Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-02-12
COMMUNICATED.

Editors Register see from what
you said in a recent issue, respecting
the Colored Baptists in your town, that
you have been wrongly impressed con-
corning the difficulty existing among
them. That the public may know the
fact in the matter, you will please allow
space In your column for the following
statement: Free Baptist congrega-
tons are supposed to be independent IN
the management of their church affairs,
but this right has been denied Colored
Free Baptists in Shenandoah Valley
and other parts of Virginia. Advan-
tage has been taken of their ignorance
and Implicit confidence in professed
friends of the North. Hence, the con-
troll Of their property has been given
to society of white Free Baptists, IN
New Hampshire, who, in return, gave
them right to the use of it upon GER
tain conditions, and put Mr.. Bracket
at Harper's Ferry to look after such
matters. Now, the congregation az
Shepherdstown purchased their lot Oh
Levi Ross, but Mr.. Bracket wrote The
deed, granting the property to himself,
after which he decided it to Robert
Trayers, John Flint, and others, to hold
in trust for the use of the congregation
upon the condition that: whenever 1t
shall cease to be needed and used for
such purpose for twelve months sue
cessiyely, it may, with all Improvements
thereon, be sold under the direction and
at the discretion of the Treasurer Of the
Free Will Baptists Home Mission Soci-
ety."
Mr.. Bracket has controlled the con-
prepation i'm the selection Of their
pastor, and i'm other such matters, Tor
number of years, but of late they
have begun to think and act for them
selves This displeased Mr.. Bracket
and he has tried, in various ways, to
scatter the congregation, that the prop
erty might he sold, according to the
deed; but the congregation, being ac-
uuainted with the terms Of the deed,
baffled all his plohS. Finally, securing
the aid of one ii. +. Keys and others
(colored), whom lie uses as emissarles
they got up false petition asking the
Court to appoint a new board oltrustees
(such, Of course, as would act according
TO Mr.. Brackctt's wishes. | say the
petition was false, because II bore the
name Of John Frame, as me!hDer OF
tie church. who has never 1e'n con-
nected TO the church in any way what
ever. Secondly, it bore the names oi
John V. Dorsey, Isaac Wilson. Hester
Wilson, and Mary Lee, without their
knowledge of such and contrary to their
wishes. Thirdly, it claims to have been
gotten up in Il meeting held by such per-
sons, when in fact no such meeting was
held. Fourthly, it asserted that Free
Baplists have been denied the use OF
their property ut Shepherdstown, by
persons of another denomination, when
no such persons have exercised any au-
tboritv over the property, except by the
unanimous consent of the Free Baptist
congregation in town. Keys having
sworn that the petition was genuine,
and no one being present to deny it, the
Court appointed II. f. Keys and John
Veny, of Martnsburg, John Frame, OF
Harper's Ferry, Charles Wainwright,
of Charlestown, and David Washington,
of Kearneysville, as trustees OF the prop
ertv. i'm accordance with the petition.
Having received their appointments
Keys and Wainwright proceeded to
Shepherdstown, locked the door Of the
Westinghouse, and carried off the key.
So. il is not MIR. Barnett's people (or the
regular Baptists) who have been shut
out by the Free Baptists of the town,
but the Free Baptists themselves have
been shut out by agents of said North
ern society. Is. T.. FOX.
~--