The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-03-06


BELOVED PASTOR
DIES OF WOUND
TIE Rev. James u. Mitchell Has
Passed Away.-Baptist Clergyman
Victim of Accidental Injury.
The State.
The Rev. James Martin Mitchell,
pastor of the Riverside and Colonial
Heights Baptist churches, who was
fatally injured at his home in Colon
ial Heights Thursday noon, when q
piece of wood. thrown from a sec
ond story window into the garden by
Mrs. Mitchell, struck him on the
head, fracturing the skull, died az
the Baptist hospital at $3.50 O'Clock
yesterday morning. Mrs. Mitchell,
who was unaware that her husband
was working in the garden below, has
been almost craZed with grief and
even last night was in no condition
to talk of the deplorable accident.
Neighbors alarmed by her screams
rushed to the house and found the
PROSTATE minister where he had fall
len. He was rushed to the hospital
and an operation was performed, but
the surgeons had little hope for his
recovery from the beginning.
The funeral services will be held at
the Riverside Baptist church at IL
o'clock this morning, the Rev. w. T..
Derieux, D. D., secretary of the
State board of missions, officiating.
He will possibly be assisted by other
ministers. Interment will follow at
Elmwood. The pail bearers, selected
from the congregation Of that church,
will be: H. r. Kirby, Henry M. Still
niger, Thomas c.. Carroll, T. S. Ber-
foot, ]. NJ. McCabe and J. P. Small.
Life of Service.
Although but 81 years Of age the
Rev. Mr.. Mitchell had accomplished
much in the walks of life, notably
in the service he had chosen as q
permanent one He was born al
Woodruff, Spartanburg county, and re-
ceiyed his schooling at the Campo
bello high school at that place and
at Furman university, Greenville, be-
ing of the 1907 class at the latter
institution. After his graduation he
taught school for some time at Bath
in Aiken county, and also at Conway.
He married Miss Annie Laurie Brown
of Bath He was then connected with
the newspaper business for a short
while, being associated with the
Greenville Daily News. He was also
travelling representative in South Car
olina for the Baptist Courier and in
this capacity did valuable service for
that publication and made friendg
throughout the State.
Mr.. Mitchell entered the ministry
about 1910 and about four years ago
came to Columbia under the auspices
of the State mission board. His first
work in this city was the organiza-
tion of a mission and Sunday school
in the western part Of the city. His
untiring efforts and forceful person
ality were responsible for the erec-
ton of the Riverside Baptist church
there. About the same time he also
became pastor of the Colonial Heights
BAPTIST church and his work in these
churches won him reputation.
He was also prominent in the fight
for prohibition. Last December he
introduced a resolution before the
Baptist State convention at Newberry,
asking that a committee be appoint
ed to appear before the governor and
legislature and urge bone dry" pro-
hibition.
Derieux's Tribute.
The following tribute was paid to
the deceased minister yesterday by
the Rev. Dr.. w. T. Derieux, secre-
tary of the State board of missions,
who is to conduct the funeral:
THE accidental and untimely death
of the Rev. James NJ Mitchell Is a
terrible shock, not only to his own
relations, but also to his associates
in Christian work 1t has been my
privilege to know him intimately for
number of years, and l am there
fore in position to give true estl-
mate of his worth as man and
fidelity as a minister Of the gospel
For the past three or four years
he has been employed by our Baptist
State mission board to labor as q
missionary pastor in the city of Co.
lumbia. The Riverside Baptist church
in its present development is largely
due to his consecrated toll His labors
however, were not confined to this
field, he was also pastor of the Co.
onial Heights Mission church, which
has prospered under his guiding hani
In his death our State board has lost
one of its truest and most efficient
missionaries
"The monthly reports he sent 10
me as secretary Of the board pre-
dicted a life Of continuous and sue
cessful labor and with his churches
! our board will feel keenly his death
Besides his wife, Mr.. Mitchell is
survived by four children, Annie
Laurie, aged Z; Mildred, 5; James, Jr
3, and Earnest l. two brothers, the
-