Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1856-06-21
Communication.
llNdS HraM


, feel II my duIy, IA reply 10 the lamau'
yindeation OF the Rev. r. Crawford, TO lay
before you and the public this simple statement
Of facts and il ialsehoods are in circulation, "a
let you know from whom they emanated.
Twas one Of the number Of citizens who
witnessed the horrible scene Of carnage Occa,
stoned by the late tornado at Cedar Hill and
assisted in collecting the dead bodies Of ouI
friends and neighbors and placing them in the
wagon, which took until perhaps Ten ocloel, at
night. The inquiry was then made, where
they should be taken; TO which Mr., Harrison
replied 1--WE will take them to brother Cmw.
iord's, alleging that he (Cmwford) had plenty
OF honse.rO0m aud would take us in. X. W.
Little drove the wagon, and we went near
Parson Cmwiord's gate. Samuel Harrison
and Parson John Nugent went TO the gate
where they were met by Parson Crawford
They asked for house.room for the dead bodies
for the night. Crawford replied "mkat ia HE
,rorM made yoH think Of bringing them here ;
lie continued, saying, 81 have already taken in
the widow Vaughi and family, and the widow
Donaldson and family, one Of which IS wound.
!" that his wife was not well, and other
excuses which we considered frivolous. The
company knew that he had four lower rooms
and one or more upper rooms, with Two fire
places and a stove, Lesides his cook.shop; and
all we wanted was one room to wash and dress
the dead, preparatory to a decent interment.
The company feeling themselves no little dis.
appointed, and not less diSpleastd, we started
on to Capt. Little's, r. w. Little having plcdg.
ed himself that we should have admission
there. So it was, the company and dead bodies
were received with all the hospitality that pos.
sibly could be afforded and we were assisted
by himself and family and servants in washing,
dressing, and preparing the dead bodies for
burial on the next day And here, it Is worthy
OF remark that after leaving Parson Crawford S
gate some forty or fifty yards, Mr.. Harrison
and Parson Nugen, walking together, the for.
mer said TO the latter that it ought not to get
out that brother Crawford would not receive
the dead into his house. Mr.. Nugent replied
"No, bu, it will get out" Ttis conversation
was distinctly heard by Fl. G. Hurst, r. w.
Little, X. F. James, and myself, and perhaps
one or two others.
Mr.. II. g. Hurst rode with Mr.. Nugent the
next day, when he spoke freely on the subject
and seemed to think hard of Crawford for bis
refusing to admit the dead. Mr.. Hurst informs
me that he has seen several persons who had
talked with MIR Nugent, and who say he is
making the same loud exclanntlons against
Crawford, and trust will still say the same
when called upon. X. w. Little informs me
that Nj. Harrison told him and several others,
on the night of the storm, at his fathers, that
brother Crawford did refuse their admission
into his house.
Now ask, in the name of common sense if
we cannot credit and report after Samuel Har-
rison (that pink Of fair fame y and that, too,
coupled with the statement of John Nugent
If not who are we to talk after? Or dare we
not take the worthy gentleman's name in our
mouths without danger of being exposed in the
public newspapers as liars, sIanderers, &c.
For my part, pity Mr.. Harrison. He has
been imposed upon, in his great zeal for the
Church and his Rev. Brother Crawford, TO
sign that instrument without, perhaps, ever
reading ii; and | think he will surely blush
when he sees it in print. For we all know
that the wordy fabrication, wholly and entirely
lalse does not belong TO that pious man.
As for Parson Crawford's great hospitality
towards the distressed, we do not believe one
word of it, with the exception that he took in
the Two widow ladies and their families, n part
oil which were moved to Mr.. Harrison's the
next day. am, however. willing that all his
virtues be made known
1t will not be improper here TO state that
Mrs. Crawford made her appearance at burial
The next day after she was supposed to be so
dangerously ly i'll, with as much gayety as COM
mon; and stood up and walked about in the
hot sunshine with other ladies for some one or
two hours, and have heard no complaint of
her since. This was seen and noticed by
number o! persons. Using the language of
Mr.. Harrison, | would say $50 much for that
excuse."
Having shown conclusively if any falsehoods
have been in circulation from whom they en-
anafed' shall now dismiss the subject, Unless
called on to prove the correctness of nv state.
ment on oath. JOSHUA JAMES.
Cedar Hill, May 26th, 1856.