RIOT IN A CHURCH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 50, 20 July 1914, Page 8

RIOT IN A CHURCH.

CLERGYMAN BADLY HANDLED. San Francisco, May 20. An extraordinary scene occurred at the Calvary Baptist Church, in New York, which is attended by Mr. John D. Kockefeller, on Sunday morning, May 10, when three Socialists who interrupted the service and attempted to speak, were roughly hand.ed by ushers and po diecmon. Fist-lights occurred inside the church and on tire footpath outside. The three Socialists anil tile sympathisers outside were very roughly handled. One of them, Edmund Lopez, n Portuguese, was, according to the Press iccount, "surrounded by the police and beaten until seven teeth, had been knocked out, one eye was unrecognisable, and he stood helpless with blood running to the ground." The leader of the party that interrupted the church service was the Rev. Bouck White, a graduate of Harvard University, himself a clergyman, head of what he calls the church of Social Revolution, a writer of note. He had given the pastor of Calvary Church notice of his intentions, and accordingly, plain-clothes constables were scattered through the congregation. White got up at about the middle of the service, and began to address the pastor, who had just finished praying. Before he had uttered many sentences .lie was seized by policemen and usher.* and dragged along the aisle, clawing sit every pew and pillar. The whole congregation was on its feet, and cries of "Let ' him talk," "Shame, Shame'" "Put him out," "This is the House of God," were heard throughout the church. White was pitched out bodily from the church ! vestibule and landed on the sidewalk. He landed on his face and hands. Similar treatment was accorded two other socialists who were in the church with him. White and Milo Woolman, one of .' the latter, were each sentenced to six months' imprisonment for their part in the affair. It was White's intention to speak on behalf of t'ne unemployed of ' New York. He has been prominently , identified with the Independent Work- ' men of the World, an extreme and ' nuarchist organisation.