The Washington times., 1917-03-08
STOP CHURCH SALE
AT LAST MINUTE
Dramatic Scene at Auctioning
of Mckinley Memorial
Church. Y

Just as the hammer Of the auctioneer
was about to fall for the last time. and
proclaim by its crash on the pulpit that
the Mckinley Memorial Baptist Church.
colored, was sold for lack OF funds with
which to meet the church debt. pro-
cession Of devout members Of the con-
gregation who had labored to save tho
church. appeared around the corner Of
Fourth and L streets northwest. singing
old-fashioned hymns.
The auctiOneer paused. The crowd.
who had come to bid for the Ettle
church. ceased its noisy clamor. The
procession advanced. the singing grew
stronger and more clear. The march
ers halted, and a leader stepped to the
rostrum on which the auctioneer stood.
produced a handful Of certified checks,
and the Mckinley Memorial Baptist
Church was saved.
VIII Long Remember Incident.
The incidents leading up to the jra-
matte rescue Of their church at the
last minute will live long within the
breasts Of those who Iabored to save
the church, and were successful.
About two weeks ago, because they
were unable to pay a debt of 5000
which had hung for years over the
little colored congregation which at
tends Mckinley Memorial Baptist
Church, the pastor, the Rev. S. Gerian
Lamkins, was notified the church
would be sold at auction yesterday.
The aid Of several prominent Wash
ingtonians was enlisted, as was the
aid OF The Washington Times.
Contributions began to come into
the treasury, but they were slow. and
r''er,bAEs 81 the lItsIe church began
to despair of ever saving the little
red brick meetisg place, which, BY
the way, Is the only memorial in
Washington to President Mckinley,
the martyr President
Yesterday. after the time was pass
ed for the payment of the. debt, the
appeared, and with him a
crowd of buyers.
In the meantime, however, just at
the last moment, Charles w. War;.
den, vice president of the Continental
Trust Company: S. H. Hine, Judge
]. r. Hit. N. S. Faucet, Frank s.
Carmody, H Plaster, OF the Farmers.
and Mechanics National Bank; Oden
5. Smith and S. H. Hine, jr., through
their own contributions and aid in
other ways, raised a fund large
enough to postpone the sale of the
church.
Sympathlxers Join In.
The pastor was notified. He quick
ly assembled members of his flock,
and colored brethren in the city who
were interester. With a sense for
the dramatic, the crowd formed a
short distance from the little church,
and began a march. Others, seeing
the marching throng and learning of
Its purpose, Joined, and when the
crowd reached the scene of the pro-
jected sale, there were fully 1,5OO
marchers.
The crowd began singing the old
hymn. The Old-Time Reli-
yion; 1t Is Good Enough fer Me-" as
t approached, and, led by the pastor.
three times around the little
square on which the church is situ-
ated, in imitation of the children Of
israel in their march around the walls
Of the city OF Jericho.
Following the dramatic stop to the
sale the marchers filed intothe little
and the Rev C. L. wiIbanks,
one of the colored pastors, mounted
to the pulpit and preached, accord
ing to one OF the hearers, "a power
full sermon on THE Child Sneezed =
Seven Times After Death"
The campaign is not over, however,
and the congregation has only had
The sale of the church delayed for a
time. 1t is hoped, the pastor stated
today. that Washingtonians will be
as generous as heretofore in their