Richmond planet., 1903-01-24

0"0 OoAoIeu people DeI1eved that If q
memDer is turned out of the church he
is bound to go to He'll.
Suppose that you had been called by
your church and expelled as unworthy
OF Fellowship in the House of God.
where would you be? What would be
your future? What is your condition i'm
the community? Whether the action of
the church is right or wrong, the fact
Ghat a christian organization had with
Drawn from you the right-hand of
Fellowship would sink you in the lowest
degredation in the minds of the public.
HAD RIGHT TO DEFEND HIMSELF.
His Honor says in his instructions
that when man is attacked he NAV de-
fend himself, That Mitchell had a
right to strike back as long as Williams
was trying to get him out of the First
Baptlss Church, and after he was ont
as long as Williams was trying TO keen
hlm out. and after he had entered the
Fifth st. Baptist church, he had right
60 strike back as long as Williams was
trying to get him out of that church.
Nelson Williams, Jrs aim was to
drive John Mitchell, Jr, from the
church in which he had been reared
from boyhood to manhood. No Ten
DVhthS . Cau pay Il man lot
that degradation. You can't measure
1t with dollars and cents. They drove
him as thief from the sanctuary and
IKE dog He went over there to the
Fifth st. Baptist church and laid the
case before them. They appointed a
committee tc go and see how the meet
ing had been conducted.
THE CHRISTIAN SPIRIT.
They went back animated by that
christian spirit which actuated the
Master when he was upon the earth.
They gave John Mitchell the right
hand OF fellowship. Gave him per-
mission TO kneel at their altar. Then
they had Lewis an expert on Baptist
pollty ON the witness stand. You know
what his testimony was They appoint
ed a committee consisting of Williams.
Jones and Briggs. Williams as chair.
man, Capt. Wise then enlarged upon
this committee. He drew a vivid
picture of the conditions existing and
his time having expired he concluded
with peroration which thrilled ali i'm
the court room
The conclusion of Hon. Geo d. Wise's
argument apparently left the case a
drawn battle,
MR.. MEREDITH IN THE BREECH.
Then Hon. O. V. Meredith arose. passed
TO the outside space between the desk
and the jury and in an easy conversa-
t'onal tone devoted himself TO the task
before him.
At times his elbow rested upon the
desk of His Honor and again he was
Immediately in front of the iurymen
being ap arently oblivious of all else.
save the twelve men who sat before
him.
There was but one time that his at
tention was diverted and that was
when he referred to the plea of Will
lams' counsel asking for the Ten Thous
and Dollar damages and he emphasized
the question by saying that this man
Williams wanted them TO take Ten
Thousand Dollars out of Mitchell's
pocket and give it, not to a charitable
organic tlon, not to the church, but TO
Williams
A TELLING PLEA,
Mr.. Meredith said among other
Things. May 1T please the court, an eff
fort has been made to have it appear
that this case is one between the First
Baptist Church and John Mitchell. .Jr..
and not between Nelson Williams, Jr..
and John Mitchell, Jr.
The counsel does this to make it an
pear ard have you believe that Nelson
Williams was special champion of the
Christian Church.
In considering this case. see if Won
can find anywhere he is justified in Civ
ing Nelson Williams any such desip-
nation. All the way through his argu-
ment 1T was an effort to show that Mel
son llllams was the special champion
of the church. Whether it was TO
work upon the feeling of some of the
Baptlsts on the jury l am unable TO saw
but whatever he may say that was the
line of argument
WHO RAISED THE ISSUE?
He spoke about dragging in outside
issues. Who brought in co-operation9
Didn't t he attempt to make it appear that
we were anti-co- operationis stsi Didn't
he show you that the co-operationists
acted with the white people and that
we, the anti-co operationists, would not
co operate with the white people, But
what Were the facts? 1t was a a'terwards
discovered that we also were co-opera-
tionists, that we belonged to the Ma
tlonal Baptist Convention that Good
Grated with the white people of the
South, and that the co-operationists
that his side represented co-operated
with the white people of the North. So
l say so far as we are concerned we
have stood squarely upon all these
questions,
Those who brought in these side is
sues are those who have attacked us.
NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE CHURCH.
Mr.. Smith has spoken to you about
Deacon Benz. Jackson going through
the ward working for John Mitchell.
Thore has not been one scintilla of eV-
dence to prove these asssertians
jackson was prominent specimen of
the old time Negro and gave his testi-
mony In plain straight forward man.
ner. Mr.. Smith attacked him. What
was the purpose?
My friend has referred you to the
article "Did God call the Pastor?" and
yet that article is not before the Jury.