Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1885-06-20
EUROUlE TO CAMP MEETING.
4 P!cTyREsoUE scENE.
Startling Incident ~ Arrested Fer
MISUNDERSTANDING Sentiment
A Season OF Rejoicing.

Murder-PreVa1lIngS Sentiment
A Season OF Rejoicing.
SOted by a HERALD Reporter
Last SUNDAY a HERALD reporter. In
company with Mr.. Geo. Brown, of this
city, seated behind a span Of Vest Cum
ming's risky bronchos, started for the
Free Methodist camp meeting. on the
Solomon river, a little southwest Of
Marvin. We noticed some substantial
Improvements on the way since we last
passed over the route. such as new fen
ces, new broke fields &C. lIr. Kite
has erected a cOmmodiOus frame resi-
dence on his farm, and now that Mr..
Wright has finished his house he has
one of the finest residences in the west.
The camp scene was indeed a pretty
picture viewed from the brow of the
hill north of it. The white tents in an
emerald background, teams hitched to
every available tree, gaily dressed peo-
fitting in and about the shimmering
foliage, all presented an animated and
romantic spectacle. Ere we reached
the grounds, the June breeze bore to
\ our ears cxultant strains Of music set to
the following words.
''Then palms of Victory,
Crowns Of Glory,
Palms of Victory,
shall wear
The large tent, used for a tabernacle,
was crowded with people, and there
were also many outside, in the shade of
trees, and under the side tents. There
were several ministers present, and
they all seemed to be quite fluent
speakers just before noon an Incl
dent occurred, that, to say the least,
was strange. Rev. James Suggs, a col
ored minister had preached a ser
mon and had gone into a side tent
when, at the request of a couple of Chi
cago detectives, Sheriff Woods called
him out, whereupon the detectives pro-
ceeded to arrest him for the alleged
crime of murder, said to have been
committed in Ohio in 1873. The Rev.
Mr.. Suggs was then hand-ouffed and
hurried away One Of the detectives
stated that he had been in search Of
this man over two years, and that he
was confident he was the murderer,
But there seems % be a strong prOba-
bilitY that they have taken the wrong
man, as the murderer is said to have
been a mulatto, while Mr.. Suggs is a
full blooded negro.
While this proceeding put something
of a dampner upon the meeting, It did
not by any means break it up, aud, in
the afternoon, the exercises became
quite enthusiastic. While services were
being conducted in the main tent, other
parties had social worship in different
places. In one instance, a large wall
tent was pitched close to the bank of the
river, and ia that were half a dozen or.
more men and women, who were hold
ing services by exhorting, praying and
singing. Song after song arose on the
air, and as one particularly lively strain
was rendered, in which the chorus ran,
IT'S the good old way. the good old way,
I'm bOpnd to go to heaven in the good old way
the very trees seemed 10 echo the
refrain while the waters of the solomon
river gurgled in unison along the sandy
shore. There was a conspicuous lack of
''tameness'' in all their exercises, and
they seemed to really enjoy their lelig-
ion.
To their credit be it said that the uni
versal sentiment among those people
was, eff brother Suggs is guilty he
should be punished but if innocent he
should be acquitted, and we VIII do
what we can to see that he has fair
play"
The evening exercises promised to
be very interesting, but strong gale
came up from the north which made it
very uncomfortable, and after a short
time, the congregation was dismissed.
Altogether the meeting seems to have
been a very pleasant and successful one.
Mr.. e. Davis, who has been for a