The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-30
VIEWS OF COLORED MINISTERS.
They Referred to the Massie
Murder Sunday.
Rev. Brown believes Kodd md William
son ana Insinuatcs That They VIII
not got Justice-The others More Mod
orato-Short Interviews with tho Min
listers. d

In every one of tho colorcd churches
in which services wcro held Sunday
thcro was allusion made by tho preach
crs to tho murder Of Mr.. Massic. and in
ono preacher declared his belief in
The innocence OF Rcdd and Williamson.
Tho oolored people OF tho city are
much excited and worked up in the
matter, and almost rs u whole believe
that Redd and Williamson arc innocent
1t was tho observation of the reporter
that most of the colored men he spoke
with were not familiar with tho case
since tho alibi testimony on which the
prisoners were at first released
A COLLECTION TAKEN UP.
Rev. w. w. Brown, colorcd, preached
as the High Street baptist colored
church Sunday night and took from tho
text: 500 unto all tho world and
preach tho Gospel to every CREATURE"
After the sermon collection was
taken up for William Brown, colorcd,
who is in Jail at Rocky Mount charged
with arson in burning the town OF
i Rocky Mount last September year
ago by setting fire to Il warehouse in
which Il political meeting had been
(, held. Most all Of the town caught from
this warehouse and was burned.
In asking for the collection the
preacher said: 'l,rown has beer in Jail
cd pg on two years. and has been sen
tci :cd TO be hanged thrco times. but
haA gotten new hearing. lie is inno-
o,nt OF the charge of burning the town.
just like these two men Rcdd and Will
Jams tmcaning Williamson who are in
Jail for hitting this gentleman. Mr..
hassie. These men are innocent They
proved their whereabouts from the time
they paid Mr.. Massic that money till
thoy werc arrested. But the law is in
tho hands of those whose hands they are
In, and VIC can do nothing but pray that
they may get Justice"
REV. CELLEIs' VIEWS.
Rcv. Henry Ccllcrs, Of the ST Paul
Methodist Episcopal Church, colorcd,
preached on the subject of the ''New
BIRTH" from the text in Matthew Bill,
and i'll the course of the sermon he said
The unconvertcd man has the old
Adam in him. and is under his influence,
and is undoubtedly led to do great
many things fot which he is aftcrward
sorry, but man that has committed
murder cannot let it be known that he
was sorry for fear Of being found out.
~ 10 NV y ~ NitON III WllO tUc DIEllc5 arc
that committed the awful murder of last
week, but / believe they will be, and
ought 20 be, found out and brought to
justice.
II know that these men who commit
ted this murder cannot rest after their
deed. l know of n similar case Of man
of my old homo in llarrisonburg, Rock
iagham county, killed another in self
defense, and yet he said that he had no
more rest while he lived. The murdered
man seemed to follow him wherever he
went.
Then, certainly, these parties who
had committed this wilful murder must
be even more disturbed in their minds.
"But they will be found out. 1t may
not be directly, but it will be, for tho
| Scripture says, BE sure your sins will
lind you out" and in another place, the
wicked shall 1t go UNPUBLISHED"
I Tho preacher also, expressed sym
'pathy for the family Of the deceased.
MURDER WILL OUT.
Colored Baptist Church, preached on the
subject of Joseph's being sold into
Egypt. iio spoke of the long Tins that
interviewed between that time and the
time when Joseph had his revenge by
heaping Goals of fire on his brethren's
heads, when they went down into
Egypt for corn in tho timo of the
famine. In Snis connection he alluded
to Mr.. Massie going home alone, not
suspecting any evil, and then being
suddenly attacked and murdered. lie
expressed his opinion that "murder will
out" and that tho perpetrators of tho
crime would eventually be found and
brought to Justice
THE MINISTER'S INTERVIEWED
representative Of TIE TIMES yes
tcrday visited the colorcd preachers
who had alluded to the Massic murder
Yin their sermons of Sunday
Rev. w. w. Brown, pastor Of the
High Street Baptist Church, said that
he was led to believe Rcdd and Will
Hanson were innocent by what ho had
been told by Rev. T. Il. Irvine, the col
ored Presbyterian preacher. The lat
ter haad told him Of the alibi testimony
ON which they were at first released
He did not know Williamson, and had
only been introduced to Rcdd on tho
morning of the day on which Mr.. Massie
was waylaid.
Rev. L. H. Irvine, the colored Presby-
terian preacher said that he had known
John =. Redd for Several years. lie
knew him in Danville and said that
whi'Jthere he was a peaceablo citizen,
ana has been all along.
He said that Rev. E. F. Eggleston,
colored Presbyterian preacher Of Dan.
vile, preached for him on the Sunday
proceeding the day on which Mr.. Massie
was murdered. Redd was in church
that day. and Eggleston, who has long
boon intimate with him, alluded to him.
without mentioning his name, and held
him up an example of industry and
uprsghtness, whose example it would
BIO well to follow.