Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1896-06-26

of bondage. Faithful unto the
end, he labored fer the best inter
est Of his charge; and when at last
his stolen freedom was returned to
him, alone and empty-handed he
went forth to meet his fate in an
unequal struggle for bread upon
a strage and uncertain battle
ground. EMILY G. TAYLOR.
Chicago, Ill.
F. J. Lomack Defends Himself
s'Rev" Lomack was a witness in the
Mash case in the Federal Court. He went
there for hepurpose of giving Sam good
name The distrset attorney developed
the fact that Lomack had been convicted
of crime and sentenced to the peniten-
tiary in Minnesota The question caused
a good deal of merriment in court and the
bailiff had to quell the gayety. "Rev.'
Lomack is now trying to give Capt. Hull
name before the public by making
speeches for him When some colored
man does something real mean he gets
! religion and wants to preach immedi-
ately and tell about the pearly gates the
white horse with the flowing name, the
golden streets, the harps of gold and the
angels with white win. S Such men do
not represent the best thought nor the
best of anything along Afro Americans
1t i. not ne -cssary for a man with good
intentions to get pulpit in which to re-
form. There are many men who adorn
the home and the church, aud there are
sona who disgrace both "-Bystander
DR.. Lomack called at The Register office
yesterday with a great bunch of official
papers sent him by the governor Of Min
nesota and other officials. These papers
contain the official records of the unfor-
tunate accident for which Dr. Lomack is
| now arraigned by the Bystander. The
papers show that the accident happened
as follows: Twelve years ago when DR..
Lomack was boy of seventeen he was iD
| the dining room of st. Paul boarding
| house, where he was taking his meals,
when fellow boarder handed him re-
volver and asked loan on it of 50 until
pay day. He was a good friend of DR..
| Lomack and the doctor consented to loan
| him the money on the revolver. The doc
| tor took the revolver, not knowing that it
| was loaded or that it was self-acting
| weapon, and being unaccustomed to fire
arms it was accidentally discharged. The
| ball struck picture on the wall and
glancing over passed the face of the lady
waiting on the table and barely burnt her.
Mr.. Lomack reported the accident to the
officers Upon trial the lady who kept
the boarding house testified that she was
certain the discharge of the revolver was
an accident and that Dr. Lomack had no
intention whatever of firing it. The court
held, however, that DR.. Lomack was gull
ty of criminal negligence, and ne, there
fore imposed sentence on him ofa years
imprisonment. DR.. Lomack only served
short time when he was released and
restored by the governor to full citizen
ship.
CAUSE OF THE ATTACK IS EASILY SEEN.
Dr.. Lomack, through his church work
here. has gained the friendship and con
tidence of all people who have had any
thing to do with him, and this attack of
the Bystander will have no weight what
ever. DR.. Lomack said yesterday: "a
few weeks ago some of my opposers who
are Jealous of the work / have done here
made an attempt to go back to my boy
hood and find something that would in
iure me and take away my influence. |
went to Charles Ruff, of the Bystander,
with these official papers and laid the
whole matter before him. Mr.. Ruff said
at the time that there was nothing in the
affair which could injure me in the least
and he said that he would publish cut
of myself along with a history of my life.
During the past week l had considerable
printing done by Thad. Ruff, Charles
brother, and think that it was about 81
that l paid them for printing done for an
oriental entertainment given at the church.
I asked Thad. one day to print my pro-
gramme and he said that he would have
| to charge me for it. / told him that |
thought the concern ought to print a little
programme free as | did considerable
business with them. Thad. got angry
and said he could do without my patron
age. | told him that | would not force
him to take my work, and then left.
"A day or two after this spoke at the
court house in favor os Captain Hull, Chas.
Ruff was there and heard my speech and
being for Berryhill and desiring to vent
his spleen upon me he wrote this article
about me. He has stepped beyond the
law in trying to destroy the character of
another man and in using the United
States mails for illegal purposes. l eau
prosecute him in the District Court for
civil damage and in federal court for the
misuse of Uncle Sans mails
1.-The Ruff boys offered to support Con-
! gresham Hull for reelection if he would
pay them $50 Captain Hull refused and
they then came out in support of Mr..
Berry hill. / hardly think that the shrewd