Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1857-01-21

DEATH OF THE " ANGEL GABRIEL The
Angel Gabriel properly called John Say
ers Orr--is no more. Late intelligence from
Demerara announces his decease at the penal
settlement in that colony in November. His
disease was dysentery-his age about 35.-
Orr was well known in New York. Two or
three years ago he was noted street charac-
ter in this city; experienced untold griefs at
the hands Of the police, who were always in
terfering with his pastimes; frequently got
into the newspapers, and once or twice in
Jail. Orr was an Englshman by birth, but
spent many years in this country. 1t is the
charitable way of accounting for his oddities
to say he was partially deranged, and there
is little doubt that his intellect was so shat
tered as to lead him to the commission of the
follies which finally consigned him to the pun
ishment which he was still undergoing at the
time of his DEATH His delusion took the
form Of religious monomania. He mag
ined himself the Angel Gabriel, whose mis-
sion it was to pronounce anathemas against
particularly Roman Catholic sim
ners-and in order to do this service in the
most orthodox fashion, he went about provid-
ed with small horn, the sounding of which
gave the signal for the assembling of his con-
gregation. In company with several others
of the same stamp, he was for months, dur
ing the spring and fall Of 1854, in the habit
of gathering great audiences in the Battery,
the Park, and along the whawes of the CITY,
His performances were often interrupted, and
on some occasions the preacher himself was
assaled and damaged The mania for this
sort of street preaching finally became SO
prevalent and resulted in so many street riots,
that the police interfered and the assembling
cs, which commonly took place on Sundays,
were at last broken up, and the preachers for
hidden TO exercise vocation which always
created disturbance. His business thus
coming to an ultimate end in New York, Orr
got disguised with the prospect, and ANNOUNCE
ed his intention of emigrating. He disap-
peared from the city soon after, and was not
heard of for some months, but presently made
his appearance, in exactly the same style, in
Liverpool, where, however, he failed to create
any marked sensation. England was evil
IDENTIFY not the place for him, so he emigrated
again, and presently turned up in Demerara,
which he undoubtedly considered favorable
field. Here he began his peculiar system of
operations, and, by his fierce denuncations of
Catholicitv, abuse Of the Portuguese, and
artful appeals to the passions Of the blacks,
succeeded in string up an instruction among
the negroes, which soon assumed so serious
an aspect as to demand the active intcrfer-
ence of the government In February of
last year, troops and vessels of war were dis
patched to the scene of disturbance, and the
revolt was suppressed, but not until the blacks
had destroyed large amounts of property be-
longing to the Portuguese, besides several
Catholic churches, and were on the point of
proceeding to further acts of violence. Orr
was arrested, tried, and sentenced to impris-
onment at hard labor. He endured his lot
until November last, when disease attacked
him, which ended his life and his troubles to-
gether. Orr was a virulent enemy of Cathol-
icism'--was exceedingly bitter and imprudent
in his denunciations, and delighted in stir
ring up the passions Of the multitude. He
did considerable mischief in this city, and but
little good anywhere. N. Y. Times.