Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-05-18
THE BLoUSr COUNTY SIDE.
What They Think OF the Press and Herald
Account.
The Facts of the Case.


municatng fully with all the parties present at
the church on last Sunday morning, he gathers
the following facts which we give just exactly
as they were given to him:
The Chapel has been in the possession and
custody of the Trustees of the Methodist Epis-
copal Church for the past Ave years
n few weeks before this affair occurred, the
Rev. w II. Bays, upon the invitation of A.
Kennedy, Sr., but without the consent of the
Trustees, preached in the Chapel. Before be-
ginning his sermon, he stated that if any one
objected to his preaching he would leave. No
one Directing he held the usual services and at
the close made an appointment for last Sunday.
Some days before last Sabbath, the Trustees
held meeting and decided that Mr. Bays should
be notified that it was not their wish that he
should continue his services in that church. On
the morning in question, Mr.. William Goddard,
in company with Mr.. Keller, went to the church
to give Mr. Bays the notice. Others had gath
cred at the church, in accordance with the ap-
pontment previously published OF the
number thus congregated, there were some
six or eight orderly and quiet colored people
residing in the immediate neighborhood, who
had like the others, come TO hear the preach
ing Mr.. Goddard, on reaching the place, in
pursuance with the agreement Of the Trustees
closed and fastened the door. There being no
lock on it, there was no other means of fastening
it but by placing against it some of the benches
Those assembled there waited in a shed adj
joining the church for the coming of the minis
ter When Mr.. Bays and Mr. Kennedy and
family came Mr. Goddard went up from the
she'd TO the fence where the carriage stopped
and very quietly and peaceaby told Mr.. Bays
what the Trustees had agreed upon. Mr. A.
Kennedy Sr, at once spoke up, and said Mr.
Buys should preach there if he wanted TO, and
that a crowd would be along that would see that
he did preach if he was inclined. Kennedy
then got down from his horse, left the company
| at the feEee and went out TO the building to see
if it was fastened. He came back and told Mr.
Bays that the door was closed and fastened. Mr.
| Bays said at once that he would not break the
| door open. Goddard then asked him if he had
not said publicly that he would not preach there
if any one objected Mr.. Bays said he had,
and said furthermore that if they objected he
would not preach, and that he would make no
further appointment, and then left with his wife
and Mr. Kennedy's family.
There was not an angry word passed between
Mr.. Goddard or any of the party and Mr.. Bays.
The only angry words spoken were by Mr..
Kennedy, ST., when he declared that there
! should be preaching.
Our reporter saw the larger portion of all the
parties present, including two of Mr.. Kennedys
sons and Mr.. Kennedy's father-n-law, and all
parties entirely agree in the above statement of
facts.
No one could be found who saw a knife drawn,
pistol or club in the whole crowd. No
| swearing, loud words or boisterous language
was heard by any one, and the whole thing pass
| ed off Just as we have stated it. Mrs Bays may
have been frightened, as she says she was, fear
| ing some violence might result, but nothing was
done or said to give her any grounds for fear,
| Our reporter was very particular to hear parties
on both sides of the controversy. He read To
! Mr. Kennedys father-in-law the Press and
Herald account of the affair, and he promptly
said that the only thing about IL that leas true
toas that M Bays loas told he could not preach,
and that he lgent otoay With the account tele-
eraphed from this city to the Nashville Banner
thew were all indignant, and said it was all false
| From several of the very best men in Blount
county, who have been in the nerghborhood of
the chapel since last Sabbath, we to-day learned
that they never heard anything of il at ALL
They were very indignant at the SANDER heaped
upon their county, and urged us to expose the
whole thing
From different gentlemen who eonversed with
Mr. A. Kennedy, Sr, yesterday, we hear differ
ent accounts, 80 that he seems to be at Il loss to
know just how it did happen. To
one man he endorsed the Press and Herald ac-
count in full. To another he qualified it very
much, in all the material points; while to II
third, he said it amounted TO substantially what
we have given above.
We have now done our duty and leave the
public to fairly and impartially judge the par
ties concerned.
| With the question of the propriety of the
course of the parties involved, we have but little
to do The public can now decide how far Mr.
Bays was injured in this matter or how far the
Trustees were justified in their course. These
are questions far less important than the more
serious one. Who is responsible for the great
injustice done Blonnt county, and the injury
done to the whole State Almost every paper
we take up has some awful accounts of this af-
fair, and no one can estimate the damage il has
inflicted
We now call upon our contemporary TO make a
full expose Of the parties who furnished it with
the account published, or allow sentence to
; be passed upon lie own head. The case is now
narrowed down to very small point Some
one has been guilty Of the meanest, most coward
ly INSTRUMENTATION and sandering and tho