The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-08-11
PREACHER ARRESTED.
q. HATCHER AND SEVERAL
CITIZENS or BARTON HEIGHTS
A.. charged with Being Members of =
Knkiux Gsng-rhe People Say IL
4, Piece of Blsckmaii.

,so,me'ts IN the lively proceedings at
ION Heights. reported In Sundays
simes. July sd.
1,5eed the sequel. as is often the case.
misses more of interest for the average
,r,zea OF that popular suburb of Rich
md than did the original story.
In, tha FIRST the elements OK excitement
..s~e the midnight invasion of several
',r allied henneries in that quiet village,
o.. thirst for revenge which invariably
s,rows IN the minds Of those upon whom
,.rh incrrsions are visited. the supposed
,nprehension Of the marauder and a visit
~ his house by some persons as yet I'M
le0wn for the purpose Of inhictins pun
lhment upon the suspected coiored indi-
,lgal without process OF law.
ln the sequel there Is a serious charge
,ralrst some prominent citizens and the
adoption Of such methods by the prose
fsto.a as has stirred the population OF
that .ocalty TO considerable Indignation.
counter charges are made OF a clumsy
scheme OF an ignorant man backed by
more Intelligent mind TO extort money.
Tbe individual whose house was visited
ere quiet night in July lived not far
from the pretty suburban settlement Of
barton Heights. and the body OF his name
q Jones. Just what his mother called
him in days Of yore. or what fond
appal8uon the partner who shares with
i.m his slice OF watermelon and other
domestic Joy applies before this we'll
Known family name Is not known, nor
have the exact letters Of the alphabet
with which Jones adds grace to chiro-
rraphy Of his signature appeared so far
ia the story.
In the nrst article connecting Jones
with the disappearance Of so many
a. Barton Heights fat and highly
trcd feathered bipeds ne was
mentioned as plain Jones. yet
everybody over there knew who was
wanted In a correction made by The
Times Of what were seemingly unjust
statements he still appeared as plain
Jones. and unless his fun name appears
upon certain legal papers, OF which more
Will be said hereafter. he Is. so far as
this story Is concerned. still simple Jones,
without any further embellishments than
the sombre skin In which nature has en-
y,loped him.
To make the story plain IL is necessary
% return TO certain past events, which,
when told with the corrections made af-
Ter the first publication and robbed Of
the Ku Klux romance which appeared to
surround it. is about as follows:
During the present summer the people
~ Barton Heights have been greatly an
u0yed by the depredations OF chicken
thieves. They were particularly daring
during the month Of July. About the mid
die Of that month Mr.. Phillips lost nifty
fine fowls; a few mornings later Mr.. w.
d. Wright found thirty gone and Mr..
Garland Haynes was visited TO the tune Of
twenty more I'm regular turn.
These incursions were so frequent that
80 aroused the detective instincts of GER
tain Of Barton Heights citizens, and a
close watch was kept.
Thursday night. July 10Th. a hen-house
was robbed Of twenty-five chickens. and
fwo men tracked road cart from the
PREMISES Of one Of the victims to the
Premises Of Jones, one mile outside OF
"The Heights" and suspicion very nat
ury was attached 10 Jones.
That evening a number OF citizens
whose names are not known, visited the
house of Jones with view Of investiga-
ton and. perhaps. Of bestowing just
enlistment, If their suspicious were con-
luued.
They dd not find the stolen chickens,
aud Il ls not known what passed between
Jones and his visitors.
About that time. however, a number
az pistol shots were fired in the vicinity
either hy the visitors in question or some
other persons.
Mr Russell Wyatt, who lives just
number Of shots went very close 10
hs house. and that the peace OF the
re.shborhood was disturbed.
The Sunday following. a full account Of
che AFFAIR appeared in The Times. on
the information Of what was believed 10
le good authority, alleging that the
fowls We're found in the possession Of
Jones' and that he was whipped in Ku
hlux style.
Next day however Mr.. Wyatt, who
claimed 10 be intimate with his colored
uerhbor across the way. denied these
statements. and, always ready to make
amends for any injustice. the statements
were corrected in The Times.
Mr. Wyatt expressed himself as being
greatly outraged AZ the behavior OF the
visitors at Jones' house and declared
DIS intention Of prosecuting them himself
for disturbing the pete OF his neighbour
hood and az the same time resenting the
aspcrsiOns against the character OF Jones,
which. he claimed. was above reproach.
After that time the matter quoted down
entirely for a time; no more chickens
were stolen. Jones was forgotten, ana
the daily routine at Barton Heights as
slmcd the even tenor Of its way.
yesterday, however, warrants were Is
sued In the name OF Jones against
Messrs. Gaines, Phillips, w. T. Wright,
Garland Haynes and Rev. S. G. Hatcher
Just why these gentlemen should have
been selected does not appear. The first
Your gentlemen named were once chicken
owners. but alas, no more now, and II
might be considered good reasoning TO
conclude. that. as they had suffered the
loss OF their fowls, they would naturally
belong 20 such committee as visited
Jones on the nigh. mentioned
But why Mr.. Hatcher, young Metho-
dist preacher whOinever owned n feather
I'm his life. or can tell the character Of
"a chicken until he is fried. should be
placed I'm that category is hard to see,
Unless the charge openly made In Barton
Heights be true. that the movement Is
one Of blackmail.
When Mr. Wyatt. who has been iden-
fGed with the matter from the beginning,
frat threatened 10 prosecute The alleged
dsurbers OF the peace he named the
popular young preacher as one OF the
or,nders
on Monday following the escapade de-
s-hrd above friend Of Mr. Hatcher's'
Believing that the young preachers name
IN connection with the matter, even If
entirely groundless. would work an injury
% his position. saw Mr.. Wyatt, and he
agreed 20 let the matter drop. Jones was
also Seen but made no promise.
On Tuesday Jones came 30 town TO see
me gentleman referred TO, and agreed
20 compromise the matter as far as he
was concerned for so. the fee which he
said he had paid his lawyer. Judge Ed
mpnd Waddlll and $3.50 a day for all the
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