The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-09-08
'CEISEL'S POSTAL CAMPAIGN
DESIGNED To DRIVE DIR. CON.
OVER FROM THE MINISTRY.
His Grievance Il That the Bernards''''e
Rector Refused to We'd Him to the
woman Of His Choice Threat Mailed
to Many Persons, hut stopped.

to Many Persons. hut stopped.
Theodore Homer Geisel. who lives with
his mother and brother, the Rev. George
| NJ. Geisel. assistant rector OF the Protcs-
tant Episcopal Church Of the Holy
Apostles in Basking Ridge. n. j.. has
announced by postal cards that he will
devote the rest of his life II need be to
driving from the ministry the Rev. pr.
/ r. A. Conover. rector Of st. Bernard's
Church in Bernardsvile. because DR..
Conover refused to unite him in marriage
with the girl Of his choice, Miss Anna
Catherine Turner of Sioux City. la.
Geisel says that on Wednesday last
he and Miss Turner went to the office
Of Assessor Joseph f. Buck in Bernards-
vile and got a license to marry. but
decided to wait until the next day for the
ceremony They stayed. not as hue-
band and wife. Geisel says. at the Ber-
nard Inn in Bernardsville In the eve
ming. according to Geisel, he and the girl
went to the home Of Charles Pfaden-
hauer. a contractor and builder living
on Essex avenue in Bernardsvile. and he
invited them to have the wedding at his
house that night They were afraid
the clerk at the hotel would not sit up
for them. they said. and they went away.
On Thursday morning. Geisel says
he happened TO meet on the street the
Rev. Harold John. cumte Of St Mark s
Church at Basking Ridge. who promised
to marry them at O'Clock that after
noon Geisel says he thought at the time
| that the curate asked too many questions
and didn't seem satisfied. SO later meeting
the Rev Thomas &. Crawford pastor OF
the Methodist Church OF Bernardsville.
he got him to agree to perform the cere-
mony at o'clock But about noon.
(ieisel says. the Rev. Mr.. Crawford called
him up and said he could not officiate at
the wedding The Rev. Mr.. John. ac-
cording TO Geisel. was angered at what he
considered Geisel's double dealing and he
also refused to perform the ceremony.
Then DR. Conover was asked to tie the
knot. but he pleaded that he was busy
According to Geisel neighbor told him
that the rector advised all Of his brother
clergymen not to prcform the ceremony
(ieisel saws that he called Or. Conover on
the telephone and denounced him, dar-
ing him to come and meet him man to
man The rector did come to see him on
Friday morning. Geisel says. and was
introduced to Miss Turner by Mrs Pfad-
enhauser, at whose home the couple were
calling Before DR.. Conover could shake
hands with the young woman Geise says
ne rushed into the room, pushed the
rector against the wall and asked him
how he dared to refuse to marry them
DO you know this man = brother or his
mother?" Geisel says the rector asked
.No. | don't" Geisel says she replied.
but know him and love him, and that's
enough"
Then Or. Conover left and the man and
woman who would be married vowed that
they would put OF the ceremony indefi-
ntely so that Geisel might devote all his
energies to running DR.. Conover out OF
the ministry.
The Rev. George NJ. Geisel said last
night in his brothers hearing that the
family had always respected DIR. Con-
over and they. as we'll as many others
Of his friends. were looking forward to
his being their next Bishop. He prob
ably had good and sufficient reasons
for not marrying my brother the Rev.
Mr. Geisei said My brother poses as
a minister; in fact he has often spoken
Of himself as a Bishop, but he has never
been ordained
When asked as to his brothers sanity
he said that specialists had examined hiu,
and pronounced him normal. He is
simply cunning and spteful, the older
brother said. "and what s more, my mother
and have supported him for some years.
Just then Theodore Geisel reminded his
brother that ne had had no college educa.
ltion and had worked as a street car con
ductor and as dray driver at various
times.
Mr.. Pfadenhauer says he believes that
Theodore Geisel ia a man of brilliant
mind and has invented device by which
he expects to he able to increase the
present candle power Of lights three timee
without increase IN power consumption
The postal cards sent out by Geisel
said that in the same way he was advising
every family in Berna rdsville and BaskinR
Ridge of his intentions toward DR.. Con-
over.
Postmaster Allen OF Baskins Ridge
said last night that he stopped the pOsta
cards as soon as he realized what their
import was. and he also confirmed the
report that Gesel was the man who
several years ago declared that ne was
going to build Gods own church,
he and the angels-and the postmaster
said that at that time he solicited 81 each
from certain people who he knew had
lost friends and relatives, telling them
that the departed would be numbered
among the angelic architects. The
scheme came to naught.
Geisel who is about 2S years old. says
he was born in New York and that he went
with his mother and brother to the rectory
AT Basking Ridge two years ago. He says
he worked in one Of the Edison labora
tories for three years and since then
, although he hasn't done actual labor
has deived into electricity and astronomy
in his den at the rectory.
8 He mentioned book he had written
:, practical New Astronomy" and II was
that, Mr.. Pfadenhauer says, as well as a
\ treatise on love entitled -Cupid's Row.
: published in some of the Western news
papers. that first attracted Miss Turner
to him
Geisel said that his prospective bride il
, n wealthy woman owning several houses
g built on real estate holdings in Sioux City
p He met her, he saws. fifteen months age
through mutual friends and in a. con
e ventional way in New York city" He
gave her age as 3s. The marriage license
I dated August 81 records her as Anna
9 Catherine Turner OF Franklin Grove
Leigh county. Illinois.
~