The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-11-08
REVEREND col0ReD GENTLEMAN
DENIES scuRRllous CMAReEs
He Says His Intentions are Honest,
and that He will not Defraud
Colored Folks Of Yakima.

There is colored preacher in the
city by the name of Gregory H. Smith.
He says he is regularly ordained
minister of the gospel. Mr.. Smith
came here about a month ago, and
has been trying to get the colored
people of the community to subscribe
money enough to buy .ot and erect
a church upon 1t. He would not be
averse to accepting donations from
the white population, although the
church he is DESTROYS of building will
be called the First African Method
list Episcopal Church of North Yak
ima." Rev. Smith Is having a good
deal Of trouble in getting his colored
associates to enthuse over his
scheme. Notwithstanding the fact that
he has very literally paid down $50
as first payment on lot belonging
to Prof. Barge, the deal being made
through Louis Janeck. Rev. Smith,
however. borrowed this money with
which he made payment, from
colored lady by the name of Mrs.
Walker. The following, which APP
peared in last weeks Seattle Repub-
lican, a paper published by colored
man, has caused considerable uneasi-
ness among some of the colored peo-
pie OF this city, who are inclined to
be little skeptical as to the minis
ter's intentions. The article reads:
1.-THE Rev. w. H. Smith, the well
known Negro political preacherfak.
err. has shown up at North Yakima,
and is working the town, so the story
goes, to a queens taste. AS at other
places he has started in under the
guise of building a Methodist church
for the colored folk, and is solicit
ing subscriptions from the leading
white folk of the community for that
purpose. He, just as he did in Sc
attic and Tacoma, got an option on a
piece of property and paid small
sum down on 1t and then started in
to raise other money to complete
the payment of the same. He never
made second payment in Seattle, al
though he raised from the leading
men of the city and county over
$4,000, if the reports be true: He
never made second payment in Ia
coma, if indeed first. and yet he
raised quite a sum at that point.
He has already been promised
quite wad of money in North Yaki-
ma to help him complete the payment
on church property on which he has
paid twenty-five dollar first pay
ment. That the REV" Smith will
never make a second payment is a
fOregone conclusion. and every dollar
he gets is obtaining money under
false pretenses. Smith is not a mem
Der of the A. M. r. Zion church. for
he was recently expelled by the Cal
ifornia conference from the connec-
ton for just such sharp practices.
The colored folk of North Yakima
would do we'll to see to it that this
imposter be driven from the city or
put in the county JAIL He had all
kinds of trouble in California before
coming to Washington, in the courts
there, and finding that no longer a
lucrative field in which to operate.
he came to the northwest and is pur-
suing the same tactics here, and do
ing so quite successfully. Let col
ored men frown down on such i'm
posters, and it will make better citi-
zens Of them"
Rev. Mr.. Smith was seen by
reporter for the Herald. who asked
him what he had to say about the
above article.
THAT was written by a man who
owes me $685." said Mr.. Smith, land
IL it wasn't for the fact that he got
my initials wrong, l would sue the
paper for libel. My name is u. II.
and not w. H. Smith. came here
for the purpose of helping the col
ored people build church. My in
tentions are perfectly honest. Some
of the people have signified their will
lingness to assist me in the matter,
but others are not SO enthusiastic.
OF course, II they don't take more
interest in the matter than has so
far been manifested, ! am going to
let the whole matter drop. / have
not collected cent towards the
church. The lot upon which have
made this $50 payment was to cost
us $1,000, payable on time. Mr.. A.
B. Cline was to be our treasurer, and
you all know that he is thoroughly
honest. If had collected any mon
ey 1t was to be turned over to Mr..
Cline Immediately. ] never collect
ed any money on a church scheme
in Seattle. The church scheme fell
through over there. did not at
tend the California conference, and
don't Know whether they expelled
me from the church or not. l have
not been advised. There is no truth
in that article. whatever"
Mr. Clipa cfafad that fhia rO1nra1