In Halley's Bluff, Mo.

Over the pulpit in the Little Christian Union Church of Halley's Bluff, Mo. hangs this motto: CHRISTIAN UNION WITHOUT CONTROVERSY. Yet because the pastor. Rev. James Alexander Brown, 67, could not eke out a living from his 75% of the Sunday collections and was obliged to preach occasionally in a rival church, the Christian Union congregation started a controversy which ended with Mr. Brown's resignation last December.

Thereupon the elders sent to Kansas City for an evangelist of local renown, Rev. George Rider, 45. He swept down on Halley's Bluff with an oldfashioned, long-term revival meeting, organized a children's choir and a six-piece band, roared from the pulpit. Converts came flocking.

Lately Revivalist Rider heard that Pastor Brown had shut himself in his house, jealous and impoverished. Sorry, Revivalist Rider made friendly overtures, but was rebuffed.

Last week a relative of Revivalist Rider died in Kansas City. He was called to attend the funeral. Now was his chance to overcome the jealousy of his predecessor, to do him a good turn! Revivalist Rider got in his automobile, drove to Pastor Brown's house and marched up to offer him the preaching of the Easter sermon.

Pastor Brown seized his visitor and threw him out. Then he seized a revolver and fired at Revivalist Rider. He hit him in the back and, as he turned, in the left side.

Revivalist Rider staggered out on the lawn, wavered to his knees. There he lifted up his voice in a hoarse prayer for his assailant's forgiveness. Then he staggered to his car, where his wife was waiting. A little while later, in a hospital, he was dead.

In jail, Pastor Brown moaned: "I wish I were dead, too!" But he insisted Revivalist Rider had forcefully trespassed on his premises.

Elder R. A. True of the Church without Controversy intoned "He was crucified as the Master was, because men couldn't see alike."

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