Richmond planet., 1902-01-25


the rams last Sunday morning
when the congregation of the
First Baptist Church proceeded to elect
deacons to fill the seven vacancies
then existing. Ali seemed to be able to
control their feelings except Brother
Thomas H. Briggs, whose bad record is
known from Screamersville to Rockets.
WANTED THEM TO REMAIN.
After the regular services, the congre-
CATION was requested TO remain for the
purpose of electing deacons. But few
seemed TO have accepted the invitation.
Two-thirds of those present were fe-
males and the highest vote cast was
1866.
Rev. w. T. johnson, b. D., called
the meeting to order. Owing TO the
continued indisposition of Clerk b. p.
Vandervall, brother Thomas II. Wyatt
discharged his duties.
OBJECTED To THE BALLOT.
Brother Thomas H. Briggs, whose
bad record is known from Screamers.
vile to Rockets, arose and objected to
the use of the printed ballot. He
thought the old-way of writing the
names of the persons on strips of paper
was good enough for him and the
church. Chairman johnson ruled that
nothing was in order, but TO take the
vote.
But the speaker would not yield up
the floor, claiming that the church had
the privilege and the right to change
the present system.
WANTED HIM TO SIT DOWN.
Then came cries of, "Sit downrr
Some one moved that the chair be sus-
tanned, but it was not stated, because
brother Briggs, whose bad record is
known from Screamersville to Rockets,
seeing that the sentiment was so over
whelmingly against him reluctantly re-
sumed his seat.
There sat brother ''Hindquarter"
Williams, who forged the names to the
application for the meeting; brother
''Shad-belly" Garter, who many months
ago wore those big-leg white breeches
and shad-belly coat, and brother "I
move that she be silenced" William
Henry Davis, now known as "The
Turk" the seat of whose breeches
should be at the bend in the knee; but
none of them dared to come to the aid
of the brother, who not only was turn
ed upside down by Pastor johnson, but
practically he was stuck into a mud
hole, head first, while his feet virtu-
ally played cake-walk in the sacred
air.
DEAcoNs ELECTED.
He was hot in the collar, but he
grunted and said nothing
The following were declared elected:
James Burton, John Boiling, Daniel
Holman. James III. Harper, William
Van jackson, William r. Minor and
Peter Riley.
When this announcement was made
there were sad times at the headquart-
ers of the fuss-makers.
FLAG HoIsTED.
They didn't haul the flag up to half
mast or tie crepe ON the door knob or
carry brother John j. Spottswood out
on shutter, but they just looked as
though they all said, ''Dar now ~
Brother Spottswood was brother
"Shad-belly' Henry G.; Carter's baby.
When off duty, you'd hardly see one
without the other OF all the names
presented, he was the only simon-pure,
unauthorized ram in the whole list of
names submitted for the deacon-board,
and once more the mournful procession
filed aI Gospel Hill" ON the way to
headquarters to tell how if was done.
THE BROTHER DIsGUsTED.
OF course, Brother Thomas II. Briggs,
whose bad record is known from Scream
ersville TO Rockets, Thought that the
others should have come to his support.
He was naturally disgusted to be shown
TO the public as having no following
and with nobody to follow his leader
ship but himself.
GOOD SELECTIONS.
The deacons selected are men of
character, and will no doubt do much
towards correcting the scandalous con-
ditions now prevailing in the First Bap-
tist Church. Whether it can be accom-
plished in one, two or three months, or
year remains to be seem
THR HcKERs NOT RECOGNIZED.
However. there is scarcely member