New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-22
PROSECUTING Charges Bring
Crisis for Hath and
115th Streets.
CATHOLICS FAVORED,
SAY CHILDREN
Priest Denies There Is Attempt
TO Win Protestants from Faith
in Italian Section.

There is going to he a religious war
in the uptown Italian district. The
Jefferson Park Italian Methodist Epis
coDal Church. at 407 East Hath Street,
and the Mount Carmel Roman Catholic
Church. at 1l5th Street and Pleasant
Avenue. are going to battle over the
question Of proselyting in the public
schools raised at the meeting Of the
Guardians OF Liberty AZ Cooper Union
Thursday night
The meeting WAS held largely as a
protest against the lack Of action on
the part OF the Board Of Education re
garding the reports Of Catholic activity
OF the public school teachers in the
Italian district. Il was freely alleged
that the teachers had combined 10 force
the pupils to attend "ll5th Street" as
the Catholic church is referred TO by
the Italians. and that they have dis
eliminated unfairly against the Prot
estant children in their classes.
These allegations are as vehemently
denied by Father Miller, Of the Mount
Carmel Church, as they are affirmed by
the Guardians Of Liberty and the Rev.
Amedeo Riggio. of "l14th Street"
The statements OF FIVE Italian pupils,
four Of them Protestants and one a
Catholic. were taken yesterday by a
representative of The Tribune in an
effort TO learn ,SsSfrst hand the extent
of the alleged injection Of religious at
fairs into the schools.
Child Accuses Teacher.
The first one examined was girl,
sced fourteen. who attends Public
School rs. She was baptized in the
Catholic Church in Italy, but changed
when her family was converted, elgnt
vears ago. She attends the Methodist
Episcopal Sunday school
The principal disgraced me before
the Whole class" she said. she tod
The other children that they should
make fun Of me because | didn't 20 20
their Sunday school. Three weeks ago
She told me / wouldn't be promoted II
| didn't 60 TO church at ll5th Street.
| told her wouldn't, because / went
to Hath Street, and she said, Leave
90 that church and come 10 ours And
two weeks ago she slapped me because
didn't do as she SAID
Her statement that she had been
slammed because she would not attend
the Catholic Church was corroborated
by another girl, a Catholic, VINO at
tends the same school. Yes sand the
girl, "she got smacked because she
wouldn't 90 TO our church. Inc teacher
said TO me, Why weren't you 10 sun
day SCHOOL, and said, 4 wasn't there
because mamma just brought baoy'
and she holered, Well, If you don
20 next Sunday III slap you, too.
Another girl. Protestant, aged ten
told about a former principal OF the
same school shaping her on the cheeh
with a ruler because she wouldn't go
10 "1l5th Street"
She also said that she had once been
told that she must attend Thursday al
ternoon religious instruction classes at
the Catholic church or be punished by
being kept in after school. She dld not
attend the Sunday school, however, and
was inclined 20 believe that she was
not punished because she had tod the
Rev. Mr.. Reggie.
A Protestant boy who attends Public
School 50 said that on December the
bows in his school were excused to
20 TO mass because il was q saints day.
1--WE all left the school" he sad. but
we didn't all 20 to mass. Lots Of time
the Catholics are excused to go to
church. They have TO bring back an
excuse from the priest
Priest Denies Charges.
Anothe- Protestant boy attending
Public School So told practically the
same story. But" he added, ut was
worse in Public School AZ. There they
used to keep US in all the time Just
because we wouldn't 30 to the.I
/ church"
His face became very solemn, and
he asked gravely. Are all teachers
/ Catholic?"
The charges brought by the Guard
ians Of Liberty brought a heated re
spouse from Father Miller
"There isn't any such a thing as prose
| lytizing going on here. either in the
public schools or out OF them" he said
an the first place, there is no such a
thing as an Italian Protestant. They