The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-01-12
AN ENGLISH SPIRIT RApPING SCENE.

An occurrence of nature seldom witnessed in
this country took place Sunday evening last the
18th inst, in the Primitive Methodist Chapel, New
George street, Dudley, whilst the congregation
were engaged in public worship. MANY of the in
habitants of the neighborhood are members of what
| is known as "The Spirit Rapping Society,' and as
such, entertain extraordinary religious notions
During the last fortnight these people have felt
themselves peculiarly impressed with the import
ance of adopting immediate and active measures
for the conversion of the friends of religion in the
locality in favor of spirit power. Accordingly,
they held meeting on Sunday afternoon for
OF it that they moved by the spirit to adjourn
to the chapel of the Primitive Methodists which is
of s oy ro the purpose of convincing the people
cared that they were told by 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 ''asssted
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 George street Chapel met as usual
and engaged In Divine worship, the service being
conducted by Mr.. Rollason, of Odbury. The
preacher was in the midst of his discourse when
Mrs. Stocks, who sitting in the gallery, and
who, it afterwards appeared, the leader of the
spirit rappers, suddenly threw herself into what
| ordinary people would have guessed to have been
a fit of Mysteries, but which others said was the
development of the power of the Divine spirit
Whilst under some kind of severe impulse Mrs.
Stocks commenced sapping her bosom with her
| right hand with a vgor that was perfectly anaz-
| ing, and exhibited great agitation exclaimng
! 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 chanel had beoun To
exhibit similar movements, under the combined in
huence exerted 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 were at
work, making wry faces grooming in PRAYER and
supplication to the spirit, throwing their arms
and bodies to and fro like mad people, The minis
ter and the church officials were for while won-
der-struck. The service was suspended and atten
ton was solely directed to curing the people of
their bewitching rhapsodies.
The excitement grew intense and even danger
Gus, for some of the spirtuasts got up and walked
franticaliy about the aisles, and the place was in
complete uproar. The noise being great, hundreds
of persons had collected round the doors of the
chapel lnquirng as to the of the strange dis
turbance. female in the congregation was actu-
ally frightened into fits, to which she subject
and had to be carried out into adjoining house.
where she was attacked five times afterwards
The Mrs. Stocks who began the uproar was it
turned out, a somewhat notorious character, and
the knowledge OF this fact induced man to re-
Duke her for coming there for the purpose of talk
ing to poor sinners about their souIs'' when she
was woman of wicked and adulterous genera
ton. Mrs. Stocks, however, was too busly
engaged to make any reply, and kept throwing her
right one 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 arragned.
Others cried out, go Godp' 80 Lordv' and s'Tbey
will not believe though angel is sent from
Heaven to convince them (the word ssanger'
being applied to their advocate, Mrs. Stocks
In one part of the congregation was Mrs. Cook
reputed witch, who threw her arms up and walked
tiercely about. In another place was a carpenter
who made wry faces, which sometimes were truly
painful and hideous to gaze at. A man went up to
him and called him silly, and said "Pull YOUR arm
down." But the infatuated spirit wrapper said ~
can't, and continued to hold it up as though it was
stiff The services of the evening were ultimately
altogether abandoned, and the members at last sue
ceeded in clearing the chapel of their spirit-rap
ping friends. Since Sunday, Mr.. Morris. the su-
perintendent minister of the Primitive Methodist
denomination in this circuit, visited Mrs Stocks,
to ascertain, if he could, the reasons which might
have prompted her and her associates to this I'M
seemly disturbance. Mrs. Stocks simply replied
that she had only accomplished what she had to
do; she was not sorry for what she had DONE for
the forfeiture Of her speech might depend the
neglect of the work. The authorities of the PRINT
tive 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 f4O.-Bir-
minghdm Daily Post.
On Thursday, the 3d. public apology was made
by the spirit rappers The printed apology which
has been issued is first signed with the mark of Mrs.
AIM otocks, Tue ieduer OF the proceedings the
cason referred to- and after stating that the party
promise never to be guilty of such conduct again.
concludes with the rendering of their best thanks
to the trustees of the Primitive Methodist Chanel
for abstaining from taking legal proceedings against
them
A letter from St. Petersburg, Dec a. savs:-
Three months ago, the peasants of the Govern
ment OF Kovno took, in their churches, solemn
pledge that they would drink no more brandy
They have kept this promise so well that the sale of
brandy in the shops is but one twelfth of what it
was, and it is now sold only on the principal routes
Many distlleries have been obliged to up their
business, at least for a time.
A new gun, says the London Times, invented by
Messrs Armstrong of Newcastle, has been satisfac-
toriy tested at Shoeburyness, the projecting power
of which completely distances that Of anv piece of
ordnance hitherto known. At an elevation of
thirty-thre degrees it has sent 32-pound shot a
distance OF $500 yards, or more than FIVE miles
The same range has been attained by nine-pound-
er weighing Is cwt, of similar construction
MARRIED.
On the 10th inst, by the Rev. Mr. Williams, CHARLES
of this city.
On the 10th inst, by Rev. John Thrush THOMAS rem
NER to SARAH Ann ADAMS, daughter of the late James
Adams, all of Baltimore,
and sh Fl "a y r. Reg o Mr. MS Isra JOHN QUAY
On the 10th inst, by Rev. John Jordon, Miss RACHEL
CAMPBELL to HENRY GAYT0, both of this city