The Devil in Bank Number Seven: A True Story
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” The title of this book and the above quote on the cover led me to believe that this would be a true story similar to “The Amityville Horror” and other “true stories” of demons and possession. I was shocked when I proceeded to read it that it IS a true story. You will find it hard to believe everything that happened in a small town and how they terrorized a minister and his family in America in the 1970s. That’s right, the 1970s…
The author, Rebecca Nichols Alonzo, tells the story of her childhood in the town of Sellerstown, North Carolina. Her father, Robert Nichols, was a minister and he and his wife had moved into the community as he would be the new pastor of Free Welcome Holiness Church. Rebecca hadn’t arrived on the scene yet because her mother was pregnant when they moved in, and a brother, Daniel, would also join them later. A young family starting a new life in rural America would normally provide no reason to write a book, yet Mr. HJ Watts would make sure their lives were anything but peaceful.
The anonymous phone calls to her parents began when Rebecca was just eighteen months old. The person she was calling would threaten Mr. Nichols and then hang up. This was in 1971, when there was no caller ID, and even traces on phone calls were rare and only used in extreme cases. She unfortunately would get to that point, albeit too late to help the Nichols family. These phone calls continued for years, at all hours of the day and night, making it impossible for the family to relax and enjoy their home and community. Unsigned anonymous letters were also sent to them, threatening to harm them if they did not get out of the church and out of town. The stress imposed by these phone calls and letters must have been enormous, however it was much, much more than that.
Mr. HJ Watts was a wealthy resident who had his hands in most people’s businesses, and also had virtually complete control of the Free Welcome Holiness Church. When Mr. Nichols arrived as a new pastor, he began to change the way things were done. As the church membership grew mainly due to the popularity of Mr. Nichols, Mr. Watts lost much of his influence and, judging by his reaction, he must have seen inside. He went to church every Sunday and sat in the back in pew number seven. He would make faces at Mr. Nichols during the sermon, look at his watch, and do whatever he could to interrupt the service. He would often leave before he finished service and bang on the door loudly on his way out to make sure the others knew of his displeasure. Despite his antics, the vast majority of the community was pleased with the prosperity of the church, though they did literally nothing to stop Mr. Watts from brutally harassing him.
Rather than chronicle all the unthinkable things Mr. Watts did and his accomplishments, I’ll recount a case that will blow your mind. On the night of July 1, 1975, DYNAMITE ignited outside the Nichols home, causing the windows to shatter (that’s how close it was) and nearly killing Daniel, who was just a baby. The broken glass reads the crib where he slept and the room he was in, however, he did not even suffer a scratch and slept through the incident. This was not the first time dynamite had been used at his home or church, but it was the first time he had come very close to injuring or killing someone. Public harassment at church, threatening phone calls and letters, home invasions, shots fired at the house while they were sleeping, and another bombing should have caused the Nichols to pack up and leave, but they chose to stay based on their firm belief. in God. . This decision would later cost Rebecca and Daniel their parents when they were still young children.
At the beginning of this review I quoted “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” This was what Mr. Nichols preached to his daughter, and this was the reason why he did not leave. He might as well have taken matters into his own hands and handed down his own justice. Robert Nichols was 6’3″ tall, muscular, and a former Marine and could easily have physically beaten the elderly Mr. Watts if he had wanted to. Instead, he stayed and prayed that the Lord would take care of them. and that eventually the Watts would see the error of his ways, as this decision would cost him his life, it would be up to Rebecca to forgive Mr. Watts when he finally repented and asked for forgiveness.
The events recounted in this book are unbelievable, and it amazes me that this could have happened anywhere, let alone small town America in the 1970s. Mr. Watts was eventually prosecuted and sent to prison, without However, the damage he inflicted on a young family could never be undone by a prison sentence. Rebecca and Daniel have to be two of the strongest, most resilient and giving people I’ve ever heard or read about. His story will bring you joy at times and make you cry at other times. It will also give you hope that anything can be overcome through faith and forgiveness. That is the message that Rebecca has given her father: faith in God and forgiveness of others (and yourself) will allow you to lead a blessed spiritual life. If Rebecca had felt the bitterness toward Mr. Watts that she must have felt, or even blamed her father for not leaving when they had every reason and every opportunity to move on, her life might have been very different.
I would definitely recommend this book. Whenever you are upset with someone for a perceived slight they have caused you, try to remind yourself of Rebecca and her family. Life is not always easy and others will never do exactly what we want and expect them to do. Also remember what Jesus said when he was being crucified “Forgive them Father, for they do not know what they are doing”.
laughter and love,
rick fess
“The Devil in Bank Number Seven” Rebecca Nichols Alonzo Tyndale House Publishers Inc. http://www.tyndale.com