Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-03-11
AN EXCITED CROWD.
THE TROUBLE IN THE PETERSBURG
tiARRlSON-STREET COL
OaED CHURCH.
The E,pelIed Members seek the Advice oil
the Mayor-Tbe Meeting
Last Night.
rsnec,al telegram to the plspstch.I

PETERSBURG. Va. March 10.-This morn
his Honor Mayor Collier was waited upon
by G. Stewart (cOlOred). the representative
OF the expelled members of the HARRISON
Street BAPTIST church, of which rev =.
W. b. Gordon is pastor, and asked II ~
would hear the statement OF the eXpeiISeu!
members end give them them the pshenI
of his advice. The Mayor consented anu
appointed 5 o'clock as the hour OF meetihe
and the courthouse as the place. AZ tha'
hour the meeting was held and the thlrty-
FIVE expelled members of the chuIch;
embracing in the number SEVERN u
the trustees and other officers Were
present. After few words rom uli5
Mayor of an explanatory nature the colg yit,u
complainants were heard one 10y one. me
statement was made that when the eApul-
sion was ordered thirty OF the thlI lY-neg
members expelled were not present auu
they claimed therefore that TINS actloil Va
illegal. The Mayor IN response stated that
in fhe church. az elsewhere. II was rlght
and customary that every man shoulu oe
gwen the opportunity TO meet the charges
against him. IL,
A denial was then made that the troubles
in the church were caused by poitCal
differences. and that the charge, that tne
church was trying 10 get nj OF the pa W
because he had voted the I}enocI"1le
ticket was untrue. That the sole cause pl
the trouble was tho reduction made IN the
pastors salary, and this reduction was not
made with the view Of getting Tid OK MN.
The further statement was made that
policemen had been sent to the church on
the occasions Of the recent meetings ana
that Pastor Gordon OF his friends had
hoaeted that be had the city admlnstra,
ton at his back. The Mayor here sald
that the administration backed no one
that he was responsible for the presence ~
the police az complained Of: that he would
always, when there was agprehen,,,ion OF y
breach of the peace, send his oincers 10
preserve order.
Then II was asked by ex-Councilman
Johns whether the police would be at me
meeting tonight and whether II would oe
In violation of the law for the eXpcicu
members 10 attend this meeting.
Mr. Collier sad that the police would be
near the church, that it would not tie un--
lawful for the expelled members to attend
the meeting if they did so quietly. ana tlat
ii they were put out the proper course Tor
them 90 pursue would bc t. seek Tell'l III
the courts.
The question was raised that the women
members of the church bad no right 70
vote. and yet 1t was 10y their vote manly
that they were expelled.
This question the MAYOR declined TO de,
eide. There was q good deal OF lntorInal
discussion. and the Mayor expressed re-
eret that such trouble had arisen III the
church.
Tonight the church IS the scene Of
paudcm0nium. and 10 seems as If the meet
ing viii last all night. The thirty
five expelled members OF the church
appeared there on time at t0-mshi !
meeting. and were ordered out 10y
the officers Of the church. They lett
under protest. and went out into the YES
THULE Of the church, the doors being lock
81 after them. 4 motion 90 have approved
the action of the church in eXpcllng them
brought hundreds of It's members TO thclf
feet, and language not very cholce was
used. The motion WAS at first declared nv
the moderator, Rev. &. W. Is. Gordon, to DO
adopted but the crowd would not have H..
and 40 plainly was 10 evident that the anti
Gordonites were in the majority that
the mod erator was compelled tOresclnd ms
opinion. and declare the motion lost.
A motion was then made to invite
tho thlrtv-nye expelled members into the
meeting. so that they might hear all That
would be said against them. For fully ten
minutes a perfect bedlam relrned IN the
building. and it was almost Impossible Tor
the moderator to keep the large crowd
present At this writing az NJ he has not
tceu able to put the motion, nor - il IkeY
tina, he Will, as the crowd IS too much eN-
cit.l t. listen TO him, ana not less than
twenty of them are speaking a. the same
time. 4 squad OF police are patrolllng In
front Of the church, ready for any eweT-
gcucy. although II Is hoped that there VIII
ie no need for them. The meeting - he
ilr held in the basement OF the church.
and fully one thou sand people are packed
in there.