The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-11
Which Has Been Going on In
the African Baptist Church
For Some YearS-Has Been In
the Courts.
VAS IN SELF DEFENCE.
The Pastor Says the Man Whom
He Shot
Was Trying to Kill Him With
an AK.

A shooting affair which came near re-
sulting in the death of Rufus Frazier.
colored. at the hands of the Rev. C. D.
Olden. pastor of the First African Bap-
fist church, occurred at the corner of
Second and Quincy streets at about 8
o'clock this morning.
Frazier will not die. He was hit but
once, the bullet blowing it's way along
the base of the skull. The trouble to-
day is the outgrowth of long series
of wrangleS between two factions of
the church One faction, headed by
Frazier and others, were expelled from
the church. They made a fight to be
reinstated but were defeated in all the
courts.
The Rev. Mr.. Olden paid little atten-
ton to the men. The last fight was for
the ownership of the church property
and the Olden faction was again sue
cessful. Last week an old building was
moved onto the property by the Frazier
faction to hold possession.
Acting on the advice of the county
attorney Mr.. Olden and some of his
supporters went down to take the old
building off the property and the fight
resulted Frazier is the only man who
was hurt at all seriously. Mr.. Olden
was struck on the side of his head but
is not hurt. There is great excitement
among the cOlored people over the
shooting.
"wednesday evening" said Rev. Mr.
Olden, JEFF Davis, Rufus Frazier, Glen
Holland and man named Thomas,
brought from another part of town, an
old shack which they placed at the
east end of the lot. Then then pried
the boards off the foundation and used
the boards which had been placed there
to protect the foundation, to fence up
the shack.
This was done for the purpose of es-
tablishing their alleged rights and the
trouble took place when we went there
this morning to tear the building
down.
Discussing the encounter. Rev. Mr.
Olden said: The series of sermons
which ] have been preaching has arOuS-
ed those men against me and was re-
sponsible for the occurrence this morn
ing.
AFTER finding the building upon our
property the county attorney and our
attorneys advised US to tear it down.
With Will Stuart, the constable who is
trustee and treasurer of our church,
George Nichols, and Lee Thompson, I
went to the place this morning to carry
out the instructions of the county at
Rufus Frazier. Glenn Holland and
Thomas were there. The other men
preceded me When I arrived Frazier
was choking and beating Stuart. L sep
arated them and Frazier started after
me with an ak"
Rev. Mr.. Olden faced Frazier, who
raised the ak to strike the minister.
One of the men grabbed the ak as It
was suspended in the air over Fraziers
head He made another Iunge at the
pastor who produced a 42-calibre double
action revolver and warned Frazier to
desist.
Frazier was cursing and shouting but
Rev. Mr.. Olden looked him square in
the eye and Frazier continued to ad-
vance across the 20 feet of space which
divided the two antagonists.
Don't use that AK" said Mr.. Oh
den.
Frazier continued to advance in
threatening manner. He came very
close to the pastor who lowered the
muzzle of the gun and pulled the trig-
ger. The report was like a small can
non Frazier jumped but had not re-
covered from the first shock when the
minister, turning the pistol to the other
side, pulled the trigger again. Another
report followed by two more, alarmed
the pOpulace which came rushing from
all directions. HOStilitieS were not vet
at an end. Frazier had not yet ac-
knowledged defeat He continued to ad-
vance upon the minister who believing
as he said since, that Frazier intended
to XIII him, shot point blank at his as
sailant, who fell forward upon his face
with a long cash across the back of the
head, at the base of the brain. caused
by the bullet ploughing its way through
the heesh.
Frazier's Story.
The story of Rufus Frazier. the man
shot by Rev. G. D. OIden differs ma
tsrially from that told by the coIored
minister. He says of the shooting:
vas SCUAAlAAlS WIN stewart and
Nichols over the axe when Olden ran
out on the sidewalk in front of the
building and pulling a gun from his
pocket shot towards me The bullet hit
Just in front of me and stopped sc1f-
fling and yelled at him: Are you shoot
1ng at me| Yes I am he said, and
with that started to run towards him
When he saw me start he commenced
to back toward the street. To get out on
the sidewalk had to stOOp down under
the temporary fence that is around the
building, and just as I stopped under
the fence Olden shot twice, both bullets
hitting me L made a jump at him and
caught him by the arm and threw it up
just as he started to fire the fourth time
Stewart and Nichols had followed me-
and just as reached Olden they knock
ed my legs from under me and both
Olden and fell, with him under. As I
fell Stewart struck me on top of the
head with a sling-shOt and when I was
down either Stewart or someone else
struck me several times on the head. l
right, Mr.. Olden, you shot me, and you.
VIII Stewart, hit me, and I'll see that
you get what you deserve BY that
time a big crowd had collected, and I
went up to the doctors Office
Frazier says that he had nothing at
all in his hands when he started for
Olden
His statement that he was fired on by
Olden in the act of STOPPING under the
that one of the bullets entered his thigh
from behind
Frazier went before Deputy County
Attorney Guy this morning and de-