Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-10-05
FEARLESS CIRCUIT RIDERS.

FEARLESS CIRCUIT RIDERS.
Early Preachers Punished Rowdies ans
BulIies Without Aid Of Law.
The pioneer Methodist preacher
took their lives in their hands Il
preach the Gospel through the wilder
ness and along the frontiers when In
dams and wild animals abounded anc
when the foundations Of civilized So
clety were just beginning to be laid
Those were rough times and the trav-
cling preachers had to resort to rough
methods.
It was sometimes necessary for the
early preachers to fight, and many OF
them had obstinate combats with ruff
fans who tried to break UP their meet
lngs.
A fighting preacher Of early times
was the Rev. James Havens, who Is
still remembered by some old people In
this state. What Peter Cartwright was
to the Methodist church in Illinois
James Havens was in Indiana. He was
for many years presiding elder Of the
Indianapolis district and was known as
preacher all over central Indiana
Once at a camp meeting held in Au-
gust, 1886, he had an encounter with
local bully named David Buckhart
Shortly before the time for the meeting
Mr. Havens received notice from Buck
hart, who lived near the camp ground
warning him not to hold a meeting
there. Mr. Havens paid no attention
to the warning. On Sunday night
after the horn had been blown at the
retiring hour, word was brought to Mr.
Havens that Buckhart was making q
disturbance.
Reckoning to two or three friends to
accompany him, Mr.. Havens proceeded
at once to the spot. Buckhart positive
ly refused to leave the grounds. After
4 few words he made lunge at the
preacher, which the latter avoided, and
then, with the aid Of his friends, ne
overcame Buckhart and took him to
Squire Genison's Office at the corner
of Washington and Delaware streets
The squire soon appeared and began to
prepare the papers for Buckhart's COM
mitment.
One Of the party who accompanied
Mr.. Havens tells what follows: while
this was doing Buckhart, with quick
and nervous steps, continued to pass
around the room, and coming in front
of the chair in which Elder Havens sat
he suddenly stopped and pulled from
his pocket large knife with spring
and back and with q sudden jerk threw
it open with a snap. This Brother
Havens mistook for pistol and In a
moment he sprang to his feet and
catching the hand that held the knife
he planted terrible blow with his fist
square in Buckhart's face.
"The scene that followed beggars
description. They fought desperately
several times around the room, plant
ing terrible blows on each other, till
they were parted and order restored
The result was that Buckhart was
heavily fined for breach of the peace
and for carrying concealed weapons,
and failing to give bond he was COM
mitted that night to the county jail
Just as he entered the jail door his
courage gave way and he exclaimed:
Has IL come to this that David Buck
hart has been whipped by Methodist
preacher From that night he was nc
longer the leader Of his gang"
This was only one Of several fights
that Brother Havens had with row.
dies. He never fought except to sup
press order. He always preached ex-
temporaneously and without notes
Once when asked why he did not write
his sermons in advance he said: Don't
you think the devil can read writing
I don't intend that he shall either fore
stall me or flank me-"
Peter Cartwright on one occasion In
riding his circuit had to cross the San
canon river When he reached the
ferry, where he was not known, there
were a number of people there talking
politics. The ferryman, big fellow
was holding forth at the top Of his
voice about that old renegade, Peter
Cartwright" whom he abused roundly
When his turn came to be ferried across
Cartwright led his horse on the boat
When midway of the river he threw
the bride over a stake and said to the
ferryman: You have been abusing me
and saying that if ever came this way
you would drown me in the river
Now Is your chance"
The ferryman asked IL he was Peter
Cartwright, and he said he was. The
ferryman pulled in his pole and they
grappled, each determined to throw the
other in the river. The preacher prov
| ed to be the better man and as he
threw the ferryman overheard he held
on to his coat collar Then he pushed
him under water several times until
nearly drowned, he was made to repeal
the Lords prayer at Cartwright's die.
tation and promised to repeat 1t every
morning and night, to put every Meth
odist preacher across the ferry free Of
expense and to go to hear every one
that preached within five miles Of the
ferry. Then Cartwright pulled him In
to the boat more dead than alive, ant
Thoroughly cowed.
| In early times the camp meeting:
were almost always infested by row
dies, who often organized under a cap.
tain and did all in their power to breal
up the meeting by noise, personal in
suits, liquor drinking, riotous conduct
mutilating horses and other outrages
Once Brother Cartwright went for theil
captain with a club, knocking him of
his horse and when the rest of the ganl
fed he secured the prisoner and hat
him fined $50.
Once he captured the whisky which
the rowdies were drinking and moved
among them till he learned their plans
When they came up at night to stone
his tent they were met by volley o.
stones that stampeded them.
| At another time when his tent wa!