The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-03-06
OLD ANTIOCH CHURCH
BY Grover c. Hall

Down in Henry county, located il
the southeastern corner of Alabama,
fourteen miles south of AbbevilIe, the
county seat. and ten miles north of
Columbia, which was an Indian vii
lage several scores of years ago. there
is an old frame church. This struc-
tuTe is familiarly known as the ODD
Hard Shell Church, the Hard Shells"
being the soubriquct applied to those of
that faith which was once quite prev
alent in the rural districts of the
south, known as the Primitive Bap-
fists. This faith, it may be added, is
still strong in some portions of the
south, but the march of civilization
and the birth of modern creeds, have
old cults adherents.
Less than a quarter of century
ago old Antioch church., the title or
this sketch. was owned by the Hard
Shells" who held services on the
fourth Saturday and Sunday in each
month, but an arrangement was made
whereby the Methodists and the MIS-
sionary Baptists used the same church
as their place Of monthly worship. In
addition to this, the little Temple of
Christ was converted into a school
house, the only seat of learning within
six or seven miles of this point.
Young Americans for miles around
wendell their way to this school five
days of every seven for the term of
three months each year. there to mas
ter the mysterious three RS" School
took in" at a. m and dismissed for
the day at D. m, with an hour set
aside for the MONDAY meal and a game
or two Of town ball. or maybe half
dozen wrestling matches. A half hour S
recess was given the pupils in the
morning and afternoon.
The church was d low, Squatty Struc-
ture, about forty feet in length, with
a row of pine benches, so placed as to
form a narrow aisle leading to the
teachers desk and the preachers res-
trum in the rear end, where at all
times could be found a supply of white
cTayon and seasoned persimmon
switches, the latter being better
known as "persuaders."
The church-academy stood some
forty or fifty feet from the public
road Between the two was a grove
Of red oaks and two or three long leaf
pine trees. \
In the year 1882, or q couple OF
years or so before Kansas went dry,
Wiley Vining was stabbed to death by
his father-in-law, Lot Ashley, the kill,
ing taking place at meeting al
Antioch one Sunday. The dying man
fell near the road edge between two
oaks and there bled to death from the
ugly cash on the .jugular vein. Ever
since the place has been looked upon
| as the favOTite rendezvous OF haunts
| Even unto this day it is regarded by
| the superstitious as unsafe to pass the
church at night after rain, the dan
| ger lying in the transformation into
blood of the puddle of water lying be
tween the trees where Winning met his
| death. Aside from this, other weird
and uncanny things have been seer
and heard about the place, il is vowed
by no small number of people. Many
have been frightened out of theil
wits there who subsequently, signed {
pledge never to pass the place again
after the sun set, but it remained fol
Uncle Allen Johnson, relic of The
ante-bellum type of negro now so rap
idly passing out of southern life, tc
break all previous records for getting
scared.
For years previous to this incident
Uncle Allen, who lived three mile:
north of the church, made a trip eact
Saturday afternoon to Haleburg, (