Chapter XI

SEIZURE OF CHURCHES—CHURCHES IN KANSAS CITY AND INDEPENDENCE.

Church Property—Can the War Revive or Create Titles—Church Property on
the Border—Maysville, Kentucky—Legal Rights of
Property—Attainder—Honest Inquiry—Eighth Commandment—The Truth of
History—_Church in Kansas City_—North Methodists—Faithful
Ladies—What was Said at the Time—Some who were with us Went out from
us—Their loss our gain—_Church in Independence_—How they Got it and
Why they Kept it—The Former Pastor—Why he left—Battle of
Independence—“Black Thursday”—A Rev. James Lee—How he got Possession
of the Church—Rev. Mr. DeMott—How he got Possession of the
Parsonage—A Poor Widow Turned Out by Military Order—Strategy—Rev. M.
M. Pugh Demands the Property—Why Refused—Recourse to the Civil
Courts—Statement of the Case by Counsel—Side Scenes—Extracts from
the St. Louis _Advocate_—This Property in the Statistics of Northern
Methodism—Action of the Missouri and Arkansas Conferences, M. E.
Church, on the Subject—Reflections.

CHAPTER XII.

CHURCH SEIZURES—CONTINUED.

_Church at Lexington_—Suit Brought for it by the Methodist
Church—Statement of Mr. Sawyer—Suit Dismissed—Salem, Arrow Rock,
California and other Churches—_Lagrange Church History_—How the
Church North Borrowed and then Seized it—Notice Served—Colonel W. M.
Redding the “Faithful Guardian”—Rev. W. C. Stewart—Christian
Charity—What a Southern Methodist Says—_Central Advocate_—Mr.
Stewart’s “Honor” Transmitted—Suit for
Possession—Arbitration—_Louisiana Church_—Its History and how it was
Seized—Civil Courts and Church Trustees—Names Forged—Counter
Petition—Decision of Court of Common Pleas—Supreme Court of
Missouri—History of the Case—Opinion of the Supreme Court—S. S.
Allen, Esq., on Church and State—Rulings of the Court—The Case
Reversed—Efforts to Compromise—Five Years’ Possession—Reported in
Church Statistics—Supplement—Able Argument of Smith S. Allen, Esq.

CHAPTER XIII.

CHURCH SEIZURES—CONTINUED.

Church in Boonville—One of the Oldest Religious Centers—Rev. J. N.
Pierce and his Exploits—“An Honest Looker On” in the St. Louis
_Christian Advocate_—Circuit Court vs. County Court and J. N.
Pierce—Supreme Court—Howard et al. _vs._ Pierce—Report and
Opinion—Circuit Court Sustained—John N. Pierce et al. Exhibited in
no Enviable Light—Legal History of the Case—Decision—Points to be
Noted—Moral Travestie—Judgment of Posterity—_Church in
Springfield_—How Obtained—How Long Used—How Released—Particulars
Reported by a Committee of the St. Louis Conference—_Church in
Potosi_—Statement of W. S. Woodard—Plattsburg, Fillmore, Macon,
Glasgow and other Churches—Strange Assertion—Statistical Value of
Churches Seized over $100,000—How Restored—Property Rights Secured
to the M. E. Church, South—Great Moral Courage or “Hard
Cheek”—“Making History”—Martyrdom of Principle.