Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1907-07-25
HE DENIES IT.
Rev. c. N. Billings Publishes Gard
In Augusta Chronicle.
Mr.. Robert b. Fickling, Of Blackville,
Replies to Same Through The Col
umbia State.

umbia State.
The following communication ap-
peared in the Augusta Chronicle one
day last week:
"On June 23 and "a dispatches
were given to the press to the effect
that l had been expelled from the
Blackviile. s. c., Baptist church on
account OF letters containing express
sions OF endearment for a house-maid
| VINO had formerly served in our home
"A turther statement to the effect that
had forsaken my wife and child and
gone away with this servant was
made.
Il want to say by way of explana-
tion for my silence that for the first
10 days after these dispatches ap-
peared L was not in physical nor
mental condition to make the state
ment wish to make. Besides, friends
as well as myself thought a statement
which would finally be made-by a
body of brethren would be more
satisfactory to the general public.
But finding that many of my friends
are expecting statement from me
and are waiting impatiently for it,
wish to declare:
First. That the letters in uues-
tion were not written by me; neither
have L been allowed the privilege of
seeing them.
Second. The statement with ref
erence to the relations of endear-
ment existing between me and the
servant in question are libelous.
Third. At the time that the dis
patch went out l had not only for
saken my family, but was at home
with them. This the author certain
ly must have known
1T is true upon the evidence con-
tanned upon these letters l was ex-
cluded from the church, but / had
absolutely no opportunity to defend
myself or deny the authorship of
them, since l was preaching for
friend in Augusta and did not reach
home until o'clock in the after
noon of that day.
This is my final statement until
body OF reputable brethren hear the
case and their findings made public"
Rev. G. NJ. Billings
Contradicts Billings.
To the Editor of The State:
1t has been the purpose of your
correspondent to have nothing more
to say in regard to the awful Bill
lings matter which has been the talk
of our town and the whole State and
caused great grief to Christian peo-
pie here and elsewhere.
But the statement in your paper
today, copied from the Augusta
Chronicle, is so misleading to those
people over the State who do not
know the facts in the case and is so
totally devoid of truth until this in
formant must come forth.
Now, every reputable man in this
town will sign his name to the fact
that these awful letters written by
Billings to the negro who had been
his house maid are in Billings own
handwriting. These letters were
written here and mailed to Bamberg,
where the maid had gone after leav-
ing his home on account of the fact
| leaking out here.
A young newly married man could
not write letter in more endearing
terms to mis- tender bride. The only
word of sympathy for the man here
for his crime is occasionally the state
ment that the man must have lost
| his mind"
This answers Billings first state
ment in regard to his not writing
these letters.
! Second. That he had not been al
lowed the privilege of seeing them
is false. On the other hand he was
begged to go and read them and he
fiat-footedly refused to do so.
| His third statement, that he had
absolutely no opportunity to defend
| himself or to deny the authorship of
the letters as he was away preaching
for friend and didn't reach home
until 5 o'clock in the afternoon he
was communicated is devoid of
any truth whatsoever.
| On the contrary, Billings was not
flied on Friday afternoon that he
| would be turned out of the church
on Sunday and was asked to be there.
| This he failed to do, but on the con-
.rary, took the train for Augusta
Ca, and preached there for preach
er who came here for him and heard
the proceedings at church here Sun
| day morning.
This was not previous engage
ment for him to preach in Augusta,
for he had an engagement to preach
in Lexington, n. c., and wired them.
after arriving in Augusta, he could
J not come. This information was in
| the Charlotte Observer.
1t might also he stated that Bill
lings was excluded from the church
not only for gross immortality in re-
| gard to his life with the negro but
for prevarication.
| copy of this letter has been sent
to the Augusta Chronicle in reply to
the card appearing in that paper.
Robert b. Fickling,
| I,t1U z 1007