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AFRICAN AMERICAN ROOTS
NEWS The Daily News
Thursday, July 2, 1874 pg.3 FOURTH MONTHLY REPORT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF SUB-DISTRICT NO. 1 COLORED SCHOOL Primary Department - One Division A.M. Gregory, teacher - pupils enrolled, 70 Average daily attendance, 50 Dropped from the roll since last month, 0  Denison Daily News Wednesday, August 26, 1874 pg. 3 REV. MR. GREGORY He Demanded an Investigation and is Pronounced INNOCENT Rev. Mr. Gregory, colored of this city, who it will be remembered, was charged not long since with taking improper liberties with the female members of his flock, demanded an investigation (a la Beecher) by the members of the church. A committee of colored brethren came over from Sherman to make inquiries regarding the matter, and Tuesday an investigation was had in the hall on Woodard street. Several witnesses were summoned, mostly females; and as in the celebrated Beecher case, the women stood up for Mr. Gregory. Witnesses were produced who testified that the woman who had made the confession of adultery with the Reverend gentleman had subsequently denied (a la Mrs. Tilton) having had any improper intimacy with Gregory at any time. To be sure, another woman on cross-examination, thought Mr. Gregory had taken liberties with her not exactly correct according to the decalogae, but on the whole there was no evidence that in the judgment of the committee sustained any of the grave charges against the beloved pastor and teacher. The committee have not yet made their statement public, but will probably do so in a few days. It is enough to know, however, that they will declare Mr. Gregory innocent. Friday, August 28, 1874 pg. 3 THE FORCE OF EXAMPLE Only a few days ago it was flashed over the wires that the investigating committee of Plymouth church had thrown the white robe of innocence over their great pastor, and consigned to lifelong and eternal damnation all who would dare to wag a tongue against him. Taking their cue from this action, the investigation committee of the colored church at Denison has decided that, "in the whole, there was no evidence that in the judgment of the committee sustained any of the grave charges against their beloved pastor and teacher." It was noticeable, says the News, in this, as in the Beecher investigation case, that all the women stood up for Mr. Gregory. - - - Dallas Herald The Daily News Saturday, September 12, 1874 pg. 3 REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF INVESTIGATION IN THE CASE OF A.M. GREGORY, OF DENISON Having heard the report in circulation, in regard to the disrespectful conduct of said A.M. Gregory, we thought it proper to investigate the matter for which purpose we visited Denison on or about the 26th of August last. After arriving, we assembled in a Hall on Woodard Street, and arranged our committee of investigation, and summoned the following witnesses, viz: Mrs. Littie Jackson and Mr. David Williams, a Negro barber of Denison. We then sent for Miss Violet Young, the woman who had made the confession of adultery, with the heretofore mentioned Gregory, but she failed to put in an appearance, on account, as she stated, of being sick. The chairman of the committee then detailed four members to visit the said Violet Young at her residence. On their arrival at her house she was found in bed apparently sick. The detailed committee then proceeded to business by examining the accused, said Violet Young. Rev. Wm. Cox, of Sherman, asked Violet if she had circulated the reports in regard to the Rev. A.M. Gregory's improper conduct. She stated that she had made such a confession, but did so through prejudicial feelings, created by her expulsion from the Benevolent Society, of which Gregory was the Secretary, and who had preferred charges against her. She furthermore stated that she never would have done so, only through persuasion of David Williams and part of his family. In conclusion, she stated that A.M. Gregory had never had, never sought any connection with her; and that she would swear it before ten thousand black and white. The committee then returned to the Hall on Woodard Street, and reported to the chairman the result of their investigation of Violet Young, after which the committee proceeded to examine other witnesses. Mrs. Jackson was first called upon to state what she knew about the matter. Her statement was as follows: She said she was at the school house one evening when said Violet Young came in and seated herself near the witness, Mrs. Jackson. We both came to get an aid petition written out by A.M. Gregory for our coming festival. We together asked him to write the petition as soon as he could, and as he was not busy at the time, he wrote out the petition, when we both left the school house together. The Negro barber, David Williams, was then examined. He stated that he knew nothing about the affair, with the exception of what he had heard from other parties. We, the committee of investigation in this case find no truth in the slanderous reports against A.M. Gregory, and we therefore deem him innocent, as we hope the public will see him to be. Wash Kidd D.L. Coleman Tayton Patterson Levy Edmond, Committee Wm. Cox, Ch'm. Peter Hamilton, Secretary. The Daily News Wednesday, September 16, 1874 pg. 3 REV. GREGORY AGAIN One of the Investigating Committee "goes back" on Him. And Declares Him "Guilty Beyond a Possibility of a Doubt" To the Editor of the Denison Daily News Dear Sir - As my name has been used in the Gregory-Young scandal without my consent, and the committee have deemed it proper to act in the manner without consulting me. I wish now to make a statement, believing that that made by Gregory's committee to be false in every particular, and against the best interest of the African M.E. Church. 1st. The investigation was carried on in such a manner as to keep back the truth and screen the Rev. A.M. Gregory at all hazards, the committee having neither regard for truth or decency in the matter. 2nd. The committee in their report published in your paper of the 12th inst., do not give the evidence of Mrs. Watson. She testified before the committee and positively stated that the Rev. A.M. Gregory acted improperly towards her, having caressed her in a manner unbecoming a gentleman and a Minister of the Gospel. 3rd. The undersigned with three others, Jordan Coleman, T. Patterson, and D. Williams, in company, called on Violet Young, and D. Williams during the visit asked her, "if he or any of his family ever induced her to circulate the report concerning the Rev. A.M. Gregory." She said neither D. Williams nor his family ever influenced her in the least to make the statement concerning Gregory. 4th. I make this statement of my own free will and accord, influenced by no one, but feeling that the church and community at large have been outraged by the manner in which this investigation was carried on, and I do not care to lend my name as assistance to any such trickery for the purpose of "whitewashing" a man whom I consider from the evidence guilty beyond a possibility of doubt. Signed. D.L. Coleman Saturday, September 19, 1874 pg.3 We have received another communication on the Gregory nest-hiding affair but as it is anonymous we cannot insert it. The card accompanying purporting to be from the investigating committee, is not attested by their own signatures, consequently we must refuse to publish that also until properly vouched for. Thursday, September 24, 1874 pg.3 FINIS We publish the following card from Rev. Gregory's investigating committee, which we trust is the last of this case. It has become nearly as much of a bore as the Beecher affair: We, the committee of investigation in the case of A.M. Gregory, confirm our report of the 12th inst., and declare it true in every particular, and simply state to the world that we, as the African minister, D.L. Coleman, do not propose to be led into falsifying our word by every northern Negro scalawag in the country. Wm. Cox, Chairman Peter Hamilton, Sec'y Wash Kidd Taylor Patterson Levi Edmund, Committee The Sunday Gazetteer Sunday, September 28, 1902 pg.3 EARLY DAYS IN DENISON Week Ending September 12, 1874 Rev. A.M. Gregory, the Denison colored parson, was "churched" on the charge of clerical indiscretion with Sister Young. A committee interview the sister and she said she had been lying about her dear pastor; that Dave Williams put her up to it. Williams said he knew nothing about the matter, and the pastor was declared by the investigating committee as a much wronged man and was exonerated of the charges, to the great satisfaction of the female members of the flock. News Index Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |