Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-31
SUIT SHOWS MEN
OPPOSING GAMES
Action to Stop Sunday
Baseball Reveals Rock.
ledge Opponents
SAY NOISE DISTURBS
Petition Declares Cheering of
Crowds Interferes With
" Services in Churches
SAY NOISE DISTURBS

With the filing Of a bill Of equity In
the Norristown Court to prevent the
playing of Sunday baseball at the Coun-
try Club for Enlisted Men, at Rock
ledge. the names of the men and organ
izations which are fighting the amuse-
ment are made public for the first
time.
The complainants are the Lords Day
Alliance of Pennsylvania, the Fox Chase
Methodist Episcopal Church, the Rev.
George Gaul. pastor: the Memorial
Presbyterian Church. Fox Chase, the
Rev. Henry w. Bloch, pastor; the
Bethany Baptist Church. Fox Chase. the
Rev. Clarence Larkin, pastor; their Of
ftcial boards and individual members,
and William F. Sutton, Herbert Deuel.
George p. Macarthur. Edwin johnson,
Jacob E. Leidigh, w. S. Konn, j. w.
Tomlinson, H. w. Robinson, William
D, Weimer, e. f. Hawk c. E. Smith,
William G. Benner, John A. Clark, John
w. Fanzandt. NJ. d. Edward C. Brandt
and B. Hazard.
The United Service Club and Lieuten-
ant Commander Frederick C. Payne are
named as defendants with the Country
Club for Enlisted Men. Commander
Payne is a director in the other two
organizations. When informed Of the
effort to obtain an injunction to prevent
the service ball games he said that
stories of the game being commercialzed
were all untrue and that the Sunday
pastime was originated to give the
service men an opportunity for clean
amusement on Sunday. The games at
Rockledge, he said, had achieved this
object.
Declare Noise Disturbing
The complainants declare that they
iaN nh 70 fha IL. .f
enlisted men playing ball on Sunday,
but say that the method OF conducting
the games and the attendant noise
disturb the sanctity of the Sabbath ana
are contrary to the act of April %,
1894.
The ball playing on Sunday is not a.
itself a crime. they say, but conditions
at Rockledge are such that it becomes
one. Worship in nearby churches, the
bill says, Is seriously interfered with
by the games. The pastor of the Meth
odist Church of Rockledge, which is SIT
uated directly across the street from the
club grounds, says that the noise at the
games became SO great that he was
forced to change the Sunday schedule in
the church, and conduct Sunday school
in the morning. Pastors of other near
by churches report a falling off in Bible
class attendance since the games began.
The petitioners says that both Rock
ledge and Fox Chase. which are quiet
country villages, accustomed to regular
Sunday observances, have been COM
pletely transformed by the games on
Sunday afternoons. The streets are filled
with strangers intent on seeing the
games, and are conges,ed with automo-
biles The air is filled with the cries OF
soda-water and peanut vendors. the noise
of many automobile horns and the shout
ing from the baseball games"
Fund Goes to Recreation
Lieutenant Commander Payne said ir
discussing the case:
mo person in Fox Chase or any per.
son connected with Fox Chase. church
people or others, has ever made com
| plant to me about the Sunday baseball
at Rockledge. The only thing that
know about the matter is what / have
read in the newspapers.
Il agree with Archbishop Dougherty
| that the men should be given clean
wholesome amusement on Sunday.
There is no commercialization a
! Rockledge Persons are charged admis
sion to the grandstand, which we pu
| up at a great expense. But were 1t no
| for this income we would have to charg
the men more for the privileges of th
| club than they would have to pay in th
| city. All the money Is put back int
the clubs recreation fund. 1t is all fo
the good of the men in the service.
II visited the pastor of the Methods
church across the street from the bal
| grounds when we first started. He mad
no complaint to me then and has mad
none since"