The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1894-06-28
Gross Roads Replies.
TO tho Peoples Journal:

tho following hoad limo, "a Preach
or Exonerated," which contained
somo very erroneous represen
tations, intended to reflect iniuri-
ously upon tho action of Cross
Roads Church, in certain matters
as shown in said article, to which
we as u church feol it our duty to
reply.
| 1. AS t" tho report circulated
in 1887, and since, upon tho Rov.
I'D. G. Freeman and Susan SIM
mons, wo as a church claim that
wo arc not responsible for thom in
any way.
2. And whereas, it is declared
by said article that d. G. Freeman
wont before Cross Roads Church
and asked thom to investigate said
reports, and thoy failed to do it.
Wo say that that declaration IS ut
terly false. d. G.. Freeman did
como before tho church, but never
asked for an investigation of tho
reports, but said ho had hoard that
he had hoard that hc was to be
hung th6rc that day, and that he
had como to be at tho hanging, and
if the church had anything against
him to bring it forward, and was
informed by somo of tho brethren
that tho church had taken no ac-
ton in regard to thoso reports
| therefore had no charge against
him. Thcn at his request voto
OF fellowship was takeu relative to
| him, which expression was in his
favor, without dissenting vote.
lie then said it the church had
nothing to bring against him he
had something to bring against
some Of thcm, and asked that a
committee be appointed to locate
the parties that wero circulating
said reports which was done; the
brother that was acting clcrk on
that occasion, when that commit
tee was appointed, wrote tho word
Investigation on the record OF
, the meeting in setting out the pur-
[ poso OF appointment Of said COM
mittcc. ID. G. Freeman saw what
was wrote, turned to tho clork and
q SAID, mark that out, tho commit
g tee has no investigation to mako,
@ and was asked by tho clork what
v was the committees duty if it was
@ not to investigate, and ID. G. FREQ
Il man said all they had to do, was
d to locate the parties that were cir
g culating those reports, and then
the record was changed and the
y word investigate stricken out and
, the word 'locato' inserted The
| names of that committee and the
f purpose for which thoy were aD-
= pointed is recorded on our church
@ book. See minutes Of September
q meeting 1887, now in possession of
Bro. J A. Robinson, our church
4 clork, to which any one who NAV
G. doubt tho correctness of this stotc-
O ment is respectfully roforrod.1
I This committee did nothing for
this reason: when thoy mot and
t organized thoy failed to agree on
g a plan as to how they would pro-
:, coed, because thoro were four or
five mcmbors of our church desie-
q mated to somo Of tho committno nc
! tho guilty parties. What was want
, ed to DO dono was for the commit
too to call these mcmbeys before
thom, and if thoy could not clcor
themselves of circulating said re-
ports, charges were to be preferred
n against thom, and they BIO cxcIud-
/ cd iroEl tho church. S;omo Of tbo
l. committed would not agree to that
" but contendod in Justice to those
, mombers who woro accuscd that
thoro should be a full invcstiga-
$ ton mado of tho whole maticr and
: let tho guilt fall whore it belonged
}. upon the originators, let thom be
# who they might. Tho committee
sot another day to moot, whom that
f day arrived, the chairman of tho
Il committee informed tho othor
moMbcrs of tho committee that he
had consulted visor heads than
they woro, and was advised to stop
inc mattor So tho public can SEQ
| WhY the cburrL ro;I 4, ).