The Sentinel=record., 1914-05-13
CHURCH COMMITTEE
 MUST PAY Sl,OOO
ARCHITECTS OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH SECURE JUDGMENT
 AGAINST THE COMMITTEE.
Verdict Was For the Plans of Church Proposed on Present Site, But Which Plans Were Later Sub stituted.

C. W. Swcarengen, Dr. A. r. Wi- lams r. G. West Dr. NJ C. Thomp- son. and A. IT. Moody, as members of a "bundng committee of the First Baptist church of this city in 1908 10 1910. were yesterday through jury in circuit court required to pay Bulger & Sons. architects, of Dallas, Texas, the sum of $lO00 as a balance due on plans that had been made for very grand edifice that was proposed at that time, but which plans were aft erwards substituted whel the present church was built
 W. r. Amis, who was pastor of the church at that time. and whose prob able overstepping the authority of the church building committee was re- sponsib'e for the judgment was an eNorhcio member of the building com mittoe, and the late James R. Wood, was also a member of the committee but these were not named as defend, ants in the action.
 Judge C. Floyd Huff represented the Dallas architects, and Scott Wood and A. J. Murphy represented the de, feadants. The trial of the issue had three material points for the consider alton of the jury, but the jury was not probably more than fifteen min utes reaching it's conclusion. An in- teresting feature of the case was that had a judgment been rendered against the First Baptist church it would not have been colectable legally as church property is not subject to levy on judgments.
 Another very interesting phase of the case was a deposition offered by the attorneys for the defendants from the late Judge James E. Wood, q deposition taken four days before his death in this city last May and when he realized that he would not live long. He realized that his deposition would be important to the trial of the case, and his signature to this docu- ment was the last time it was ever affixed.
 The situation was that Bu'ger & Sons had been given authority in 1908 to make plans for the new church building. The above named committee had authority as a build ing Committee" to get the plans It was understood by the building com mittee that the building was not to exceed $50,000 ia cost, but this maxi mum cost, it was proved, was not communicated to the architects.
 The plans were drawn and submit ted. and were examined carefully. hut Rev w. r. Amis, pastor of the church here at the time and an eXoficio member of the committee, made a visit to Dallas and ordered many changes in the pans, one of which was the addition Of a large colonade over the sidewalk on Reserve avenue. Changes to terra cotta were also made, and the plans so altered that probably the building would have cost more than $50,o00, thoush this Was not in evidence
 
 to pay Sl.500 for the plans, and had paid $500, but later refused to pay more because the plans called for too expensive a buildug 1t was shown that the changes ordered by Amis had added materially 10 the cost.
 Under the instructions in the ease the jury could have found a verdict against the First Baptist church or against the building committee, for having authorized or permitted Amis to make the changes in the plans. or the jury could have found for the de- fendauts. The jury verdict was ad- dressed to the building committee of the church In the sum of $hooj as sued for.