The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-05-27
SARGE PLUNKETT
THE Old BAPTISr PREACHER WIS
WHIPPED BY TORIES.
Samuel Cartledge Piled the Lash-The Truth
Is Told by Miss Jane Crawford,
Granddaug liter.
For The Consticut:on.)


truth of the couplet which says:
Truth crushed to earth will rise again;
The eternal years of Gods is hers,
But falsehood wounded writheS in pain
And dies amid its worshippers.'
l must explain that some time ago
wrote about the whipping of a good old
Baptist preacher-the man who preached
the first Baptist sermon in Georgia, Daniel
Marshall. In that letter | stated that any
who might doubt the truth OF the story
could write to Appling, Ga, and have 1t
verified.
There were many who did write, and the
postmaster was troubled with these
communica tons that he wrote to Mr..
Clark Howell. managing editor of The
Constitution and asked that the inquiries
be answered through the columns of his
paper to the effect that there was no truth
in the story. Mr.. Howell was very much
troubled that anything with the faint of
untruth should creep into his paper. and
50 he proceeded at once to haul me over
the Goals with the information that my
services were no longer needed on The
Constitution unless / could clear myself OF
the Impeachment and give the most posi-
tive assurance that forever hereafter
would write the truth. the whole truth ana
nothing but the truth.
l shed many tears Of sorrow in thinking
that even for one moment there should be
any belief that l HAD preVaricated-told a
lie. With those who know me personally
and intimately there was no trouble. They
know that Brown or myself are incapable
of lying, but strangers, distant readers OF
the great southern journal, might think
that | was such low fellow as to hatch
a story without foundation. l confess that
| was never so depressed in all my life.
Just to think that / had lived to such an
aye and had come to be doubted, i'm
peachcd by outsiders and cast down among
the good men upon the paper where L
had labored for years. l was crushed. but
| have risen again anu stand ready Win
the proof.
| begged of Mr.. Howell little time to
vindica,e myself in, and my record as the
very personification of truth softened HIM 10
the granting of the time. Then | got
move on myself. Brown went one way ana
| went the other. We rushed Tor an
people whom we thought would be up on
any transactions pertaining TO the pap
fists. Brown tackled DR.. Hawthorne, or
he tells me that he did ana the uoC'ol
pronounced it a fabrication. rusneu
over 10 see Governor Northern put
only succeeded ia seems i','
old friend WILDLY. Never Baptist IN AZ AZ
lanta could we find that was up on the me
and do;ngs OF the first man that prcaOncu
the doctrine in the state enough 10 Neily
our story l had one more nope NM"
that there had recently moved from He"l
Appling to Decatur a Gehtlellah u '"1
most retentive memory ana Of the ms 49,
honor together with an lhqulsi'iNeie9o, -
find out lust such a story as the Whipping
or Daniel Marshall. l refer 10 the non
NJ G. Fulton. late of Dekalb, but III the
mast n citizen Of old Columbia ana MANY
times holding places Of honor lIIou6H .i,'
citizens of that old county Colonel ui-
ION knew nothing, but being tender ana
generous and seeing the distress tldt l
was laboring under because or the lihpedcH-
mont he offered his services to help me-
Io llna,y the old men Of Appling and wrote
them for information, while reSlle9slS
awaited the result. Last week recei'eu
the following note from ColoIel Hui'''''
which explains Itself:
decatur, Ga, May H. lS9o.-lCeaf oaI6e.
Tho Enclosed letters from TWO OF the Oldest
and very best citizens of Columbia county
where the outrage of whipping soou bdI,-
fist minister for preaching ile bo2PIl IL
currcd were not for the public, ana ohiy
consent to their publication 10 Vlhalcdte
YOU and the truth of history, Tor Wi'lCh puI-
nose | am sure the writers Will ldoISo my
action It ought to be Known anu iccOIucu
that this outrage was perpetrated by stay
at home tories who trained with the Wfohs
crowd in favor of British Sold anu DOVE e
AGAINST tbair own people and country Just
MS thousands are now doing who favor the
gold standard and money power or the east
instead of the gold and silver standard eS-
Ia bl;shcd by our fathers and the cohStllu-
ton Of this country. Respectfully, your ola
Frin,d NJ. G. FULTON.
,rhe letters above spoken of by Colonel
Fulton are from the Oldest citizens of
that section They are prominent gentle
men and have been for many, many years.
The letter of W. A. Martin does not prove
ANYTHING in my favor; he, like many 9TH
ers. mad never known of the circumstance.
This shows how ignorant the best of US
may be Of important matters happening,
or that has happened right in our own
county or town. The letter of DR.. Martin
might be left off with propriety, but there
IS something in the vein so melloWed with
age and with sincerity and, besides, being
something of an index t. the order Of men
f!cm whom l have sought my vindication,
I give it here. 1t is worth reading, though
not what l desired; but it leads up to
full vindication in the letter of DIR. Dunn,
which VIII come next after and to the
point:
Thomson, Ga, April s. 1S95.--Dear Colo
mel: l have never heard OF any Baptist
preacher being %hipped in Columbia coun-
occurred in the county or | should have
certainly heard OF it, There surely must
be some mistake about it. ! went to see
your other McthuSeiah, Or. Dunn, in refer
ence TO it, and ne said it was news to
him, as he had never heard of il before.
Il think your opinion OF the former citi-
Zcns of Columbia county IS correct. While
many of them were not at all pious yet
they were too heightened and gentlemanly
to have tolerated such an outrage as the
whipping Of a preacher.
you wish TO know how l am getting
along. l answer by saying l am doing the
best | can daily-livius only a day at a
time-,having no future ahead of me so
far as this world IS concerned. / know
that | am too far advanced in life to sur
vive such a state CT things as row exists
and see anything like prosperity in the
country again.
81 am now reading Robinson Crusoe
with little Herman Stuvgis for his benefit
and Notwithstanding l know it all TO be tic-
tiCn, yet | believe it Is beneficial to me-
The fine lessons taught in it upon perse-
vcrancc, patience and resignation | find
helps me, keeps me stirring, exercises my
patience and makes me feel more resigned
to my condition In life than | otherwise
would be. | read the newspapers q great
DEAL but don't derive that benefit from