14 Historical and Semi-Centenial Address
not assigned seats, and were too timid to seat themselves; being,
as one of their number still surviving expresses it, poor, down-
heartened creatures, like toads under a hammer.
At last a minister, more humane than others, ordered that
seats be given to the colored brothren. A seat was given, and
into this they crowded, " scarcely having room to turn around."
Though seated in the congregation they took no part in the
exercises, and were compelled to suppress their inclinations to
leap and shout, which at that time was so marked and charac¬
teristic of the whole Methodist family, and which the colored
brethren have not yet got over. At a night meeting one of the
colored brethren, feeling an almost irresistible impulse to shout
aloud and thus give vent to the feeling which filled his breast,
thrust his handkerchief into his mouth to prevent the outbreak.
He prevented the shout, but at the expense of a ruptured
bloodvessel; the blood gushed from his mouth and nose, and he
was carried from the room.
The next day Samuel Carrell, the first colored male member
of Wesley Chapel, was selected by his associates to present
their case to Judge Spencer, and urge the establishment of a
church in which the colored members should be free to enjoy
themselves after their own fashion. Carrell was selected being
a Pennsylvania man, raised in " old Lancaster," he could speak
up "pert" before white folks. Most of the others were from
Kentucky, and were afraid of white men. Judge Spencer
listened kindly to Carrell's request, and told him to hold him¬
self in readiness to come to him at a moment's notice. The
very next day a notice came.
Richard Weaver, Carrell's employer, who "hated slavery
mightily," told him to take one of his horses and go to Judge
Spencer at once. Weaver kept a tavern at the corner of Front
and Walnut streets. Arrived at Judge Spencer's, Carrell was
carried over and shown a lot on the edge of the bluff above Deer
Creek, and told that Judge Spencer and his partner, Colonel
J. H. Piatt, had resolved to give it to the colored people for a
church. Great was the joy of Carrell and his companions
Raising what money they conld among themselves, they next
appealed to their friends. Among those who gave liberally are
named Squire Mahard, Squire Cony, the father of Hon. Wil¬
liam Corry, Mr. Baymiller, a merchant, General Lytle, and
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