Evening star., 1896-12-08
INFLAMMATORY TALK
Utterances From tafs Pulpit by Col
0red Ministers.
FUNERAL OF LONDON SHEARS
Addresses on the Subject of the
k,a4Ih3dfg. - 49,. .~
VERY BODY DENOUNCED


The funeral Of London Shears. colored.
who was shot and killed by Policeman
Curry while the latter was attempting
to arrest him, as published In The Star at
the time, took place from the First Baptist
Church at O'Clock this afternoon There
was a large crowd In attendance, among
them members of o. P. Morton Post, No.
4, comrades of the dead man. Since the
jury rendered a verdict exonera,:ng the
officer the colored people interested in the
case, and especially the members of Morton
Pest, have criticised the verdict. L g
At yesterdays meeting of the colored
Baptist Ministers Association the matter
was fully, discussed and a committee was
appointed to act with the Grand Army
comrades of the dead man in their efforts
to have the killing investigated by the
grand jury. Several Of the Baptist min
listers were present at the inquest ard
heard the evidence. They were surprised
when they heard the verdict, ard con-
cluded then that the grand jury ought to
make an investigation.
Several oolored persons interested in the
matter who talked to Star reporter about
the case did not consider that the mans
previous arrests for beating his wife and
others had anything to do with his char
acter. They said that in addition to his
"
church man, and his killing, they thought,
was wholly uncalled Tor
Crowded Church.
The church was crowded when the corpse,
followed by a small party Of mourners,
was borne to the front by members of 0.
2. Morton Post. large American flag
covered the casket, and the colors of the
Grand Army were planted at the head and
foot Revs. ]. w. Howard and William G.
Gibbons conducted the services, while sew
eral other colored pastors occupied seats
in the pulpit and took part in the ceremo-
MES.
Rev. Richard Johnson, addressing the
large assemblage. denounced the killing in
severe terms, and the audience was with
him in what he said. The dead man, he
said, was Christian, and only few min
utes before he was killed he was warntnP
sinners to return from darkness into light.
He was Christian and bore the name of
a preacher. The dead man had served his
country and had fought. being willing to
give life for life. and the idea of his being
shot down in the time of peace was dis
grace.
South Carolina and Georgian he asked.
Lay them over came a voice from the
Audience uTs3
ITS worse than down in Texas" the
minister added, "and now l ask now long
shall this be allowed togo on? The Lord
is looking down on what is going on and
some day He will poH,:tenSeance out on
them. GaT
General DeaIIn citation.
Rey. Howard next came forward, and his
remarks were loudly apptauded by clapping
Of hands and that's right"
He denounced Policeman Curry as a muir
derer, and ssid his place; was on the scaf-
fold - iaf1tIa1 ~
That's right" shouftsia scores of voices.
Give 1t to enl ouderrsr -
SAID. Would not haHs JARED enter It % a White ne
mans house and use. his pistol YEN
geance is ours as well as the Lords he
said, and it is sweet to some extent, and
l know We will get ii before all of us die.
Now l look upon the police as my enemy,
and l say right here that it's a pity the
policeman was not, killed instead of London
Shears
He said that Shears was good Chris
tian man who studied his book and en-
gagged himself in prayer, and when man
does this he is not a bad man.
All during the remarks Rev. Howard re-
ferred to the officer as a murderer, and
almost every sentence was. punctuated with
a That's right" Good Give it to EN-
Many white people. he said. are with the
oolored people in this matter. and in con-
clusion he said he did not want his hearers
to make the Lord do all the work. for he
wanted all his hearers to work on Polic"~
man Curry and all who SympathiZe with
him in this matter.
by a Minister.
Rev. Gibbons followed and he spoke at
length upon the testimony given at the
coroner's inquest. a cotored woman who
was witness he denounced as "a bigger
liar than Curry is murderer" He said he
never felt 1e much like throwing a woman
out Of a house in his life as he did this
partio ular woman.
This policeman had no warrant and he
had no business there. l want to say here
and now that if any police officer comes in
my house in this uEwarranted way he will
go out corpse.
I'VE are too far apart. What We wart
is 70 come together as laW-ab!ding citizens
ana demand our rights"
The speaker returned to his denunciation
OF the colored woman witness, and said
She was Striking Devil" and said he
would not have cared if the Lord had call
ed her and given her the just punishment
that she deserved.
In conclusion Pastor Gibbons imploreq
the members of the Grand Army to look
after the bereaved widow, and said he
would spend his last dollar 10 get justice
in this case and show the white people
that the colored people still live.
Others spoke of the deceased and the
manner in which he was killed and at the
conclusion of the cere monies the body was
taken to Arlington for interment.
Rev. Randolph Somerville was loudly ap-
plaaded when he advised his hearers to get
weapons and have them loaded for police
men who came into their houses without
authority.
Prepare yourselves" he said, "to live in
your own homes, and when policemen come
in without cause. shoot them."
Rev. Geo. Hatton, representing the D.
P. Morton Post. said that the deceased had
not died In a. whisky shop or at the card
table, but like true soldier, he had died
at his post. with his wife at his side
Our people," he SAID, ,i:have been killed
SO frequently in the past because our
preachers have been PfeachinEs too much
Christ and not enoughapdfst stols.''
Birthday Farty.
Annie Coal was twenty years Of age yes
terday, and in honor hbfoq hbfo the occasion her
friends with Mrs Mir Daley at their