34. Whipped and Shot For His Faith
Well, the blow has fallen. A mob of the best planters along the Yazoo River called at the chapel at Calmar, and called Bro. [Dan] Stephenson119Dan Stephenson was a native of Mississippi. He was the teacher at the new little Adventist school when it opened in Calmar, Mississippi, in early 1899. from his room, took him in [a] buggy to Redwood, put him on the cars, and paid his fare to a station up the line. They were all kindness to him, but told him it was me120James Edson White, 1849-1928, the second son of James and Ellen White. they were after. He is a Southern man, but I was the responsible one.PPP 174.1
From the chapel they went to the house of Bro. [William H.] Casey, 121William H. Casey was superintendent of the 800-acre Bruce Plantation. He accepted the Sabbath in 1898. but he had learned of the matter and got out of their way. Next they went to the house of Bro. [N. W.] Olvin, 122N. W. Olvin was a sharecropper on the 800-acre Bruce Plantation. He accepted the Sabbath in 1898. who is impetuous and injudicious in his talk, and had said some things which maddened them. They took him out and whipped him. His wife, in trying to escape, was shot in the leg. I am told that I shall not be allowed [t]o operate along the Yazoo River between Yazoo City and Vicksburg. The difficulty arises from the assistance we have been giving to the colored people. This we find maddens the [white] people. The mob was made up of the best farmers, and not of the irresponsible class, and they are very determined.—Portion of letter from James Edson White to his mother, Ellen G. White, written from Yazoo City, Mississippi, May 14, 1899.PPP 174.2
Two weeks ago tonight a mob of about 25 white men came to our church at Calmer [sic.] at about midnight. They brought out brother [sic.] [Dan] Stephenson our worker, and then looted the church, burning book[s], maps, charts, etc. They hunted for Brother [William H.] Casey, our leading colored brother of that place, but he had escaped in time so they did not reach him. They then went to the house of Brother [N. W.] Olvin, called him out, and whipped him with a cow-hide. I think they would have killed him if [it] had not been for a friendly white man who ordered them to stop whipping after they had struck a few blows. They did not pay any attention to him at first, but he drew his revolver, and said the next man who struck a blow would hear from him, and then they stopped. During the time they shot at Brother Olvin’s wife, and struck her in the leg, but did not hurt her seriously. They took Brother Stephenson to the nearest railway station, put him on the cars, and sent him out of the country. They posted notice on the church forbidding me to return, and forbidding the steamer Morning Star to land between Yazoo City and Vicksburg.PPP 175.1
The whole difficulty arose from our efforts to aid the colored people. We had given them clothing where in need, and food to those who were hungry, and had taught them some better ideas about farming, introduced different seeds such as peanuts, beans, etc., that bring a high price, etc., and this the whites would not stand.—Portion of letter from James Edson White to his mother, Ellen G. White, written from Battle Creek, Michigan, May 25, 1899.PPP 175.2
We have had stirring times in our work in the South, and I in close [sic.] the copy I have written out to print so that I can send some around to friends that are interested in the work. I do not want it printed in any paper, for the quieter we keep in this matter the better it will be for the work in the south. O, Mother, we praise God that He in his infinite mercy gave us wisdom to so act in this matter that the camp of the enemy is alarmed as was often the case of the enemies of the people of God in olden times. I feel that it is a great evidence that God is with us in the work, that we are given wisdom to meet properly the difficulties brought upon us by the enemy. I tell you it was one of the trials of my life to give over every thought of retribution to those wicked people, but the Lord gave me the victory before I met the brother who was whipped, 123N. W. Olvin. and when I met him I suppose I had the greatest need of wisdom that I ever had. Poor, bruised, wounded, suffering man in both mind and body. It made my heart ache as I met him and saw the evidence of the awful ordeal through which he had passed. O, I praise God with all my heart that He gave me words for that poor, afflicted soul that drew him near to God and to us his staunch friends. And what a joy it was as the comforting words came to me as fast as I could use them, and how rejoiced I was when I saw that the Lord was working with him. And when he finally surrendered his own ideas of vengeance to the Lord, and became willing to let Him do the work of avenging his wrongs, how happy he became. Then he became as a little child. I then asked him, “What will you do with your Winchester rifle?” “Sell it” was his reply. But I knew he could not get for it what he paid, and also that he was not able to lose anything on it, and I was determined that the temptation should be removed. So I told him to take it back where it had been bought and get what he could for it, and I would make up whatever loss there was in the transaction. He asked Bro. Grimes to go and get it and sell it for him, and he would stay with us till it was done. He was stopping at the home of Bro. Grimes. So Bro. Grimes sold it back to the dealer from whom it was bought. The loss was $3.00, and I gave him the money. I have always been glad that I did it.—Portion of letter from James Edson White to his mother, Ellen G. White, written from Battle Creek,Michigan, June 9, 1899.PPP 175.3