church. At that particular service
George Shegog, then accounting war
den, whose duty it is to take charge
~ ihoiiSyo, was ilOC pIcSCllC, SO
the pastor took charge of the cash
collected. When Mr.. Shegog asked
for it later MI. Knight declared
that the Easter collection was the
rector's fund and was always given
to him personally. This began a
lengthy dispute and finally Mr.. She
cog appealed to Bishop Whitaker
that he should force Mr.. Knight to
pay back the money, which amount
ed to $1,000. and also remove him
from the rectorship.
The bishop refused to interfere and
the rector was arrested on q warrant
sworn out by Shegog charging him
technically with ENLIGHTENMENT, and
when brought before Magistrate
Kochersperger he was held in 81, 900
bail for court.
1t is believed that the fight of
Wednesday will result in the com
plete disruption of the congregation,
which now numbers only about 100.
Bishop Whitaker, whose rcQuestsf for
the cessation of trouble in the church
has been to a great extent ignored
by both factions, will probably now
take a hand in the affair that will
tend toward its untangling.
AyISIH. rHITArUNENI