 Lewinski was succeeded that year as rabbi by Hyman Rosenberg, and in October of the same year a new secretary was elected, in a close-fought battle between two factions. When it was time for the former secretary to hand over the financial books, a member, Simon Freudenthal, was alleged to have grabbed them, jumped out a window, and ran away with them. When he returned, he refused to say why he took them, and insisted he would keep them. A warrant was issued for his arrest on the charge of larceny, and he was released on bail. Ten days later the synagogue president, American Civil War veteran Colonel Solomon Monday, was arrested and charged in turn with libel, for allegedly claiming that Freudenthal stole "sacred books". Monday, in turn, had Freudenthal charged in November with stealing $ 8 (today $ 210) worth of "sacred books" during "divine service". Later that month both cases were dismissed. In early 1888, another case was brought, and dismissed, over attempts by one faction to expel members of the other faction.
