The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-24
ness F,. JAN to await the action of The grand
GrecnviIIe baptist Church May Split
over a shooting.
From the New York Times

from the New York Times.
Greenville, 5. c.. Oct l9.-Mount Leba-
non Baptist Church of this (Greenvine)
county is threatened with split over the
Sioan-Watson shooting affair
"Lum' Watson is a prosperous young
manufacturer and dealer in liquor, who in
his business habitually neglects the detail
of paying any licenses, taxes, or imposts
to the government He was shot while
on ladder at > O'Clock in the morning
trying 70 open The window TO the room
OF Miss Sloan. who is a really handsome
and vivacious girl of 16, a daughter of
George Sloan, farmer The shooting
was done by Mr.. Sloan. who had loaded
his gun with huckshot and ieaden sues
and who used both barrels
A South Carolina mOonshiner is harder
TO kill than "A turtle. for life in the noun
tain air and continuous exercise and
amusement chasing or evading revenue
officers makes him tough as whipcord.
Mir. and Miss Sloan went TO bed and to
sleep after the shooting, intending to noti-
fy the coroner in the morning. MIR. Wat
son tumbled off the ladder and evaded
the coroner by crawling 10 his horse and
riding six miles 10 a friend house, car
ry,ng more lead than is usually put in for
the severest handicap. He had twelve
or fourteen holes in him, some bones were
broken. and he bled consistently and pro-
fusely, but he got well.
This was in September, and the con-
troversy began then. Watson asserted that
he had Miss Sloan's permission to visit
her a the irregular hour and in the man
ner he did. Miss Sloan acknowledged this
but triumphantly declared that when Wet
son insulted ier she made the appoint
ment aud told her father, who she knew
would do the rest.
"Pop'H sho, git him mex time" she said,
as she concluded the story of how she and
her father sat up and waited for Romeo,
Mr.. Sloan fondling his shotgun meanwhile
Watsons friends then attacked the char
acter Of the Sloans. Mr.. Watson himself
could not appe n actively even after his
wounds healed. because officers from Spar
tanburg county, hearing of his misfortune,
We're in que. of him with several unsat-
isfied wa rants.
Mr.. Sloan is a member in good standing
OF the Mount Lebanon Baptist Church.
Some of the mountain churches have ideas
of their own concerning matters of inter-
nal discipline. Ii was only a few year,
ago that deacon of one of them in this
county, on Sunday while a communion
service was in progress, emerged and Shot
a man who was talking too loudly in the
yard. and was himself promptly killed.
battle ensuing in which the congregation
took part, with net result of three dead
anu tlSul NOuNQtu lie NIOullh lAtbdlipAl
Church promulgated the following resolu-
tons;
Whereas. About the time that Lum Wat
son was reported 10 have been shot by
George Sloan, certain reports very injuri-
GUS to the reputation OF George Sloan and
some members of his family we're put III
circulation by the papers of the county,
reference also having been made to his be-
havior while he lived in this neighOorhood,
the members of Mount Lebanon Church,
of which he was a member, unsolicited on
his part, think it due to themselves ami
10 George Sloan TO pass the following res
olutiOns
First-That in our neighborhood George
Sloan. though poor man, was an honest,
Industrious quiet and Well-behaved citizen,
and that the reputable part of the com
munity put no confidence in reports start
ed by some of the baser sort who have
been for some time a nuisance to the
neighborhood, disturbers of the peace and
a stencil in the uostrils of all honest men.
Second-That on account of his desire to
avoid the shedding of blood he endured
the imposition of certain shameless fellows
much longer than he ought to have done.
Third-That in the case of the shooting
by some one. had it proved fatal more
good would have been done for the cause
of justice and the good order of society in
this neighborhoOd than has been done by
the courts in several years.
Fourth-That we send these resolutions
for publications to the Greenville Noun
taineer the Greenville News and the Bap-
list Courier O. c. Barton,
Moderator.
NJ L. Davis, Clerk
Mr.. Watson has retired to the interior
Businesses of the mountains with a Win
chester rife and is acting on the theory
that eternal vigilance is the price of lib
erty He has, however, sent cards ana
messages to the local newspapers assert
ing that his feelings are hurt by the Off
ciaI declaration of Mount Lebanon Church
of its regret that he was not killed, and
insisting that he is Wronged.
Some of his friends have been actively
at work in the congregation of Mount Leb-
anon with the result that there is now
well defined movement TO have the anti
Watson resolutions eXpunged and rescind-
ed The matter will probably come up at
the next congregational meeting, and re-
suits are being looked for with interest
If the Sloans and Watsous appear 10 ar
que their respective sides of the case the
DEVELOPMENT, il is thought, will be memoir
able.
The paternal Sloan is keeping his shot
gun loaded and. as he expresses it, his
"eye peeled" Mr. Watson oils his Win
chester every evening and Miss Sloan con-
tinues to assert with the proud confidence
of a loyal daughter and the natural OPP
timism of happy girlhoOd