Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-08-10
He Closed
the Church.
DRASTIC ACTION OF A
JUDGE-THE HARRI-
SON ST. BAPTIST
CHURCH TROU-
BILE.
Disgraceful Scenes in Peter
burg-Only Male Mem
bers 10 be Allowed
to Vote.

PETERSBURG. VA. Aug. @
! (SpeciaD Judge Mullen. of the
| Hustiu-s Court to-day took very
positive action i'm the metter of the
Harrison Street (colored) Baptist
Church.
After being informed or the vio-
lent proceedings at the church meet
! ing last night. at which tue orders
of the court had been p.areuJy iL-
nored and violated by Pastor Tartt.
and his followers. the judge ordered
q decree closing the church to both
factions for an purposes until The
meeting set for Septemhar @. when
/ the members are TO vote under a
special commissioner ON the question
OF sustaining or retaining Tartt ass
pastor.
/ 10 was further decreei chat the
women of the church should hc eX-
cluded from this meeting
Tartt has been notified that DO on
. Investigation 20 is found he has dis
: oheyed the orders of the court. he
viii be cited for contemp,
Disgraccful scenes were again WITT
messed in the Harrison street Bap-
list Church (coloredJ last night. ana
, the police lad TO interfere 20 prevent
violence and perhaps bloojshed.
ln rendering his decision I'm the
controversy between the Two factions
I'm this church, Judge Mullen so mod
flied the injunction against the act
ing pastor, Eli Tartt ass .o allow re-
ligious services 20 Dee held in the
church until the congro -ation can
vote by orderly procedure on the
question of sustaining and restrain
ing Tartt This vote is tO be taken
at meeting 90 Dee held ON September
9th 10 be presided over by a com
missioner of the court, the Rev. Dr.
j. VI. Pitcher.
But the right TO hold religious ser
vices being allowed by the court. a
meeting was held I'M the church last
night Ostensibly FOR rel igious ser
vices" and "a very large crowd was
present.
Meanwhile. I'm the afternoon. af-
dGvits were Tade by many of the
: respectable mcmbcrs of the church.
and submitted 20 the police author
I tiles representing ,hat the "re-
ligiOus' meeting was held words
might be spoken and acts committed
that would lead 10 disorder and riot
I ing. and possible blOodshedding Po-
lice protection was asked. and the
chief, with nearly the entire corps.
repaired 20 the vicinity of the church
to await any call for their presence
in the building.
I IL was not long before the "reli-
giOus' services degenerated into per-
sonal references, and then into dis
order and confusion, and practical
renewal Of the factiOnal troubles.
Evidently the crowd was on the
, evrge of a general light in the church
when the cry of Flight, fghti" rang
out and the police rushed into the
building
The congregation was promptly
, dispersed. but the people crowded
the street in fronf of and near the
church, where further scenes of dis
order occurred. and it was only
through fear Of being dreuched with
water thrown upon them by the fire
| department that the excited Negroes
! left the street and went to their
: homes. IT was in anticipation Of
trouble outside OF the church that
the fire hose was brought into re-
f. QUESTION.
The church proceedings last night
were practically in contempt of court
orders, and the continued quarrels
at the church are becoming a men
ace 10 the peace and good order of
the community.
A strong petition from citizens liv
ing in the vicinity af the church
was this morning presented to Juose
Mullen, praying that the church be
closed for all purposes until the
troubles are settled, representing
that the disgraceful proceedings
there are a menace TO life and pro-
perty, IL allowed TO continue.