The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-20
CITIZENS FIGHT
PROPOSED SALE
Object to Purchase Of
Friends Meeting House
ByNegro Congregation
PROTECTION LEAGUE
is ORGANIZED
Large Attendance and Calm
Though Determined Action
Taken-Will Enlarge Body
So as to Take In
All White Sec
tons.

tons.
Stirred to vigorous anu determined ac-
tion by the apparent prospect of the sale
OF the old Friends Meeting House, near
First aud Clay Streets to a congregation
of colored people. propcrty-owners IN
that vicinity met last night at Dabney
and Johnson's Hall and fornie:i The Prop
crty-Holders Protective League the pur-
pose OF which Is TO prevent the invasion
of the white residential sections Of the
city by negroes.
Nearly fifty representative business
men were present, and they entered
heartily into the spirit OF tho meeting.
Having conferred before and knowing
did 1t quickly and adjourned. They
formed a permanent organization, elected
strong officers and dispersed to meet In
a larger hall on Tuesday night March
Eth, when all the property-L<.lerA in
the white sections Will be invited to at
tend and become members.
There were but few speeches last
night, but they brcntiled Il spirit OF alb
solutc decision which could not be mis-
understood. The proceedings were not
revolutionary. nor were the utterances
men have not gathered IN Richmond In
many years.
The officers Of tho league. all OF
Wdom were chosen by acclainat,on, are
us follows:
President. II. r. Rich. rdson Real
Estnte AscEt.
ylcc-Prcsi,lcnt, Joseph II. White,
Hardware Denler. r.
Secretary. i. l. Isnushan, Trnv-
cling Salesman.
Treasurer. ITO. Tiller, Merchant.
Executive Comn,jttce-A. Bot
tishcimcr, Mcrchnnt; Hnrvey Will
son. Lawyer; j. r. Wilson, building
Contractor; y. Y. Coleman, aler-
Chant.
The executive committee is com
J.oscd OF i've members. and President
Richardson said he would announce.
tho other ole later.
Mr.. Wilson Leads.
Tho meeting was called 10 order n !.
$50 O'clock by Mr.. Harvey Wilson.
lie briefly outlined the sitiation Win
reference to the proposed sale nf
Frlcnds' MectIns-House to colored
congregation, and stated ti;at the IL
sect or the gathering was to take
tt,ch steps as might be deemed neces-
tary to guard aga!,st this result
Mr.. Wilson said tho matter had
been brought to the attention OF tile
officers Of st. Ma rk's Episcopal Church
pnd the Clay Street Methodist Church.
end that after separate MEETINGS the
two bodies had appointed joint corr
,nittee to walt upon Che trustees Q Z
the Quaker congregation.
II These trustees had said the property
was held at $1,000, though they would
not sell to the Sharon Baptist Church.
colored. or any other colored people with
out putting it up at public auction, SO
srt,,r No. 1t,bf% a nj n
This was unsatisfactory, and hence the
meeting was called.
The specific object OF the league formed
last night Is to prevent the invasion BY
colored people of Clay and Marshall
Streets between Thirteenth and BoWe
Streets. but If the proposed meeting on
March 9TH, which will probably be held
in the Chamber Of Commerce is a sue
cess It's membership and operations will
be extended to all the white sections of
the city.
Seek Only Protection.
In closing his statement at the opening
OF the meeting Mr.. Harvey Wilson said: (:
I'VE are here only to protect ourselves.
Eve did not come to do anything radi-
cal, and it will not be necessary to adopt
any drastic measures.
A brief report was then read from a
committee named at a previous meet
nation Of a permanent body.
The committee was composed OF Messrs.
Harvey Wilson Mycr Kirsh. Z. NJ. Red
ford. J. Fl. King and N. v. Coleman.
Mr.. F. ]. Bnughan spoke for organiza-
ton He believed In invoking moral in
fluence. but this could best be done
D through concerted action.
He thought 1t was a "hold-up" game
in order to get more for the property
than 1t was worth, but the condition must
be met.
Mr., Wilson quite agreed with Mr..
Bnughan. and thought it was a "boy-
cot' and that means should be adopted
to stopit.
Mr.. J. TI. Chapel and others spoke
along the same lines. and Mr.. Bottig-
heimer said 1t was all a "bugbear." and
was being used as n lever to get big
price for the property. It was at his
suggestion that each member was made
committee of one to interest other prop
erty holders in the white sections to come
in fss 5 e
0 History Of Case.
Tho history of the case is an inter-
esting one. Friends Meeting Iouse is an
old structure, but tho congregation has
steadily diminished instead Of increasing.
until there are n very limited number of
persons In this city who hold to the
Quaker faith
The property Is to be sold. not perhaps
with the view of building another church,
hut 1t is more likely that some smaller
hall will be rented as a mccting-housc
when needed.
It Is understood that the Sharon Bap.
tist Church (colored) has recently suf
fcrcd something of n division in its con.
gregatlon. owing either to Its sze or t.
some differences. ana that ono wing has
offered the trustees Of the Quaker meet.
ing-house $4,000 for the property. An
other offer, ranging around $4,000, was
n,ado by white people, but was declined
the trustees saying, however. that thu
sale would be made by auction SO as II
4 give all chance. IT Is not known wha,
y the league will do II the sale to thu
colored people becomes imminent bu
this is ull left to the executive commit.