Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-11-08

Parson, Sentenced to 20 Days,
Dares Mayor to Jail Him;
Case is Dismissed.
Anderson, S. c., Nov. 4.-There
has been much excitement in the lit
tie Georgia town of 1000 people just
across the Savannah River from this
county, called Hartwell, over the al
tercation between the Methodist
minister, Rev. Homer Thompson, and
the chief of police, last Saturday.
The final chapter in this encounter
which has stirred the people so in
tensely was written Thursday when
Mayor Richardson and the chief of
police, w. H. Locke, publicly apollo
gized to the preacher. Men and wo-
men rallied to the side Of the preach
er, and it is said that in the mayors
court when Rev. Mr.. Thompson was
fined $40 that some women shook
their fists in the mayors face. One OF
the friends of the preacher paid the
fine, the preacher being tried in his
absence, as he was fulfilling an en-
gagement out of town. When he re-
turned he demanded new trial, and
refused to allow the judgment of the
mayor and the imposition Of the $40
fine to stand.
Refuses to Pay Fine.
Chief Locke admitted attacking
the minister, and after hearing the
testimony again the mayor fined the
minister $40 and a similar amount
to the chief of police. Rev. Mr..
Thompson said that he refused to
pay the fine, saying also, 81 have no
respect for the court that yields to
petty, low, mean politics over right
and justice. If conditions have reach
ed such point III Hartwell that a
man can no longer defend himself
when he is attacked, then l want you
to put me in Jail, for that is the only
safe place for me or anybody else. l
dare you to send me to prison"
Then the mayor called the court
to order, and said, "Your sentence
for contempt Of court is $40 and
twenty days in jail" Then Rev. Mr..
Thompson reached for his hat, and
told the mayor that he was ready to
go, and again he said, "I dare you to
put me in jail" An outburst of ap-
plause greeted this statement of the
minister, and it was some minutes
before quiet was restored. Counsel
for the minister gave notice of ap-
peal, but was interrupted by the min
lister emphatically declaring that he
wanted no appeal, but he was ready
to serve the sentence of the mayor
dared to put him in the workhouse.
Then he walked from the courthouse
again being cheered.
The case grew out Of the chief
of police taking offense at a sermon
preached by Rev. MI. Thompson
against lawlessness, when he said
that the law was not upheld as it
should be in Hartwell. Two weeks la
ter the chief attacked the minister
on the street and it is said but for
the interference of onlookers that
the minister would have given the
chief a good beating, although the
chief is a much larger man than the
minister, weighing about 200 pounds.
Case Dismissed.
Friday morning the case was again
called against Rev. Homer Thompson
and was dismissed by Mayor Richard
son. This was followed by state
ment that Chief Locke had been sus-
pended from the police force.
The board of stewards of. the
church of which Rev. Mr.. Thompson
is pastor went to Elberton to visit
the presiding elder and petitioned
him to have Rev. Mr.. Thompson re-
turned to Hartwell at the Methodist
conference next week. And they
guaranteed that he should have a
raise in salary if sent back.
The petition was unanimous one
from the membership of the Metho-
dist church, together with a large
number of the citizens of Hartwell,
who are not Methodists. Rev. Mr..
Thompson will go to the northeast