 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 . 
