Remembers 1915
Explosion At Sims Church
Arlington, Texas

Dear Editor:

Thank you, thank you for the picture of the damage done to the (Sims) General Baptist Church (in 1915).  I have wanted that for years.  In fact, I would like even more information for I am leaving a small book of memoirs for my children, and this church incident is one of them.

I was only five years old when the church was blown up, but there are two or three bits I remember clearly, the rest is from over hearing many, many folks talk about it.

You see, in its hey-day, Sims had more than its share of those who wore black hats.  In fact, these black hatters had been trouble makers for quite some time.  The village fathers had their fill and decided to exercise some control.  They hired a peace officer.  The first one failed, and a second one was hired.  He was more efficient and the black hatters felt the pressure.

No longer was drinking, petty thievery and robbing the depot enought to satisfy.  The black hatters wanted revenge and retaliation.  So, what better thing to do than to fix a target - those on the village council who led the clean-up drive.  And, two were very clear, "Deacon" Jones and Dr. Dixon at the Missionary Baptist.

The townsfolk were morally fine people, and appreciated a strong spiritual life.  In fact, the three churches allocated meetings so as not to conflict.  None of the three could afford a full time preacher, so there was preaching only once each month.  Hence, it was that prayer meetings were arranged similarly.  The Christian Church had Tuesday, the General Baptist had Wednesday, and the Missionary Baptist had Thursday.

And, it happened that one Thursday night, the black hatters cut up a horse and placed parts at the pulpit of the General Baptist Church and other parts at the front and rear steps of Dr. Dixon's (my dad) home.  In fact, being a little tike, I was the one to stumble over the horse flesh as I tried to climb the porch steps.  We were just returning from prayer meeting - it being Thursday night.

I well recall the whispering that went on as it was being discussed as to what to do.  Finally, Russell and Dad took the carcass parts and buried them in the young orchard near our garden.  Everyone was sworn to secrecy.

Whether this was good strategy or not, I don't know.  But even the church incident was muffled.  The idea was that if nothing was said, the offenders would fail to get the effect they wanted and thus just might make some error so as to reveal themselves.  It must have worked.  The big explosion was the second vile deed and they were caught, tried, and served prison sentences.

The vindictive idea of blowing up the church was to reap vengeance in a fashion that was sure to put their message across.  At the same time, the black hatters would not be blamed for they were leaving town to follow the corn harvest.  And, that fact had been publicized before hand.

So, it was another Thursday night.  No meeting at the General Baptist.  Just a prayer meeting at the Missionary Baptist.  And, it was during the prayer meeting hour that the explosion occurred.   Church goers were genearlly at home, but probably not in bed.  As for me, I was spending the night with my playmate, Jesse Baker.  They lived just across the street.  But, their home was in the same block as the General Baptist Church,  diagonally.  Jesse and I with his mother were sitting at the dining room table.  The explosion jarred the house.  I don't remember anymore that happened that night.  Jesse and I probably were put to bed.

Yet, a day or so later, I was at the church when the sheriff came with the surrey and the blood hounds.  I was really scared of those animals with their blood shot eyes.  Shortly afterwards I was at home and saw the blood hounds cross our land as they went westward and on across Baker's pasture.  The blood hounds lost the scent at the railrood track west of Sims.

This confirmed the fact that earlier - the same night as the explosion five men had been taken from a box car in Mt. Vernon.  And, three were found to be a part of the black hatters.  It seems that an early decision to check the freight train as it stood on the tracks in the Wayne City had been a good idea.  These five men were seen and reported to the sheriff in Mt. Vernon.  So, the three black hatters had only a few hours of liberty after their deed.

As for the fourth black hatter, he remained behind.  He thought the fuse was long enough to give him time to flee to the Shorty Sims restaurant, and thus have an alibi when the explosion came.  But, he miscalculated.  He missed his goal by 100 to 200 feet.  He was just crossing the railroad near the depot.  He got to the restaurant as the usual crowd of loafers came out, alarmed at the noise.

Naturally the big question among the loafers was, "I wonder what that was?"

But, the one black hatter did not allow them to stay ignorant long.  He quickly answered, "Someone has blown up the General Baptist Church."

He was no less elusive when the blood hounds were brought to the church.  He was beside the sheriff as the sheriff looked over the damage.  And, the sheriff said in amazement, "I wonder how much dynamite was used to make that big hole?"

Our black hatter spoke out clearly, "13 sticks".

To his credit, this man who proved to the leaders, served his term in the penitentiary, afterwards leading an exemplary life in another city.

To this day, anyone examining the rear wall of the General Baptist Church can see a bulge near the bottom, showing that some evidence still remains.  In fact, the greater damage had been done to the inside.  Apparently, the charge was set a number of feet under the church.  So, when it exploded, it tore a hole in the floor and threw some pews to the ceiling where they stuck.  The pointed ends of the pews pierced the ceiling, thus holding them there.

This is as I remember what happened in the fall of 1915.

GLENN W. DIXON