The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-27
PREACHER BROWN VAS NOT ID BLAME Decided to Drop the Dog and
 Flea Episode CHURCH FORMALLY OPENED All Denominations Gather at the New Baptist Structure In Selma and
 Offer Congratulations.
 Other Selma News.
CHURCH FORMALLY OPENED

Your representative is in receipt of the | following from Preacher Brown of Summerfield relative to the grand | jury's non-action in the case of dis turbing worship:
 "The statement published Sunday that I went before the grand jury of | the county for the purpose of indicting | several young people for disturbing public worship in Summerfeld and | that several witnesses were examined ! at my instance is not correct.
 "As q matter of fact, did not go before the grand jury nor did anyone do so at my instance. The matter so far as I was concerned was dropped some time before the converting of the grand jury, and any investigation made by that body was done without my knowledge or consent.
 Tn justice to me I trust you will make this correction of a statement calculated to do me and my work much harm. Respectfully,
 A. B. BROWN"
 MT Brown this morning stated to your representative that he did say the matter would be brought to the atten- ton of the grand jury, but after con ference with the presiding elder he determined to let the matter drop and that he did not go before the grand Jury- 1t is learned that this is true, and that to keep from having a sum- mons served upon him to go before the grand jury he walked all the way from Fairland to Summerfield last Fri day. when if he had come to Selma he could have ridden the nine miles. MT. Brown does not deny having said Tn his sermon the remarks attributed to him, and the evident hope of all concerned is to close the unpleasant incident for the good of the church.
 Baptist Church Formally Opened.
 The new Baptist church, which was erected at a cost of $50,000 and which IS one or the handsomest and most artistic in the south, being the only stone church of the city, was formally opened yesterday with appropriate services. In the morning the sermon was preached by the Rev. A. J. Dick inson, pastor of the First Baptist church of Birmingham and who was pastor of the church here for twelve years before accepting the call to the First church of the Magic City. Dr. Dickinson's sermon was one of great force and teeming with beautiful fig ures of rhetoric. IL was a masterful effort, yet it's simplicity was it's strength.
 At night all of the protestant de. nominations of the city closed their doors and joine1 in the exercises the ministers of the various churches and the rabbi of Temple Mishkan Israel bring words of congratulation and greeting to the Baptists. It was a iovefeast as well as a celebration of the continuation of great enterprise. and hundreds were turned away from the doors.
 Parker and Davis Clubs.
 Chairman J. B. Ellis of the Dallas county executive committee was Tn the city today, and states that he has sent out the papers issued by the state campaign committee for the formation of Parker and Davis clubs in every precinct in Dallas county. MT. Ellis hopes that the county committeeman will not fail to call the meetings and to forward the names of the officers selected to him. A club will probably be formed in Selma on the same day or later and it Is expected to make the affair one of enthusiasm.
 Came Near Being a Riot.
 This afternoon as E. H. Williams, white lineman at work on the con- struction gang with the Bell Tele- phone, was walking along Washington street, he was run into by negro, John Marshall, by name. MT. Will Hams told the negro he had better look where he was walking, and the latter retorted that if he wanted to run over anybody he had better get his crowd. The negro laid down his baske and showed fight, when MT. Williams hit him over the head with pair of pliers.
 The affair took place in front of E. K. Jones' butcher stall, in which Mar shall works, and the latter grabbed a knife, while two or three negroes who were near picked up bricks and one secured pistol and started to shoot. The pistol was knocked down by an other negro, and the white man made his escape before he was bodily harmed, Several arrests have been made, and the mayor will assess a good round sum in the morning.
 The Texas Cotton Crop.
 Dr. J. T. Fry of Hagen, this county. is in receipt of the appended letter from Dr. Wiley J. Grum of Wharton. Tex, located ln the center of the rich est embarrassing belt. The writer is a cousin of Dr. Fry and of Mrs. G. H. Peacock and Messrs. A. M. and w. G. Tunstall, Jr., of Alabama, and his let ter shows the condition of the cotton crop in the section in which he lives. From it the expectation of a large crop does not seem to be well founded. An extract from the letter Is as fol- lows:
 "Old Caney has received the black est eye this year since 1878. Up to July 20 thought we had three-fourths of bale to the acre in spite of the weeyil, and believe we had on a large per cent of the crop. But at that date it commenced to rain and kept it up for nearly five weeks and absolutely ruined the cotton. Of course it could not make any more after it held up, as the weevils were here then by the millions.
 The bottoms will probably average one bale to ten or twelve acres. and In some places one-fourth and one third will be made. In others it will take from twenty to forty acres to make bale. For instance, at my old home place, with 250 acres in cotton.