The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-20 00:00:00

WORKER OF 31IRA.CLES,

The inhabitants of London have got a miracle worker
amongst. them. He gives his name as Dr. Newton, and
declares that he has a message from Heaven to work
miraculous cures. A gentleman, whose interest was ex-
cited by this announcement, went to Cambridge Hall,
near Oxford-street, in order to witness the performance.
About 100 persons of both sexes were crowded together
at the upper end of the hall, and in the centre of a small
space between them and the platform stood Dr. Newton
in his shirt-sleeves, calling upon the diseased to come
forward and be healed. Grouped in different parts of the
hall were .some blind, many lame, and many para-
lysed persons waiting for an opportunity to get to the
front. In his frequent explanatory remarks to the people
around him, Dr. Newton said he did not perform the mira-
cles by his own power, but by the Divine power which was
given him for the purpose, and by the presence of which
in the hall every one was blessed. When a patient was
placed in his hands he would make some such speech
as the following, which was literally made in one
instance : "It is by love this is done, especially
female love, You must-love the Doctor. You must
believe in him." After calling upon God and the holy
angels to help him, he would usually pass his hands over
the faces and limbs of the patients, jerk his own limbs
about, as if through a shock of electricity, and then de-
clare them cured : or, if it were very apparent that they
were not cured, he would assert that they were
partially cured, and Would totally recover in a given
time. Sometimes the Doctor would assert that
the disease was too far gone to be entirely removed,
and sometimes he would refuse to attempt the cure.
He announced that if any were too sick to be brought to
him their friends might bring any article belonging to
them, and through that article he would effect their cure.
Pocket-handkerchiefs, a waistcoat, gloves, &c., presu-
mably of sick persons, were handed 'to him. These he
would squeeze, and calling upon " God and the holy
angels," "the Divine power," or " the Holy Ghost." he
would order the disease to leave the person to whom the
article belonged, and would then declare them cured or
fast recovering. Men and women suffering from various
forms of partial lameness were put through their facings
in a painfully shuffling manner, and were then almost
persuaded that they had been cured ; but the contortions
of their countenances, in their unavailing endeavours to
realise the cure, ludicrously upset the would-be miracle,
and the delusion was more fully dispelled when they
attempted to walk from the hall. A. poor woman was car-
ried up the hall in a chair, and placed before the Doctor
She vas unable to walk without the assistance of
crutches, or the aid of other persons. The doctor first of
all called upon her to love and believe •in him, and then,
kneeling down, he passed his hand over her legs several
times. He next stood up, and commanded her to rise.
The poor woman struggled hard to obey, but-was unable
to do so. He lifted her out of the seat, and half dragged
her across the floor, notwithstanding her cries of pain,
telling her she was able to walk. Having taken her
some yards, he suddenly left her standing alone,
and commanded her to walk back to the
chair ; she struggled to obey, but screamed with
agony which the effort caused her, and would
have fallen to the ground had • she not been
supported by two persons, who led her away. A.
blind man who had been led into the magic circle, re-
mained standing near the doctor for a long time, but no
notice of this was taken by him until his attention
was forcibly drawn to the man by a woman, who
begged him to give the blind man sight. He walked up
to the man, looked at him, and said. " I can't do it."
Great confusion followed this announcement, and a
deaf man, whom the doctor hod failed to cure, but who
watched the proceedings closely, and his friends, com-
menced denouncing the operator as an impostor and
swindler, and called upon him, if he had, the power he
claimed, to cure the blind man. The supporters of the
doctor proposed to turn the denouncers out, but
this was not attempted. General attention hav-
ing been directed to the cases of the blind
and deaf men, the doctor attempted to get over
the difficulty created by the blind man by say-
ing that he did not profess to cure the worst cases of
blindness, and with reference to the deaf man he said the
drums of his ears were gone, and the Holy Ghost would
have to perform an act of creation instead of cure in order
to give him back hearing. As the people were leaving
the hall, Dr. Newton offered to give a Divine blessing to
all who would pass in procession by him; and some
eighty or ninety persons, actually accepted his benediction.

THE RICHMOND CALAMITY.
THE FAST DAY IN RICHMOND.

Yesterday was observed as a day of humiliation, fasting,
and prayer by our entire population. All business was
suspended, not even a store, shop, or office being open.
The street cars stopped runinng, and there were but few
vehicles on the streets. At an early hour our streets were
thronged with people of all ages and conditions, on their
way to the several places of worship, all of which were
well attended, and many of them crowded. By common
consent, tolerance and charity for the opinions of each
other were the burdens of the sermons. After the services
at the churches, the hearts of the people seemed to have
been somewhat lifted up and lightened of their burden of
grief. A great many ladies and gentlemen visited the
scene of the calamity at the Capitol, and with trembling
steps walked lightly over the blood-stained floors. We
noticed among the visitors Chief-Justice Chase, who
was accompanied by Colonel Robert Ould. In the after-
noon a great many people visited Hollywood, and passed
the pleasant evening in mournful walks amid the
silent tombs. This morning business seems to have
resumed its sway, and we note the usual activity in our
streets. Life and hope are everywhere visible, and as
we rise with souls purified by affliction from the dust and
ashes of our great sorrow, let us bear with us on the way
the lessons our misfortunes and sad experiences have
taught us, and with malice toward none, but charity for
all, press forward, doing the right, as God gives us to see
the right.