Charlotte Calls Up Riot Squad When Negroes Want Bishop Grace to Remain in Town, Sept. 11, 1926

Riot Squad Called When Negroes Fail to Make Agreement. . . Squad in Charlotte Called Out to Control Several Hundred Negroes Gathered at City Hall. . . “Faith Healer” Is Cause of Trouble. . . His Friends Want Him to be Allowed to Baptize Persons for $3 a Head—Ministers Object

Charlotte, Sept. 11 (AP)—The riot squad of the local police force was called out shortly before noon to control a crowd of several hundred negroes gathered at the city hall in connection with the case of the “Rt. Rev. Bishop” Grace, Portuguese “faith healer.”

More than 400 negroes were on the scene protesting any action requesting the “healer” to halt plans for baptizing 600 negroes near here tomorrow.

“Bishop” Grace is alleged to be planning to immerse that number of negroes at $3 a head, promising them “certain” access to heaven. The local ministerial association, as well as a body of negro pastors, have asked that the baptism be stopped.

A negro, Jack Anderson, one of the leaders of the crowd, was arrested when he persisted in assembling the negroes on the lawn before the city hall.

Every available policeman was being rushed to the municipal building to insure protection to property and pedestrians as the negroes were described as being in an “angry mood.”

The city commissioners were scheduled to meet during the morning to consider the case.

The “bishop” has been holding services here for some time and has drawn thousands of negroes who profess to have been divinely healed. Grace is alleged to have sold “sacred” handkerchiefs and “sacred” hymn books to his congregation at exorbitated prices.

The city commissioners issued an order today banning any further services by “Bishop” Grace, “faith healer.”

Editor’s Note: Bishop Grace may have left Charlotte before the mass baptism, but he came back and established a motherhouse for his United House of Prayer for All People later that year. Bishop Grace was born Marcelino Manuel de Graca in Cape Vere, which was a Portuguese territory at that time. His family moved to the United States when he was a child and he went by the name of Charles Manuel Grace. His church just celebrated its 100th birthday, and there are dozens of United House of Prayers in North Carolina.

From the front page of the Concord Daily Tribune, Saturday, September 11, 1926

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1926-09-11/ed-1/seq-1/