The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-09-27
Rev. u. }. Cakki8 Writes.
he Replies to That Portion of Dr. kgos Speech Reflect
ing Upon His Character

TO the Editor: There are some things
| in the Kilgo investigation, with which
have been connected, and about which
my name has been extensively used
that ought to be more fully explained 10
j the church and public. and il is also du"
! my friends, my family AMI myself that
this he done. This is my reason for
writing Judge Clark requested me to
! appear rs Il witness. | declined to do 81.
! lie then had me suhpoenaed to appear.
! | declined to accept service He then
/ wrote that he feared | was intimidatrl
| like others and that ii | still refused he
! would announce my refusal ut the ln-
vestgation. | sought the advice Of
number of friends in regard to this mat
| ter among others the prcSIdcnt of the
! board of trustees of Trinity College, an!
| he said to me- 1T is one of the unplcAS-
ant duties Of life, but there is only one
| thing for Won to do. Go forward and
testify" There were several reasons
| why | did net wish to do so. Quite Il
| number of others had refused to testify,
some in both North and South Carolina.
| Some Of my friends had said to me. If
YOU go there and tell the truth, they
VIII cut Your head off Again. he
| lieve that the defendant would not hes!
! tate to ruin if possible. by Slandcr. false
/ hood or in any other way. the reputation
| Of any man in Southern MethodiSm or
| in the world if he thought that by so DO
inc he could carry his point. and for th.'
time being clear himself. | leave it 70
| the unprejudiccd reader of his speech,
delivered in connection With the invcStl-
| Cation to say if tho SANDERS thiny veil
| cd falSchoods. misrepresentation AMI
| inneudocs. which he p"rpctratcd and at
| tempted to heap upon me, have not fully
| justified my belief.
| But Notwithstanding all these reasons
| for not doing so. | finally decided that
| though all others should refuse | would
| appear at the Investigation and testify
| and leave the result with God and tn"
! Church If | had testified to what
knew to be Il falsehood, namely that
JOHN c. I\ilgo did not have the rcput'
| ion Of 4 wirc-pulcr ana manipulator in
South Carolina. it would no doubt have
| been satisfactory to him. and the quos-
! tions which he asked me in the cross es-
| animation showed beyond question TO my
nina that he thought ought 70 have
SO testified. or not to have testified at
| all. But my testimony was to fact.
plain and simple. namely. that his rppu-
! tation in South Carolina was that Of =
wrc-puller and manipulator | could
| do nothing less | did nothing more, and
! here / stand. so help me God. lie di!
not ask me how | GOT my information
| am persuaded. however, that he knew
! full we'll but did not wish mo to tell on
| that occasion. / have been present at
| nearly all tho District Conferences and
all the Annual Conferences held in South
Carolina during the last three years, anl
have spent about three months Of each
| ono of these years in the bounds Of that
conference. and there is nothing concera-
ing DR.. kilgO that seems to be better
known among q very large number Of
preachers and laymcn than his uncnvla-
be reputation Of wire-pulling and ma
nipulating But what other proofs wer"
offered as to his reputation in South
Carolina? First. the positive testimony
Of Mr. r. Is. Boone that he had been u
SpartanDurg for number Of days
whore Or Kilgo lived several years
prior to his coming to Nrth Carlina,
and that his reputation there cor
tainly that Of a wire-puller and mani pu
lator, and he was told by two reliable
parties. high in authority III the church.
that DR. Kilgo had tried by intrigue With
two or three others o diSplacc Or. Car
Isle as President Wofford College and
get the place for himself.
Thir the testimony Of Mr.. Bccllwith.
of Raleigh who was sent to South Caro-
lima hy the board Of trustees Of Trinity
College. and visited Rock Hill. Grcen-
wood. Abbeville, Columbia Leasylie
College and other places who testified
that he talked freely with from fifty +"
sixty Of the leading men in South Caro-
lima about DR.. kigo. and his reputation.
and that from what these men said to
him he knows kileos reputation in
South Carolina is that Of a wirc-pull r
and manipuator. and he stands ready
to give the names Of these gentlemen
and what they said to him. for he has
it written down
Fourth the deposition Of Rev T. c.
Ilgon. of Rock ILL., S. c.. prea cher
of fine ability and unbIomishcd Tcputa
ton. in which he says that Or. Kil@o'S
reputation III that conference is that OF Z
wire-puller and manipUlator.
Fifth. the statement Of Rev. L. &. Her
bert. in which he says. i know Rev. Dr.
Kilgo and have known him from his boy
hood He is Il man of ability. | lov-
cd John. but it is true that for severed
years before he went to North Carolina
he was STORM CENTRE. He fcl
under DR.. kirkland's influence and there
is no doubt that his reputation in Sou n
Carolina is that OF Il Wre-puiler and
manipulation. It is impossible for n mnn
with his disposition TO stay long any
where without trouble. and I am not
surprised to know that he is in trouble
in North Carolina. \ large majority OIL
the older and mGdle-aGed members of
the conference know this IS true Of him.
Rev. T. g. Herbert. Who mldc this
statement to Mr.. Reckwith. has been mi
the South Carolina Conference about
forty years and IS one of its most honn"
ed members.
Sixth The statement Of Prof l.. B. |
HAYNES. President Of Leasyille College, !
and q lay delegate to the late General
Conference in Baltimore. and one Of
the hest mon of the many noble laymcn
Of that conference. said Il refused to !
vote for kilgo 1T the General Confer
cnce for anything because Of his wirc-
pulling and tricky methods. Kilgo came