Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-06-20
FREE FIGHT IN CHURCH
Preacher From Luray Thrown Out
of Pulpit.
WHOLESALE ARREST FOLLOWS
Old Feud and Recent Action of
Council of Ministers Result in
Disgraceful Scene.

The colored Baptist church ON
North Raleigh street, was the scene
Of a disgraceful free fight during the
service Sunday night in which there
were several knock-downs and one
young colored man was cut with a
knife.
The trouble was the outgrowth of
n feud that has existed among certain
members OF the congregation for sew
cral years finally eliminating in the
pastor of the church, Rev. George II.
Garter being expelled for alleged i'm
moral conduct at a meeting OF minis
tiers held in Winchester last February.
But at a meeting of the council OF
the Winchester Quarterly meeting,
which convened In Berryyille, Va, on
May 16 last, the action of the first
council OF ministers was declared to
be Illegal and affirmed that Rev. Car
ter was a regular minister of the Free
Win Baptist church, in good standing.
A public statement to this effect was
signed by Rev. ". w. Hackley, Rev.
Lee Brady and Rev. ]. !. Jenkins.
Rev. ". w. IIackley OF Luray, Va,
preached the sermon Sunday night,
after which he announced that he
would make a report of the council
meeting recently held 1t Berryville.
To this some of the officers of the
church strenuously objected. He then
proceeded TO read from the church
treatise or discipline in support of his
authority to make his report, where
upon certain of the old officers of the
church shouted out TO him if he
didn't stop they would throw him out
OF the pulpit. Rev. Hackley then SUBJ
mitted his right to read to the con-
gre9ation and it carried, there being
only three dissenting voices. Rev.
Hackley then resumed his reading.
Then the ball started.
Advancing TO the pulpit, Deacon
Stephen Elam and Deacon Richard
Sampson forcibly elected Rev. Hack
lily from the church. This was a sig
raul for free fight in which some of
women took hand. Three men were
knocked down in the melee, chairs
and benches we're overturned, women
screamed, men cursed and beldam
reigned generally for awhile. Deacon
Sampson had fellow down and s
Sidney rcott tried to pull him off,
Sampson, the strong man, pulled
knife and cut Scott slightly in the
abdomen. Though pretty roughly han
died, Rev. Hackley was not much
hurt. Sampson, Elan and Deacon John
Veney all church officers, with big
Odds against them rather got the best
OF the fight. Some of the women got
in some good ticks with umbrellas.
Police officers were soon on the scene
end the fight ended.
The officers arrested Rich. Samp-
son. Steve Elan, Jacob Turner, Jacob
Williams George Green and wife,
Rev. Hackley, Martha Lee and Anna
Belle Ramer and took them to the
mayors office where Chief OF Police
ID. H. Stuckey and City Attorney C.
Il. Martin had been summoned. 1t
was about 10 o'clock at night wnen
the prisoners were brought there and
the incident created quite an excite
ment on the street.
After some consultation II was de-
cided to release all the offenders on
their own recognizance for a hearing
before Mayor Cushwa Tuesday even
ing at O'Clock
The disgraceful row is much de-
precated by the better element of the
congregation and efforts are being
made to settle the matter out Of court.