The Robesonian., 1918-05-16
TELL 1T TO HIGHER COURT.

John McLaurin, Negro Preacher,
Bound to Federal Court Under $500
Bond-Evidence Was That He
Made Some Remarks Not Calculat-
ed to Help Red Cross.
Rev. John McLaurin, a colored di-
WIDER of the Word, was tried before
II. S. Commissioner E. NJ. johnson
! Monday afternoon on the charge Of
speaking against the Red Cross at
Holy Swamp church Sunday and was
bound over to Federal court on a
! $500 bond, which he gave.
1t was in evidence that when the
pastor, Rev. c. F. Worley, colored,
/ finished short sermon at the church
! Sunday the Rev. John was moved,
! though unlimited, to submit some re-
marks, in the course Of which he salc
some words which We're not calcu-
lated to arouse in his hearers any
burning desire to become members of
the Red Cross. John plead no. gull
ty, said he was preaching the gospel,
that he was member of the Red
Cross himself, that he has one son m
France and one in training camp,
and that he would not say anything
against the Red Cross.
Gen. F. A. Bond of Hunters lodge,
near Lowe, was the first witness IN
troduced. Gen. Bond said that he
> went to the church with Mrs. Bond
who had an engagement to meet Mr.
Wccdberry Lennon Of Lumberton
2 there and organize Red Cross chap
ter. He and Mrs. Bond sat in q
buggy some 80 yards from the church
! and heard some one ripping and rar'
ing and raving in furious manner
+ He could not hear distinctly but whe1
q Mrs. Bond said that man was talking
against the war he went to the dool
+ f the church and could see and heal
: enough to know that McLaurin wa:
advising and warning the people no
: to have anything to do with the Rec
n Cross, that they were sending ne
i groes to France to wait on the WAT
people and that negro soldiers ais
Il were sent to France to wait on whit
Q people. The defendant was talkln,
:! in the most excited manner, Gen
J. Bond said, and some Of the negroe
seemed quite excited and worked VI
l. by what he was saying.
# Chief of Police ALI. H. Mcleod, VIII
= went to arrest Rev. C. F. Worley-
+ against whom it was afterwards foun
there was no case-and McLaur!1
q testified that he reached Holy Swan
# church along in the shank Of tn
y evening Sunday and heard Jon
e preaching afar off, and knew, by, tn
n. voice that it was he. When ne Ore
= nigh unto the church he heard Jon
say, "That man Johnson IN Lumoerto
!. is taking the young men OF the count
. and sending them to France Wlthot
giving the parents opportunity
say yea or nay" A car coming U
to lust then drowned out the voice {
the preacher and when that ncls
ceased John was talking IN qulete
lone. Members of the congre'atle
were worked up and excited. Mr.. M
I,eod said. their feet keeping tin
with the preachers remarks. NJ
on Rill Rullard was with Mr.. McLe'
20 and corroborated his testimony. :,
re- Rev. C. F. Worley, pastor OF T
,e, church. was put on the, stand.
~ said that he preached short serme
n, no called on Bro. McLaurin to lead
on Draver. which he did, and then, som
ed hodv raised a hymn, a favor-ite hyn
in If BRO. McLaurin, who joined IN t
no singing heartily, and then got
re Voluntarily and talked. He said M
nv I.aurin talked some Is minutes aoo
his : minutes of his talk being. ievot
i've to spiritual things, then he So
zen something about what he had seen
or the papers that German spies lou
out where Red Cross signs were :, a
she the Germans dropped bombs on the
places; also something about the o DC
. being sent off if they did not 40 Tn
e. duty by home folks. Worley sald
,is sts- had intended to open the doors OF
church, but the congregation seen
upt so worked up after McLaurlns Z
,sea' e., that he did not do it. In answer
nsy, sfb a o,7est;on nv Attorney w. Lennon
/ at said that he did not know that tb
ash; pad was ANYTHING in what McLaurin
nar- to encourage any one to join the
$: cross. When asked why he permit
ttas 1as McLaurin to keep on talking he
and he kept thinking he would quit,
j, di. j. did not seem to know why he did
oIm. interrupt him :.
orth- Martin M1tcneH, coioieu, .eS'A
Mrs. that he attended both services
e &c. et that McLaurin said he did not t.
and the Red Cross was any place Tor
er of men. that the women got S15 a "
1gtGn ,tas1n, and danced three times day a
VI. cents a dance. McLaurin said SO
al of thing, too, Martin testified, ak
,tarti tn,rd the Germans flying over the, ho'
~ In and spotting the Red Cross. AS
lower suit of what McLaurin said Ma
bank- said he would hardly have felt
amer Joining the Red Cross. He also h.
y in McLaurin say something to the ef
lrupt, ~ ~ ~ q MON would NOT take car
Pate's Pate his wife and children Mr.. Joh1
said would take him in the army.
: the the The defendant deposed and
resi-. resi- that he was called to preach at
.di- Swamp, that Mr.. Lennon CAM
nPing ping talk about the Red Cross but tina
thence it was late he left and said he "
Pate's come another time. That was
w, w. +; +. first time he had thought about
third Red Cross, he said. He said thu
many young men are loafing anc
an ad- do;r,r '+hoic d,1tv at home tha
before uonis 90 .Lo,,+ .o,,,3;,,,,