New-York tribune., 1922-05-16
Church Divided
Over $25 Gift
/ From ku Klux
Christ's Admonision Against
Sounding a Trumpet in
1 Giving Aims Pointed To
4 by Critical Members
Good Money, Says Pastor
White ROBBED klansm III g n
March to Pulpit, Amazing
] Elizabeth Congregation

Since the visit of five white-rohas
and hooded members OF the Klux
Khan during the services Sunday nirbt
,ome members of the congregation of
N. Third Presbyterian Cburcn. villa
beth. n. j.. are convinced that. as th.
S,.cons' fund has been enriched bv
sa5, the incident should be recorded
~ closed.
But there are others who are hoping
that their pastor, the Rev. Robert "
Mark. will choose his text next Sunday
from the sixth chapter of Matthew and
nreaeh TO any klansmen who NAV he
nresent these authoritative words rror,
.Ae Sermon on the Mount:
"Tske heed that ye do net your sin,
before men. to be seen Of them: 9th
ersise ys have 10 reward of vour
rstaer which is in Heaven.
"Therefore when tnou docst thine
aims 90 not sound a trumuot before
sh.s. SIS the hypocrites do in the svna
scgaes and IN the streets, that thcv
nsr have glory OF men"
Or. Marx IS the only person in Eliza
beth VINO Will write sermon on the
affair before next Sunday. but from
|
| the happening yesterday a strange
! might have thought that each one Of
| the city's 100000 population (Cham
| ber OF Commerce estimate) was sim
! iIarly called.
Everybody Talks About 1t
IN the groceries. cigar stores. pool
rooms and other gossip exchanges this
Was Grade A topic. 1t had a similar
standard aboard the commuters trains
to and from New York. and by the time
these trains had disgorgcd their pas
scngers into ferryboats for Manhattan
the commuters had infected with their
own keen interest fellow commuters
from other New Jersey communities.
Church attendance in the outer circles
OF the metropolitan radius may be eX-
pected to increase. at least until the
golf green's become a triflc better.
The one member of the Third Presbv-
terian Church who has been associated
with the conspiracy to increase the
descons fund by spectacular methods is
the choir leader, Warren W. Rogers. it
was he who went to the pastor on Sat-
urday and urged that Coward, Chris
tian Soldiers be substituted for a less
martisl hymn on the special evening
musical service that had been devised
10 recognition Of Mothers Day.
DR.. Mark was still bordering over
all the details of the case yesterday
afternoon in the garage in the rear
OF the parsonage, where in hip boots
and old clothes he was giving his
motor car a coat Of green paint. as
sisted with critical advice by Joseph
Paterson. the sexton.
mir. Patterson knows more about
this business than anybody else" said
the Rev. DR.. Mark, who until he was
ordained minister was probably
aled "Red"
y don't know anything except I saw
en- denied Mr.. Patterson, "heh. hch
Mh, heh, heh." Then he left the
garage.
rWell" said Or. Mark. starting for
about the fourteenth time To tell what
ne knew about X. X. K. demonstra-
'ion, we we're singing Onward, Chris
tion Soldiers The congregation was
standing. ana We had good attend
ance. The doors at the back of the
center aisle swung open and these five
men appeared. ] was amazed.
They were all in white gowns, cord
Cd at their waists; their heads hooded,
With Sits cut for their eyes. The lead
er strobe a few PAGES ahead. The others
marched two and two down the aisle
IN cadence with the hymn. One of the
foremost pair carried A silk American
flag. The man beside him had cross
Of some kind. was too agitated to
observe it closely.
AS they reached the pulpit the
leader held up his hand seemingly
as signal to the choir to stop sing
the congregation. except for cram
OF the service. Then the leader hand
ed me large envelope. I didn't know
but what they had decided ] was "A
Slen Feiner or something and this was
an order to leave town.
The leader turned and his men fol-
lowed. SO they had passed through the
doors before ! opened the envelope
money and a note When the hymn
was finished | read that to the congrc-
CATION
The ku-klux Message
This was the note:
Dated at Elizabeth, n. j., May Ia
1922.
"To the Third Presbyterian Church
Elizabeth. n. J.
of the Invisible Empire, Knights OF the
Ku-Klux Klan, wish to make a donation
to your deacons' fund of s25, which
you will find inclosed.
THE Elizabeth klan takes great in
terest in watching the activities of the
churches in our city and we therefore
feel that the inclosed donation will
show our sincere approval and appre-
cation of the administration OF your
deecons' fund.
The kukluy KlaN stands firmly on
the following principles;
w hite supremacy.
Protection Of women and Sanc,itv
sf the home.
Separation of Church and State.
Pure Anlcricanism.
"(Signed) CYCLOPS.
knights of the Ku-KIux Klan.
/ Elizabeth Klan, No. 8.
Realm of New Jersey"
After services some of the congre-
cation" continued Or. Mark. "asked-me
If ! would accept ku kluX money.
told them that it looked like excellent
money and'tha thought we could find
= use for it no matter where it may
have come from. I am quite sure that
the visitors were inspired by some
other purpose probably advertising
'hsn simply desire to contribute to a
charitable fund But. as | said, 1t l2
good money, and it is now part OF the
oeacons' fund
a few other facts became known
ABOUT the affair during the day. For
instance. seated in the congregation,