The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-03-20
BURNING PASTOR
RUSSElS BOOKS
An Outbreak of Fifteenth Century In
tolerance In the Enlightened
City of Tampa

Tampa, March 20.-ReHgious circles
in this city are in a state of excite
ment on account of the proposed burn
ing by Evangelist Raleigh Wright of
number of books published in the
/ interests of the teachings of Pastor
Russell, Of Brooklyn, n. Y Although
! the ceremony. which was supposed to
I take place last Sunday In the First
Baptist church, was called off by the
| pastor, Rev. Claude w. Duke, 1t is al
/ legged that certain of the books were
actually burned in another part of the
city The incident caused a split in
the ranks of the revivalists, of which
there were twenty-seven preachers
and singers in the city. Evangelist
| Raleigh Wright, accompanied by three
other evangelIsts, left the city Sunday
night. Evangelist Wright entertained
plans of burning the books, despite
Rev Dukes opposition, and had thirty
of the Russell books gathered to-
gether in the study of the church Sum
| day morning When the afternoon
| service was held at O'Clock, the
| books were missing.
| Before leaving the city, Dr. Wright
made the following written statement:
t'I have never been so badly mis-
! treated in my life. I hold some one
responsible for the Russell books that
were stolen from the church. They
must be returned, or other copies, as I
| intend burning them. Fully thirty
| books are missing. This is thievery,
as the books were my property"
The books, it is understood. were
! secured by members of DIR. Wright's
| personal workers class. who made a
| canvass Of the city, begging copies of
| the books wherever possible, or if they
could not get them otherwise, paying
for them. The announcement of the
proposed burning was made in a news
paper here Saturday, and such storm
of public protest, irrespective of de-
nomination or faith, was caused by
noon. that the pastor. Rev. c. w. Duke
after consulting with his deaeons, an
nounced that the ceremony would not
| take place. In his statement TO the
press, Rev. Duke said: "The pastor
and deacens feel that the burning OF
books is not the proper method ol
combating error"
The public protest over the proposed
book burning arose from the fact thai
the majority opinion seemed to be thai
such an act would be a step backward
IONdih u the Dd4 N ES- oOlIie deCIdI
ed: IF they burn the books of those
who disagree with them, they woult
also burn the bodies of those who dfc
not conform to their ideas, If they hat
the power.
Evangelist Holcomb, who agreed
with Dr. Wright in his ideas, did no
leave the city, but remained here t,
preach Sunday night at the lamp;
Heights Baptist church.
Although some unauthorized per
son took most of the copies of tn
| Russell books from the First Baptis
church secretly during the afternoon
eleven books were overlooked an
these DR.. Wright took and burned be
yand the city limits. If I could do so,
| continued Dr. Holcomb, 'I would burr
all the Russell books in existence Il
the street in front of the church
There is no reason TO the protest
which have made their appearance il
the press. I have no more considera
tion for the Russellite doctrine than
have for a ratt1esnake, that ought t
be killed before 1T gets a chance I
harm human beings"