- Title
- State
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-
- Date
- June 05 1948
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-
- Place
- ["North Carolina, United States"]
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State
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Born Several Years After
His Mother’s Death
Not only were the «'irciimstaiii-c.s of Rev.
Colin Lintlsny's birth remarkable, but be
lived a turbulent life filleil with interesting
episodes.
THIS is the story of a Presby¬
terian divine who was born sev¬
eral years after his mother's
death and burial, and whose re¬
mains now rest in the old Stewarts-
ville cemetery below Laurinburg.
His name was Colin Lindsay and
he was born in Scotland. His
mother died there and an impres¬
sive funeral was held, relatives and
friends coming from many miles
around to pay their last respects
to the deceased. As was the custom
then, and still is among certain
peoples, the wake was celebrated
with much feasting and drinking —
with the latter predominating so
far as some of the attendants were
concerned. The body was deposited
in the family vault a few hundred
yards from the farmstead.
A Test of Courage
Returning from the cemetery,
two stalwart Scots, still in a some¬
what exalted mood because of too
much friendliness with John Bar¬
leycorn, began bragging about each
other’s courage. The discourse con¬
tinued after they had returned to
the house. Finally, when dusk hud
come, one of them grew a bit weary
of the other’s boasting and made
a bet with him. He dared him to
pick up one of the long poles which
had been used in transporting the
coffin to the cemetery, carry it back
to the vault and lay it alongside the
coffin.
The challenge was promptly ac¬
cepted.
One man set out with the pole,
while the other followed at a dis¬
tance to see that all terms of the
contract were carried out.
As the first man neared the vault,
he observed two men suddenly
emerge from it and run oil just as
hard as they could go. lie hesitated,
and would have turned back, but
dreaded to be confronted with his
friend's ridicule. And so. still car¬
rying the pole, he continued on his
way.
When he reached the vault, he
saw to his amazement that the
coffin had been opened. He called
THE STATE. June 5. 1948
К у
ARNOLD MCKAY
to his friend and they both pro¬
ceeded slowly into the vault. rlney
discovered that the third finger of
the corpse’s right hand had been
cut oil and was bleeding. Breathing
was also perceptible.
And then the truth suddenly
dawned upon them. Grave-robbers,
knowing thui rich ornaments hud
been interred with the deceased,
had broken into the coffin. While
they were searching for valuables,
they had been startled by the ap¬
proach of the man who had made
the wager that he would place the
coffin pole in the vault. In their
haste and in order to get possession
of the rings on the woman’s hand,
they had cut olf a finger and had
then dashed away.
Mrs. Lindsay gradually woke
from her trance and was carried
back to her family by the two men.
She regained her health completely
and. several years later. Colin
Lindsay was born.
Became a Preacher
Perhaps these unusual circum¬
stances had some effect upon the
turbulent caieer he pursued. Lind¬
say received his commission to
preach the Gospel from the High
Kirk of Scotland. He came to Amer¬
ica in 1792. assuming the pastorate
of the Black River Church in what
is now Sampson County, lie was
a forceful man ot decided opinions.
Г
wo years after beginning his work
at Black River he became
«
m-
broiled with some members of his
Hock. They charged him with
breaking the Sabbath. It seems that
he had bought a yoke of oxen on a
Saturday and had driven them
home on Sunday. Lindsay's excuse
was that there was no food where
he had purchased them and, there¬
fore. he had to drive them home on
the Sabbath.
There were other charges: using
violent language and indulging too
freely in spirituous liquors. Against
all these accusations he defended
himself with all the logic of a
strong mind and all the subtleness
of a natural and polished speaker.
A feeling of intense bitterness
developed in the church. The con¬
gregation became upset and divid¬
ed, and so Rev. Colin Lindsay de¬
parted. going first to Raft Swamp
Church in Robeson County and set¬
tling finally at Bethel Church in
upper Robeson. He spent the last
years of his life quite comfortably
on a modest estate near Turnpike
bridge in what is now Scotland
County.
Some highlights of his career as
a minister and leader of the people
were these:
Still Other Charges
He was charged with using pro¬
fane language and expressions "in¬
jurious to religion." but on investi¬
gation it was found that he used
only such anemic epithets as "liar."
"villain." and "traitor." Once he
threatened to thrash an elder of
his church, and probably would
have done so but for the interven¬
tion of friends.
The crisis in his career came,
however, when he refused to ac¬
knowledge the authority of Presby¬
tery. Always insisting that he owed
allegiance to the High Kirk of Scot¬
land which had commissioned him.
he withdrew from Presbytery con¬
trol and announced that he would
continue to preach the Gospel to
all who cared to listen "in spite of
devils and their little presbyteries."
And so he did. Great crowds came
to hear and to get a new angle on
what is because of the impotenev
of language — called the truth.
There are four former governors
of North Carolina still living:
Cameron Morrison. J.
С.
B. Ehring-
haus. Clyde R. Hoey and J. Mel¬
ville Broughton.
33