The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-08-06
In Letter to Public Rev. A. P.
Garrett Says Charges
Are Untrue.
ACCUSED OF BEING
CAUGHT IN A RAID
Congregation Asked Him to Leave
Town, and He Takes Life
in Church.


| life for you," wrote the Rev. A. P.
Garrett, who until recently was pastor
of the Cairo Baptist Church, in a let
ter addressed ITO the People of
Cairo" which was discovered after he
was found dying, last night, in the
| basement of the church. He had shot
himself in the head and died soon aft
er church officials, who had received
notes from him indicating that he
planned suicide, reached the church.
One of these notes was delivered to
DR.. ]. w. Dunn. In it Garrett wrote:
"My mind is almost gone. If |
should wait another day the thread
would snap"
With another official of the church
DR.. Dunn hurried to the church and
made hasty examination of the audi
forum. As they were going away
they noticed a light in the furnace
room and there they found the min
istrc lying upon his back. His heart
was still beating but he was uncon-
scious and died in a few minutes.
Garrett was SO years old, unmar-
ried, and a native Of North Carolina.
His parents live in Hillsboro in that
State. After graduation from the Uni
versity of Chicago he went to Green
Bay, Wis, coming from that place to
Cairo. Rumor has it that he left
Green Bay under fire. Two years ago
he had a nervous breakdown and has
been in poor health since. 1t is said
that he used drugs for insomnia.
CARROTS connection with the Cairo
church was severed last Saturday, fol-
lowing weeks of gossip about him, in
volvirg misconduct toward women.
Several weeks ago Garrett resigned,
although officers of the church who
had Investigated the stories about him
reported that they had found nothing
irregular. One of the stories was to
the effect that he had been caught in
police raid on a disorderly resort.
Less than week ago it was report
ed that he had been forced to leave a
hotel because he was found in COM
pany with woman, a former member
of his congregation.
Saturday morning Garrett was call
ed before an officer of the church,
given the amount due him and, it is
said, asked t. leave town. He depart
ed for St. Louis at noon. In his resig-
nation Garrett had named Sept. l as
the date on which it would take eff
feet He had had correspondence with
a st. Louis church and it is said that
stories from Cairo caused this church
to refuse him the pastorate.
Garrett returned from st. Louis last
night and went in a cab direct from
the station t. the church. Arriving
there he gave the driver a package of
letters to be delivered, one of which
was the note addressed to DR.. Dunn.
The communioa alton had been written
with pencil, apparently when he was
aboard the train, and included his
will.
The letter addressed "To the People
of Cairo" read as follows:
GEThn I1accnccinY, Of
man is his life. My life is no less dear
to me than it is to all men. l am will
ing to give w that which is dearest to
all human kird to vindicate the people
who have defended me.
81 have many faults, but I am in
nocent of every charge brought
against me. Circumstances have SEEM
ed to wind themselves about me and
to conspire tc convict me. But my
last statement to you is that l am in
nocent of each and every charge
against me il so far as it implies
wrong either n act or word.
81 beg the people of the Cairo Bap-
fist Church &c stand together. l am
giving my life for you. Please work
for the good of the church and the
salvation of men and women. wish
/ had a thousand lives to give foi
you. l would gladly give them all.
Will you believe me? l seal my plea
with my blood.
A. P. Garrett.
"P. Set those who love me for
give and those who hate me have
charity"
The Cairo Baptist Church is the
leading church of that denomination
in the city.