The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-05
DIDN'T LIKE TO MOVE ON.
Evangelist Baker and the Police
Come to Words

Come to Words.
Something of a clash between religion
and law was averted yesterday afternoon
by religion giving way to the police
Rev. r. E. Baker and his WIFE Mrs. NJ
V. Baker, We're conducting a service from
their wagon at State and Bull streets,
when they were ordered by Sergeant Kill
lourhy to move to another location. The
officer rode up on his horse, and, speaking
to the woman, said that they would have
to continue their preaching from the
street. There was a considerable crowd
by far the greater part of it had taken
positions upon the grass in the square
Ihis as asainst-the city ordinance, and Ser
geant killourhy decided the proper thing
TO do would be to have the kvangelists
drlVe their wagon over to some location
that would not border upon the square.
Rev. Baker was preaching at the time
the officer addressed his wife. The mean
ing OF the officer was conveyed to him, but
ne did not seem to be in any hurry to
obey. Turning to the crowd, he told them
that he was about ready to conclude the
service any way, and its continuance might
be heard from the position the officer had
indicated, which was at the Bull street
front of the court house. The evangelist
continued to speak to the crowd his re-
marks having some bearing upon the or
dered move. The sergeant noticed that his
orders were not being obeyed with any
thing resembling precipitation, and he re-
peated them. The evangelist made some
reply, and the officer again ordered him to
move from the edge of the square Rev.
Baker started to say something more, but
was told II he did so he would be arrested.
This silenced the evangelist and he and
his wife drove at once to the place indi-
Gated.
The services were resumed there, though
Rev Baker did not take up the broken
thread of his discourse. His wife wanted
chance to talk, and she directed her re-
marks to considerable extent toward the
event that had caused the transfer Among
other things, she said the grass belongs to
| God, and His servants should be allowed
| opportunity to use it,
Rev. Baker was asked later about the
| occurrence. He said he regarded the man
ner of the officer as highly offensive and
| that he did not think there was any reason
why he should have been disturbed. He
! had been given a permit by the chief of
| police, he said, to preach in the court
| house square, and this was what he was
| doing when he was Interrupted. He said
| people We're standing upon the grass when
! they began to preach ana that they can
! be seen on the grass at almost any time
Look there. The said, there they are now
standing just at the place from which We
were driven"
Rev. Baker says he and his wife have
Travelled more than 5000 miles through the
most important cities of the east, and that
| the occurrence was the first of the kind
that has ever befeH them
The evangelists started out on their tour
in last May from Peoria, ILL., They have
been in Canada and all through the east
| ern states, travelling all the time by pri-
Vate conveyance, the wagon from which
they deliver their sermons. They will hold
services every afternoon in the court
house square, and at night they may be
heard at the Woman's Christian Temper
| ance Unions hall on Broughton street.