The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-16

also said that the Board desired the Boston churches
TO raise this year for their treasury the sum OF
$35 600 and also said that the Board would need
100000 to carry on its operations during the pre-
sent year.
THE SPIRIT RAPPERs IN NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
SCENE IN A CHAPEL.
An occurrence, says the Birmingham Daily Post
of the 22d ult., Of q nature seldom witnessed in
this country took place Sunday evening last, IN
the Primitive Methodist chapel, New George street,
Dudley, whilst the congregation were engaged IN
public worship. Many Of the inhabitants OF tne
neighborhood are members of what is known as
the Esprit Rapping Society" and, as such, enter
tain extraordinary religious notions: During the
last fortnight these people have ieit themselves
ing immediate and active measures for the CONVEX
sion Of the friends Of religion in the locality in ia
vor of spirit power. Accordingly, they held
meeting ON Sunday afternoon last, for prayer and
nspiration and agreed at the close of It that they
were moved by the spirit to adjourn to the chapel
of the Primitive Methodists, which is close by, for
the purpose of convincing the people of the error
were told by the spirit power that the sainted John
Wesley had commissioned them at once to preach
the doctrines of John the Baptist promising, if they
did so, they would be assisted" but If they did
not they would be deprived of the power of speech
on the evening referred to the members OF the
congregation of the George street chapel met as
usual, and engaged in divine worship, the service
being conducted by Mr.. Rollason of Oldbury.
when Mrs. Stocks, who sitting in the gallery,
and who it afterwards appeared, was the leader Of
the spirit rappers, suddenly threw herself into
what ordinary people would have guessed to have
been fit of Mysteries, but which others said was
| the Development Of the power OF the Divine
| Spirit While under some kind of severe impulse
| Mrs. Stocks commenced slapping her bosom with
her right hand with vigor that was perfectly
amazing and exhibited great agitation, exclalm.
ing, lord, thank thee that thou hast permitted
me to come to this congregation, and to talk to
poor sinners of their souls" BY this time other
spirit rappers in various parts OF the chapel had
begun to exhibit similar movements, under the
combined influence eyerted over them by the spirit
power and by the appearance OF Mrs. Stocks, who
certainly appeared to be in most interesting
frame of mind. No less than twenty Of the spirit
rappers at work, making wry faces, grooming
in prayer and supplcation TO the spirit and throw
ing their arms and bodies to and fro like mad peo-
pie. The minister and the church officials were for
a while wonderstruek The service was suspend
ed, and attention was solely directed to curing the
people of their bewitchng rhapsOdies. The excite
ment grew intense and even dangerous, for some Of
the spiritualsts got up and walked francally about
the aises and the place was in complete uproar.
The noise being great hundreds of persons had col
ected around the doors Of the chapel, inquring as
~ the cause of the strange disturbance. female
to which she W. subject, and had to be carried out
into an adjoining house where ST.. was attacked 1--WE
times afterwards The Mrs. Stocks who be- an ue up
roar was, it turned out somewhat notorious char,,
ter, and the knowledge of this fact induced man to
rebuke her for coming there for the purpose of
talking TO poor sinners about their souls when
she was woman of "a wicked and adnlterous
generation Mrs. Stocks, however, was too bllsily
engaged to make any reply, and kept throwing her
arms backwards and forwards, and shifting the
right ON her breast in the midst, apparently, of
the greatest distress for the sins of the people, and
shouting Thou art the Judge of the living and the
dead, before whose bar all shall be arraigned.'
Others cried out, ooh, God.- ooh Lord.H and
They viii not believe though angel is sent from
heaven TO convince them;" tthe word 'angel" be-
ing applied to their advocate, Mrs. Stocks.) In one
part of the congregation was Mrs. Cook reputed
witch, who threw her arms up and walked herceiy
about In another place was a carpenter who made
WY faces, which sometimes were truly painful and
hldeous 10 gaze at man went up to him and
called him silly, and said, Pull your arm
down." But the infatuated spirit rapper
said, IL can't" and continued to hold it
up as though it was stiff. The services of
the evening were ultimately altogether aban-
doned and the members at last succeeded in clear
event has created great sensation in the town,
and is considered that other religious bodies are
open to the same sort of invasion and in danger of
having their places of worship desecrated. Since
Sunday Mr. Morris, the superintendent minister
Of the Primitive Methodist denomination in this
circuit, has visited Mrs Stocks, to ascertain if he
could the reasons which might have prompted her
and her associates to this unseemly disturbance.
Mrs Stocks simply raY.iiAd th"t--I,c bod only
complished what she had to do; she was not sorry
for what she had done, for the forfeiture of her
speech might depend on the neglect of the work
We may further add that many of the spirit rap
pers were from Upton, others lived in Fountain
street, Dudley, and the remainder in place in the
vicinity called Paradise" The authorities of the
Primitive Methodist church will, we understand re-
quire public apology, or bring them before the
magistrates for trial on a charge which renders
them liable to penalty, we believe, of f40