EVANGELIST RECEIVES ANONYMOUS THREATS FROM 'A CERTAIN ELEMENT'
McAlester, Oklahoma* (JFK+50) On October 7, 1922, the Evening Star reports intinerant evangelist The Rev. W.E. Smith "opened his services in Latimer County** last night by removing a loaded gun from his hip pocket and placing it beside the open Bible."
Apparently, the good reverend decided one gun was not enough because after the convocation he pulled out another gun and also placed it beside the Bible.
Rev. Smith had received anonymous threats from "a certain element" saying he would not be permitted to speak.
During the services, a car pulled up outside "loaded with men attired in the regalia of the Ku Klux Klan."
The Star reports that Rev. Smith was able to finish services without incident.
*McAlester is the county seat of Pittsburg County, Oklahoma & the largest city in the Choctaw Nation. It is also the home of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary.
**Latimer County is located in Southeast Oklahoma & is named for James L. Latimer, a delegate to the 1906 state constitutional convention.
SOURCE
"Pistols In Pulpit, Pastor's Reply To Open Threats," The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., October 7, 1922, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/
