Greensboro, June 3—Strong denial was made yesterday by important officials in the Holiness church that the man known as Rev. B.F. Johnson, who was arrested Sunday night immediately after his attendance at the revival services as the Holiness tabernacle on charges of immoral conduct and abandonment of his wife and whose name turned out to be B.R. Davis of Asheville had any official connection with the church.
The man was not a preacher in the Holiness church, said Rev. W.R. Cox, he did not preach at the tabernacle Sunday night and no one in charge of the revival services had invited him to come.
In this statement Mr. Cox who is general superintendent of the Holiness church was corrob orated by S.M. Spikeleather, state district superintendent, Rev. Paul H. Greeson, general secretary, and others who are members of Pilgrim Holiness church on Silver avenue and who attended the Sunday night services.
Members of the Pilgrim Holiness church, Silver avenue, state that the sermon Sunday evening was preached by Rev. C.B. Fugett of Ashland, Ky. Sunday afternoon Rev. Paul Reese of Pasadena, Calif., preached, it was stated, and the song leader at both services was Rev. Alvin Young of New York.
“He was just there the same as any tramp,” said Mr. Cox.
Other officials of the church described Davis as a blacksmith.
Davis was arrested late Sunday night after the last of the revival services at the Holiness tabernacle. He had been attending the services and was conspicuous among those who were near the front exhorting and praying. Deputy Sheriff Pat Smothers of Forsyth county, detective L.L, Jarvis of the Greensboro police force and young J.W. Davis, son of the arrested man, arrived at the tent during the service. They made no attempt to serve the warrant on Davis until after the service was over. Young Davis recognize is father as the latter was praying and pointed him out to officers.
From page 3 of the Tri-City Daily Gazette, Leaksville, N.C., Wednesday, June 4, 1924
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