The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-22
INTO CHURCH WITH AN AXE
INJUNCTION TOO LET'S EX-TRUS-
TEES INTO MT. OLIPET.
Five Of 1he,n, Read Gut by the Rev.. MIR.
gilbert. Intervene Violently in Meet.
Ing Called to Consider Making q
Mortsage-Nesro Baptists Disagree.

Mortgage-Negro Baptists Disagree.
Five former trustees Of the Mount
olivet Baptist Church. at 1850 West Fifty
third street. who had been read out Of
their congregation by the Rev. M. w. Gil
bort. the pastor. q few months ago do
scended upon a elaboration Of tho con-
gregation in the church building last
night with Jan axe and a writ Of injuno-
ton. They broke down the doors. served
the writ upon the pastor and preoipitated
something like a riot among those Of the
flock who were participating in the meet
ing,
The injunction, which had been drawn
before Justice Gerard. was one restrain
ing Pastor Gilbert and the present board
Of trustees from putting a mortgage
OF $500 on the church property. This
instrument was drawn in favor Of James
Wells. Xenophon W.. jackson. william
H. Holloway. Ed d. Morgan and Gen.
Grant Stevens. the ~.ex-trustees who
had been dismissed from the congrega-
ton. The serving of this injunction
was the last move in a long and bitter
strife between the preacher and a mi
nority membership in the board of trus-
tees and congregation.
A year ago these trustees and the
minority members. not liking the way the
Rev. Mr.. Gilbert was conducting the
affairs Of Mount Olivet Church. asked
for his resignation. The parson. be-
lieving that he had the majority OF his
flock on his side. submitted his resignation
to the congregation as a whole and IL was
not accepted. Finding sentiment in his
favor. the Rev. Mr.. Gilbert then pro-
ceedsd to read out Of the church the Eve
offending trustees. That was during last
February. The five were not ready to 60
without q protest.
Their protest took such q form that
the pastor had three OF the minority NAL
contents arrested for disturbing the peace.
Later they 10 turn served charges for
false arrest against the pastor and he 10
at present out on bail pending the settle
ment Of the case against him
IlCuf NIX IAHat JIG tuCCt.f6 id5t LiBht Woo
to DO held for the purpose Of deciding
upon the raising OF money through
mortgage. the five communicated
trustees. still refusing to recognize as a
legal body the trustees who succeeded
them, got the Injunction and went up to
the church. They put the injunction
In the hands OF James Herald, a oolored
attorney. for service and they took along
with them two policemen.
The i~nsurgent trustees found the doors
OF the church parfors locked. and persist
ent knocking failed to draw a response
from within, Straightway they broke
down the doors with an axe and gained
access to the parlors, which were fairly
crowded with trustees and members OF
the congregation. There was great CON-
fusion following upon the forced entry Of
the injunction server and the ex-trustees.
In the excitement the Rev. Mr., Gil
bert. who vas acting as chairman Of the
meeting. came down from his seat on q
dais and mingled with his parishioners.
The injunction server found it difficult
to identify the pastor because Of this
and IL was some time before some of the
fighting trustees had him picked out.
When the injunction had been served
on Mr.. Gilbert the five ~ex-trustees with
drew and tho meeting continued. These
trustees say that when they we're read
out Of tho church its debts were only 81 ESQ
end there was s2.I0O in the treasury.
They say that before a mortgage is raised
on the church property they wan ar ac-
counting d the expenditure Of that
treasury fund. =