New-York tribune., 1910-12-19


On. little deacon refused his resignation
Now all the elders are in state Of coneterna-
ton.
John H. Demarest. one Of the deaeons of
the North Hackensack Reformed Church.
who, by his own admission. played pinochle
for 5 cents a hundred, resigned on Satur-
day night from the consistory of the
church. His hitherto iron will was bent by
the pleadings of his pastor, the Rev
Abram Duryea, and members of the con-
sistory. It is said that his resignation
would have been given on Friday night
only that he could not bring himself to sit
in the same room with Deacon John vroom
Roscoe, the other pinochle playing digni-
tary of the Reformed Church, when con-
ference OF the consistory was held on that
night.
When Mr.. Duryea. learned the reason for
Mr.. Demarest's absence from Friday
nights conference he trudged to the lat
ter's home and talked to the member of
the flock who had strayed from the
straight and narrow path He pleaded with
the deacon like a father to his erring son.
Then Demarest weakened, and his resigna-
ton followed.
The pastor not so successful with
Roscoe. The second self-confessed gam
fant- He stands pat on his pinochle hand
His attempt to drag the names of other
members OF the congregation into the af-
fair has not been well received
Would Go Beyond Chassis
When Mr.. Duryea, with the members of
the consistory at his back. asked Mr. Ros-
coe to resign. the latter refused fatty. He
went further He informed the pastor and
the elders that il they dismissed him from
the church, and the action was upheld by
the clsssis. he would appeal even beyond
the classis. All North Hackensack is won
dering where that might be.
In spite of the hornets nest about his
ears Mr.. Roscoe walked to the Sunday
school yesterday morning and taught his
Bible class. Both his pupils were women.
AS he left the church John y. yoorhs, an
elder, endeavored to hand Mr.. Roscoe
card or letter Mr. Roscoe held his head
high and refused It. and stalked majesti-
cally out.
During the services at the church Mr.
Duryea seemed much affected, particularly
when reading the notices about the special
congregational meeting on Wednesday
evening. December q. when John V Ros-
coe would be placed on trial for gambling
ward personally presented to Mr. Roscoe
by the pastor and an elder
The congregation IN the little church
leaned forward and held their breath last
night when the minister said he would
choose his sermon from Psalm xv which
held special reference, he thought, to the
trouble in his flock. One verse of the
psalm reads: He that putteth not out
his money In usury nor taketh reward
against the innocent He that doeth these
things shall never be moved
Guinea Fowls Cause Of II.
The beginning of all this trouble in the
North Hackensack Reformed Church came
about when a quarrel arose between those
former good friends Roscoe and Demarest
Roscoe's guinea fowls We're, the innocent
cause. They made terrible racket, 1t is
alleged. and the Board of Health ordered
their removal.
Nothing said at the time, but at the
firemen's carnival the deacons used strong
language in speaking to each other. Be
cause Of this Roscoe sued Demarest for
slander The suit was tried and on
Wednesday Roscoe got a verdict for six
cents
All might have ended here had not the
IWo ucdCOIAS uAWdIliS daulittcu tDdI our
ing their close friendship they had often
played pinochle together for five cents a.
hundred. The church officials could afford
to overlook the SANDER suit, but the gam
bling stuck. Roscoe stoutly maintained
that the church law does not prohibit gam
bling. but even his most ardent supporters
do not believe that he really means this.
More discomfort was added to Roscoe's
lot yesterday, when Silas Moore, president,
and the members Of the Riverside Hose
Company attended the church and the
president said: I'VE want Pastor Duryea
and the church folks to know that we are
behind them in this matter While the
fateful words still echoed within the
church walls the fire laddies turned and
out, their faces grim. Roscoe has
resigned as a member Of the fire hose
company.