The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-12-12
WITH STALE EGGS
Colered Preacher Assailed in. Kings
Valley Church-HappeDed at
Evening Service.

Evening Service.
While sitting in the pulpit at an
evening church service in Kings
Valley last Sunday. Rev Vernon.
co1ored preacher was made the
target for a volley of stale eggs
thrown through the window by
parties on the outside of the build
ing. Though several eggs were
thrown, none of them took effect on
the person of the minister, to be
accounted for perhaps. by the fact
that with a quick movement, Rev.
Vernon at the beginning of the
bombardment, Jumped behind the
church organ behind which he
stopped in such manner as to be
out Of the range of he egg throw
ers. The general reason assigned
tor the act, varies according to the
statements in circulation with refer
ence to the affair, The popular
supposition is that hoodlums, led on
by a spiritsof bravado rather than
downright meanness are response
BILE for the affair, while others say
that the egg fusilade is rather an
expression of hostility to the black
race, the same as is often made man
ifest in various parts of lhe country
without reference to location or
section.
WHO THE PREACHER is
The affair happened at the old
Evangelical church, located near
the home of Willard Price. a mile
and quarter south of, the Kings
Valley store. Rev Stroup is 'regu-
lar pastor of the church, and had
been conducting revival meetings
there for a couple Of weeks. To
assist him in the meetings, Rev.
Strout had brought Rev Vernon from
Portland, where the 1atterserves an
African congregation. Mr.. Vernon
is described as an earnest, sincere
and god1y man. and is considered a
very good pulpit otator. He had
preached at many of the meetings
in the valley, but no demonstration
of hostility to him had been made
on any former occasion. There is
a story to the effect that Rev Stoup
was advised not to bring the colored
man to his assistance, because that
course might make trouble,'but this
cannot be confirmed. In. any event,
the colored minister was ON the
scene, and had to the best of his
abili y assisted in the meetings, the
net result of which are said to have
been two conversions.
HE BEHIND CHURCH ORGAN
At the time the eggs were thrown
Rev. Stroup was preaching while
Rev. Vernon occupied seat in the
pulpit close beside the speaker.
There was large audience. aud
the sermon was about half finished.
Suddenly there was crash of glass
at one side of the building, not far
from the pulpit. Every eye turn
ed quickly in that direction. inc1ud-
ing those of the two ministers in the
pulpit. What people saw was that
a portion of the window had been
shattered in pieces with a board,
welded from the outside. The next
instant they saw the fash of stale
egg as it passed in the window and
shot straight towards the colored |
preacher. Then another and an
other sailed toward Rev. Vernoa,
who quickly took in the situation,
and with a frantic movement reach |
ed a hiding place behind the church
organ, where the eggs could not /
reach him, AS to the number of
eggs thrown. accounts differ. Some
say there were three, and others i
say that there were FIVE. All agree /
that none of the fruit struck the
though some of them
barely missed him.
THRowERs EscAPED. UNSEEN /
While the throwing was in prog
ress, the audience sat dumbfound-
I'd. Indeed, the whole proceeding
was over, and the assai1ants gone,
before it was possible for those pres
ent to get full realization of what
was going on. When the throw
ng stopped, the service was delay
ID few moments to give opportun-
ty to clear, away the remains of the
eggs. The latter are said TO have
been terribly stale and the oder
rom them to have been vile. Af- :
er the debris had been cleared
lway, Rev. Stroup resumed his SER