The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-20
WANTED THE MONEY
NEGRO FOLLOWED MINISTER WITH
COLLECTION
TAKEN UP AT TABERNACLE.
REV. ID. 8. EDENFIELD HAD AN UN-
PLEASANT EXPERIENCE.

After the Park Meeting the Money
Collected Was Given Into His
Keeping-SOme Negro Knowing
His Residence Followed, APP
parently With Evil Intent-The
Minister Now Carries Lead Instead
of silver and Will Defend Himself
If Annoyed.
Rev. D. S. Edenfield is now carrying
lead instead of silver when leaving
the Tabernacle for his home after the
night meetings, and the reasons for
this change in ballast is not on &C
count of bi-metalism. but because there
were evidently colored citizens in his
neighborhood who thought that the
collections taken at the Martin meet
ings were or should be free silver"
The experience of Rev. Mr.. Edenfield
Monday night was not comfortable,
and he has no desire to go over it,
even though no very serious results
are to be chronicled.
1t happened that when at the close
of the night meeting there was sum
of money to be taken in charge. Mr..
Edenfield was chosen as the custodian
of the fund, and started out, with Mrs.
Edenfield, for their home, at Barnard
and Thirty-fifth streets. 1t was not
noticed at first that anyone who had
seen the money handed over was near
Mr.. Edenfield, and with quite a party
of ladies and gentlemen, he left the
Tabernacle shortly after 10 o'clock.
Conversation was general and the par
ty went together until about Thirty
second street, when the members
turned one way or another, except the
minister and his wife.
Followed by a Negro.
They almost Immediately noticed that
a negro who had probably come all the
way behind the party was following
them. He walked slowly when they
| did, or fast when they accelerated their
| steps.
Mrs. Edenfeld became nervous upon
noticing that they were being followed,
| but Mr.. Edenfeld said that it was
| probably a mistake and they continued
on. At Thirty-third street, where the
| path lay through a particularly dark
| space, without houses, Mr.. and Mrs.
| Edenfe1d crossed the street and saw
| the man hesitate, and then keep on,
| parallel to them, without crossing.
| When they stopped, he also stopped and
| just opposite the minister's residence
| the couple paused, to note the negro
| standing in the shadoWAof the piazza,
very evidently waiting for sthem' to
| cross.
If Mr.. Edenfield had been alone he
would likely have gone over and trust
| ed to his excellent muscles to handle
the negro, who was undoubtedly pre-
pared to make a bold demand for the
money that he knew the minister was
carrying. But Mrs. Edenfield did not
want to be left alone, nor did she de-
sire to go across, and invite the trou-
| BILE in view. They turned down Thir-
| ty-fifth street, west and went to the
house of a friend. From the gate they
could see the man still waiting, and
| having telephoned to the police bar
racks that there was a suspicious case
needing attention, Mr.. Edenfield and
another gentleman walked out to-
wards the place again.
Hid in a Fence Corner.
On nearing the minister's house the
| negro was seen to run back into a
| fence corner. in the shadow. The at
| lacking party retired to think over
| plans for the campaign and on Jeffer-
| son street came upon a mounted Of
hcer who undertook to ride down the
trouble. But when the officer was APP
| preaching on his horse from the Whit
aker street corner the man must have
made his escape north on Barnard, and
was lost TO view.
Mr.. Edenfield with others. went
through his premises and looked in the
yard carefully, but no trace of the
negro was found. He had outstayed
his courage and gave up the idea of
getting church money, for that night,
Mrs. Edenfield had by this time de-
cided to stop at the friends house over
night, and it was early yesterday
morning that the couple returned to
their home.
Yesterday Mr.. Edenfield, in order to
be prepared for future emergencies,
arranged to have the Tabernacle money
taken down town after the services.
and instead of silver his pockets last
night carried a metal that is popular
ly supposed to be current in Texas.
When properly urged, this metal will
go further than silver. and is calculated
TO satisfy footpads, highway robbers
and sneak thieves. Mr.. Edenfield was
disposed to say but little of the expe-
rience yesterday, but he does not expect
to have it repeated.
IF variety is the spice of life" he
said. Il had it in plenty Monday. A
wedding and a funeral were among the
events of the early afternoon. and
meeting at the Tabernacle was follow
ed by this very unpleasant incident.
would prefer little less variety"