Belton was naturally greatly elated over this invitation from a Southerner and felt highly complimented.  One Sabbath morning, shortly thereafter, Belton happened to be in Monroe, and thinking of the preacher’s kind invitation, went to his church to attend the morning service.  He entered and took a seat near the middle of the church.

During the opening exercises a young white lady who sat by his side experienced some trouble in finding the hymn.  Belton had remembered the number given out and kindly took the book to find it.  In an instant the whole church was in an uproar.  A crowd of men gathered around Belton and led him out of doors.  A few leaders went off to one side and held a short consultation.  They decided that as it was Sunday, they would not lynch him.  They returned to the body of men yet holding Belton and ordered him released.  This evidently did not please the majority, but he was allowed to go.

That afternoon Belton called at the residence of the minister in order to offer an explanation.  The minister opened the door, and seeing who it was, slammed it in his face.  Belton turned away with many misgivings as to what was yet to come.  Dr. Zackland always spent his Sundays at Monroe and was a witness of the entire scene in which Belton had figured so prominently.  He hastened out of church, and as soon as he saw Belton turned loose, hurried to the station and boarded the train for Cadeville, leaving his hymn book and Bible on his seat in the church.  His face seemed lighted up with joy.  “I’ve got him at last.  Careful as he has been I’ve got him,” he kept repeating over and over to himself.

He left the train at Cadeville and ran to the postmaster’s house, president of the “Nigger Rulers,” and he was out of breath when he arrived there.  He sat down, fanned himself with his hat, and when sufficiently recovered, said:  “Well, we will have to fix that nigger, Piedmont.  He is getting too high.”

“What’s that he has been doing now?  I have looked upon him as being an uncommonly good nigger.  I have kept a good eye on him but haven’t even had to hint at him,” said the postmaster.”

“Well, he has shown his true nature at last.  He had the gall to enter a white church in Monroe this morning and actually took a seat down stairs with the white folks; he did not even look at the gallery where he belonged.”

“Is that so?” burst out the postmaster incredulously.

“I should say he did, and that’s not all.  A white girl who sat by him and could not read very well, failed to find the hymn at once.  That nigger actually had the impudence to take her book and find the place for her.”

“The infernal scoundrel.  By golly, he shall hang,” broke in the postmaster.

Dr. Zackland continued:  “Naturally the congregation was infuriated and soon hustled the impudent scoundrel out.  If services had not been going on, and if it had not been Sunday, there is no telling what would have happened.  As it was they turned him loose.  I came here to tell you, as he is our ‘Nigger’ living here at Cadeville, and the ‘Nigger Rulers’ of Cadeville will be disrespected if they let such presumptuous niggers go about to disturb religious services.”