The times., 1897-05-28

knowlegde of the fraudulent transac-
tiODs OF Rev. a q. Harrison, the abscon,l-
ing pastor of the Peoples Tabernacle, is
increasing. More crooked financial trans
actions have come To lig mt, and it appears
that he obtained the pastorate or the
church by forging request and putting
it into the mouth OF a dying man. A copy
OF the letter received 10y Banker Bruen
from Harrison after the death of Mr..
Wilson, follows:
Washington, Nov. 2, 1896.
Bear Brother Brother Wilson sent for
me III his dying hour and requested me
TO take charge Oh mis- enurcn, Tor he
believed that you would help me 10 preacn
Ill the chdrcn. L promised MN GnaI L,
with Gods blessing and your assistance,
aud his dying prayers for Inc, would 10
the best L possibly could.
lis last NoIus were for the Lords
blessing upon you for what you have done
for him. told him to rest IN peace, Tor
/ knew that yoU ~U.iu 90 W hat IIguu
and We would hold his congregation TO-
Eetner He aIsO requesteu ,nau We mold
a revival in hls church after his fune raj.
l Promised that after you came home We
would.
rive men of the council by which the
church is governed came to see me today,
requesting me TO take charge OF the chqrcn:
L told Unae " Ouiu sSc You daIu -co " our
advice. Kindly write to me ana tell me
just what TO do L viii do ali can Inc
funeral will take place tomorrow at 2
y. III. Brother Wilson requested me to
preach his funeral sermon and take charge
of the funeral, which l have done. We
nave the cnurcn at MerrIIIelu weather.
boarded and all goes fine there Pray
for tue that the blessing of God may rest
upon me, dear Brother Bruen, for l know
that God VIII answer your prayer.
Your brother in the work,
A. G. HARRISON.
T. S.-I will get Brother Snale to take
the church at Landover, Md.
Mr.. Wilson's son says the request put
in the mouth of his father is false, and
that the latter did not even mention
Harrison's name in connection with the
church
Here is the copy of another letter writ
ten to Mr.. Bruen by Harrison:
November 13, 1896
w L. Bruen:
Dear Brother-Take ME in your hands
and do as YOU see best for the most good
if to preach at Faith Chapel or at Wilson'S
chureh or at your new chapel, Bruen's
Chapel, or to go TO a mission or to visit
the poor and bring the Gospel to them in
their homes, or TO go on the Gospel wagon
anything for God that you see best II YOU
viii be the head, will do the work you see
best to be done.
Truly your brother in the work,
A. q. HARRISON.
HarriSoI's crooked transactions were not
confined to the Peoples Tabernacle In
September, 1895, he suggested to the peO-
pie residing on Bowen road alta point where
out-Of-dCor meetings were then being held
that they should erecta church Ifeaccord-
ingly Interested John II. Pierce, James r.
Pierce, George E. Pierce, John 7. Gibson,
Jonn I. Smith, George E. Smith and Ben
jamin A. Smith in his building scheme, and
Harrison took the responsibility Of erect
ing the church. Accordingly, John II
Pierce was induced by Harrison to mort
gage his farm for $4,000. With this money
the church was erected, and Harrison
pledged himself to pay back the money to
Mr.. Pierce in twelve months, and gave a
guarantee to Mr.. Pierce that he would not
luse his home. In November, 1895, Harrl-
son, representing that he held the title to
the church himself, and that he had sue
ceeded in paying off all the church indebt-
edness except balance of $3.50, procured
that sum from Mr.. Bruen Since the church
has been completed the community has re-
funded to John H. Pierce $500, so that the
debt upon the Pierce farm is now 81 400
Harrison made Mr. Bruen similar rep
resentations respecting church which
he built at Landover; that he held the title
to the church himself; that all the in
debtedness had been paid thereon except
$500, and Harrison procured that sum
also from Mr.. Bruen on October 2S last.
On May S Mr.. Bruen advanced 2,T19 .65
to pay the lumber bill of j. II. D. Smoot &
Co 1t was discovered Wednesday that
there is still a balance of S275 due on
that bill.
Other bills which came in yesterday and
which were supposed to have been settled
by Harrison are $1Oo for stating the church
building: S1OS to Dupaquet, Knot & Mon
use Company: bill of SIS for COAL and
q bill of S2275 to o. l.. Wolfsteiner
The rolice have possession Of the keys
to Harrison's late residence and Will re-
tain them for the present.
Mr.. Bruen will make no attempt to locate
Harrison. He stated yesterday that not
withstandine his large financial losses, he
would not prosecute Harrison If he knew
where he could be found.