The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1907-07-26
HE DENIES 1T.
Rev. C. NJ. Billings Publishes Card
a.
In Augusta Chronicle.
MIR. Robert Il. Fickling, of BlackvilIe,
Replies to Same Through The Col

umDfa state.
The following communication ap
peared in the Augusta Chronicle one
day last week:
"On June 90 and "a dispatches
were given to the press to the effect
that had been expelled from the
Blackvillc, S. c., Baptist church on
account Of letters containing EXPIRES.
sions Of endearment for a house-maid
who had formerly served in our home
A further statement to the effect that
had forSaken my wife and child and
made
81 want to say by way OF eXplana-
ton for my silence that for the first
10 days after these dispatches ap-
peared | was not in a physical nor
mental condition to make the state
ment wish to make. Besides, friends
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 Il statement from me
and are waiting impatiently for it, |
wish to declare:
"First. That the letters iii qucs-
ton were not written by me; neither
have I 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 lbelous.
Third. AT the time that the dis
/ I.1, l,.,, Il f.N,,
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 ] was preaching for a
friend in Augusta and did not reach
home until O'Clock in the after
noon of that day.
''This is my final statement until
a body Of reputable brethren hear the
case and their findings made public" :"
"Rcv. G. Nj. Billings"
C0ntradicts Billings.
TO the Editor Of The State:
II 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 l3amhcrg,
where the maid had gone after lcav-
ing his home on account Of the fact
| leaking out here.
a young newly married man could
not write letter i'm more endcaring
terms to his tender bride. The only
word Of sympathy for the man here
for his crime is occasionally the state
mcnt 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
nat-footcdly refused to do so.
His third statement, that he had
absolutely no opportunity to dcfcnd
himself or to deny the authorship OF
the letters as he was away preaching
for il friend and didn't reach home