Arkansas State press., 1945-09-21

This is intended for an open
letter to Bishop Geo E. Curry)
Little Rock, Ark.
September l4th, l945
Dear Father In God:
This would have been a private
instead of an open letter had the
thing which l am going to write
about been private, and the re-
marks that are alleged you made
concerning me. been private. l
am a good and loyal African
Methodist, and respect and revere
you and every bishop in the
church, which you and all of the
others know. The three years l
worked under you, ! was so sub
missive and obedient to such an
extent, that you told DR.. A. S.
Jackson ! would turn against you
(or something like that) if you
said so, and that was true.
! am away from my native
state, but by no means fugitive
from justice. Not that you sent
me away because Of any failure on
my part, for when you removed
me from the Hot Springs District
when you were working to free
Shorter College from debt, in the
presence of bishops and high
churchmen, I led your entire
District with $l94l,50, and the
very day ! left, during the East
Arkansas Conference at Stuttgart
l placed in your hands TWO
THOUSAND DOLLARS, for the
debt at the Helena Church, per
my promise and your request.
YOU DID NOT SEND ME AWAY
AT ALL, went on my own Volt
ton, because as well known to
you, II DID NOT LIKE YOUR
ONE MAN administration, so you
gave me a transfer stating over
your signature, can elder in good
and regular standing"
Since leaving l have not in any
way attempted to run any elders
Quarterly, District, Conference,
Convention, Official Board, or
anything else in the church in
Arkansas, neither did l attempt
to run anything while there under
you as is alleged you stated, pub
licly. l had nothing to do with
the actions of Rev. p. L. johnson
at the Conference at Osceola last
year, and he is too manly to say
such, and l could not, by any
method ! know reduce myself so
small as to be guilty of any of
these, for I consider myself too
big man, to stoop to such low
things. 1t is also alleged that
you made statements publicly to
the effect that l tried to beat the
people at Arkadelphia, whose
church built, out of their prop
erty, which people / allowed to
use both my cash and credit to
hundreds of dollars, mortgaged
my own property, which had
never been mortgaged in my life.
to build that church. This is nv
native city and church where |
was born, and if you believe your
alleged statements to be true, lust
write it upon a piece of paper
sign 1t and send to me, and I will
have the courts to substantiate
your allegation.
1t is also alleged that you adj
Vlsed Rev. W. M. Wingfield, pre-
siding elder of the onesboro Dis
trict to keep me off his district.
IhlS of course neither Wingfield
nor you nor any one else can do.
For l am a Christian minister
with as good reputation, both
at home and throughout the Con-
nectlon, as any minister in the
"A, M. E, Connection, and / have
given 45 years of my best service
OF my life, 80 years a presiding
elder, | am a tax payer in Arkan-
sas, own thousands of dollars
worth of property, all of which
warrants me to 60 where and
when | please in the state. will
visit Wingfield at any time and
help him, for he is the son of the
only sister | have in the world,
and as long as live | will con-
tinue my close association with
him. You are a bishop, and | will
always respect your rule and
orders, but to keep me away from
the men with whom | have labor
ed, and many of whom | have
made, and trained, this cannot and