Case Name: Alexander M. Conway, App'lt, v. Edward O. Carpenter, Resp't
Court: New York Supreme Court, General Term
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1893-12-01
Citations: 56 N.Y. St. Rep. 429
Docket Number: 
Parties: Alexander M. Conway, App’lt, v. Edward O. Carpenter, Resp’t.
Judges: 
Reporter: New York State Reporter
Volume: 56
Pages: 429–430

Head Matter:
Alexander M. Conway, App’lt, v. Edward O. Carpenter, Resp’t.
(Supreme Court, General Term, Second Department,
Filed December 1, 1893.)
Appeal—Dismissal of complaint.
The facts and circumstances in this case were held sufficient to require the submission of the cause to the jury and render the dismissal of the complaint error.
Appeal from a judgment dismissing the complaint
William Riley, for app’lt; Rudd, Hunt & Wilder {James M. Hunt, of counsel), for resp’t

Opinion:
Barnard, P. J.
The plaintiff is a minister of the gospel. On the 6th of March, 1892, he was attached as minister to the Messiah Baptist Church of Yonkers. The church edifice did not belong tq the Messiah Baptist Church, but was held under a lease frorp, the owner, the Warburton Avenue Baptist Church, at a nominal rent. There was a clause in this lease that if there should arise any serious disagreement in the Messiah congregation the landlord might, forthwith, re-enter. The plaintiff, on the 6th of March, 1892, on Sunday, went to the Messiah church to preach. One worshipper entered with the pastor. When he entered the ehurch or soon after, someone locked the door on the outside. The pastor began to preach to his small congregation, and suddenly, soon after he commenced, the door was unlocked and the pastor was forcibly removed from the pulpit and church and put out of the edifice by the direction of the defendant. He is a trustee of the lessor church. The justification for the act is contained in a resolution passed on March 5, 1892, as follows :
" In closing the Messiah church on Sunday last, on motion, it was resolved that the keys be returned to Mr. Pollard and that he have permission to open the house for religious purposes only, and in case of any disturbance he return the keys to Mr. E. O. Carpenter." Mr. Pollard was an officer in the Messiah church, and he aided in the force used on the occasion. There was no proof of the surrender of the lease or of its termination, except hy the resolution. There were no keys shown to have been in possession of the Warburton church or of Mr. Pollard, and if such fact existed, no justification is thereby made for this violent assault on a pastor who had no notice of the fact that the Warburton church had taken possession of the house of worship.
The judgment should be reversed and a new trial granted^ costs to abide the event.