New-York tribune., 1911-03-06
VALLEY STREAM AROUSED.
Crowd Follows Minister Barred
from Church to Fire Hall.
TO FORM A UNION CHURCH
Building Fund Started and DR..
Jones Indorses Movement
Away from Baptists.

away llOlu o1PVAStS'
The small. white frame Baptist Churcn
at Valley Stream. Long Island. remained
dark last night. with IFS windows spikeu
and doors bolted. a measure resorted to
by the board OF trustees to keep out the
pastor the Rev. Dr. Hairy W. Jones.
Many of the citizens Of the town had Tore
gathered about meeting time. expecting 10
see the building stormed by the pro-Jones
forces. led by the minister himself. for II
had been noised about that Dr. Jones in
tended TO conduct the regular Sunday night
services at the usual meeting place in spite
OF the dissenting voices in the congrega-
ton.
Red" Wise-properly known as William
H.-Sheriff Of Nassau County. and his
deputy, James O'Neill wore there by re-
quest Of the board of trustees TO guard the
propertv Some of the trustees lurked in
the shadows and promised strong resis-
tance to the besieging party. But the unex-
pected happened.
DR. Jones drove in from his home, two
miles away. and at 7:S0 oclock-meeting
time in Valley Stream pushed his way
through the crowd and mounted the church
steps. his huuleilCt Ndlltu 'ABN''o''A'''
while there were some whisperings Of ropes
and crowbars. Before violence could de-
velop the minister offered up a simple
prayer and then told his followers that
moral suason was more Chrisiianlike than
force Of arms The hall over the Valley
Stream Fire Company quarters had been
procured as a meeting place, he said. and
he asked all those who would stand by
him to follow on.
Most of the crowd followed the minister
through the snow across the lots to Fire
Headquarters. About two hundred men
and women, persons of various creeds as
well as half the Baptsts from the closed
church. filled the hall, and DR.. Brown
preached 20 a congregation larger than any
he had ever stood before in Valley Stream
Before the meeting ended the project was
launched to start a union church, non
sectarian, with Dr. Jones as pastor, and
cut out the Baptists altogether. DIR. Jones
said his mind was practically made up to
agree to the proposition. and he announced
that meetings would be held in the fire
company hall until such plans could be
perfected.
A committee OF citizens was appointed to
raised at last nights collection toward a
new church fund. The meeting resolved
itself into sort of revival, and the min
lister prayed for his enemies and admon-
ished the eight trustees of the Baptist
Church with strong words.
81 have been charged with the terrible
sin OF having saloonkeepers in my church,
he said We'll. I say again that | am
glad that was able to get them there.
will go farther than that. With saloon
keeper on my back would take him right
I'd to the gates OF Heaven, and when
knocked and it was asked who was there |
would say. It's Jones with a saloonkeeper
and We would get in quicker than some
men who have nailed up the doors and
windows of a church and kept this con-
gregation from worshippng there"
That Is not the church over there in
that little. darkened building; the church
is here in the hearts OF these people who
remain loyal TO the cause Of Christ. I
don't care II never put my foot in that
building again. There is no love or Chris
tianity where there is dissension. When /
came to Valley Stream I came with my
eves open and. ! might add. with my
glasses on. ! was told by my predecessor
that would not remain here four months
There will be a rumpus. and you will get
out he said I d!dn't think so, and ! came
because ! thought 1t was my place.
During the last week have thought a
great deal and prayed a great deal and
have come to the conclusion that the Lord
does all things for the best. believe this
nsrr
,plifting and not for our dragging down.
| believe Il will open the eyes OF the COM
munity. | can stand here and look all Of
YOU in the face and can look any man IN
the face and care not what has been said
about me in this town, and ! can say thdt
I have tried TO be a man. We are not q
Baptist community here. We are not
narrow. What we want I'm Valley Stream
is n church for the people where there
will be no distinction. and the saloonkeeper
and the merchant, the high and the lowly,
will all be welcome"
| Referring 10 what had been said about
! him and his friendship for liquor dealers
| i'm the town, DR.. Jones said he wanted To
make it plain that the very man. Chris
Schreiber, with whom some of the trustees
charged that he associated to his dotri-
ment. was in the congregation. and that
Mr. Schneider and Mr.. Brown, the NaNey
Stream Commissioner Of Eddcat ton, had
defrayed the expenses Of the hall for the
meeting.
The hymns sung at the meeting were pc
culiarlv appropriate as an admoniton tc
tho eight trustees" The services opened
with onward Christian Soldiers anC
| la hing -
Yesterday forty-six citizens of VALLEY
Stream. headed by Hugo schuter. sisne'
the following letter TO DR.. Jones'
LAS q tofen Of true Christianity. the un
ldersigned hereby send you greeting u
lcbeer good will and best wishes FOR YOU
future in Our midst. Yours in true friend
ship
Feeling has run high in the Bapus
Church of Valley Stream for some tne
land there have been charges and counte
charges hurled back and forth 10y the op
y, sing sides The action Of the board q
trustees I'm summariy dismissin.; the MN
istcr was said to have been taken wlthou
nreferring any definite charges against nm
\ large part Of the former congTegauo
um follow Or. Jones into his new churcl
il was said. The board Of trustees receH'l
, sent a committee to confer WIN reprcSei
tatiyes Of the Long Island Baptist ASSOC
otIon. IN Brooklyn. which controls the va
lev Stream church property. and some
those opposed 90 Dr. Jones contend 'h'
the association has supported them III the
action. George j. Birch, secretary al
trustee of the church, who Las led the o.
,,osition 70 the Jones regime declined yc
terday to discuss the situation III any P'
ticular.
Mr.. Schlutor who came to the rescue