Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-03-20
A REv1vAL1sT IN SCOTLAND


Extraordinary Effect Of his Preach
inE--NI en- and w omen Falling Down
In Fits--FanatIcaI Address of n
Young Girl.
Among the late English papers we have
the BantTShirc (Scotlnnd) Journal of March
lst, containing some marvellous statements
! in regard to the revival efforts of Mr..
| Turner, fish curer of PctcrheNd, and n
"local preacher" in connection with the
Methodist denomination. He is described
| as man of small StatUrc-SOme five feet
six, and proportionately slender-wrappcd
| in dark gray top-CO0t of the sack fash
| ion, his neck protected by q dark woolcn
cravat, indicating q special Importance in
| having his voice preserved i'll this unset
| tied weather; with dark brown hair, care
fully combcd, and i'll his very regular fea-
lures nothing which could strike one as
likely 10 convey the impression of any
particular ability. They indicate at first
mind, but on coming into closer contact,
an cxcitahe, dreamy temperament be-
comes manifest.
Mr. Turner's style is rapid and vehe-
mcnt; but his hearers are often "struck"
before he begins to preach, and while he
is only reading the hymn. Females arc
especially affected, often falling into faint
ing fits. Young girls take n prominent
part in the proceedings. AT IL recent
meeting at Portgordon he commenced one
of his addresses with these words:
"Evcry unconverted man and woman
have IL devil or devils in their breast,
which must be plucked out before they can
be saved. Say to them tonight" he
arms, "Devils, begone! devils, begone!
| doyil- bo10paI'
As he proceeded many of the audience
were 'struck."
About midnight very serious case
occurred. young man, a son of the
farmer at Clochan, fell down, and was
carried out apparently all but lite!css:-
He was very weakly lad, having had n
brain fever about two years ago, since
| which time he has. almost been deprived
of the faculty Of speech, being able only y to
whisper, while his general health has been
anything but good. He was taken into
another house, and everything done for
him which kindness could suggest, but
the singing in this case was for the most
part dispensed with. His, father and
mother were sent for, arrived in IL short
timc and sat with him, along with several
other people, till five o'clock in the morn
| ing, when he revived q little, and was
taken home in cart. There were two
cases of FIVE hours prOstration each. To
all appearance, however, neither of the
parties was strong either in body or mind.
The excitement in the meeting attained
its greatest height perhaps about mid
| night The leader stood on desk in the
middle of the apartment, generally with
his hands folded over his breast, with clo-
sed eyes and redundant head; people of
both sexes and of all ages indiscrimiuately
| Ill Il. zoo
of praying for hardened fathers and moth
ers, sisters and brothers, uncles and aunts,
cousins and comrades and naming them,
was carried to greater heights than ever;
and when any was named with particular
earnestness and solcitude, there was n
| general shock of excitement. Some new
man would start up to lead the devotion,
and then those Mt q distance would keep
asking one another, .Who's thnt?" II
the name given was that of any Crash
| living man." as those of bad habits are
usually characterised there, there was nm
outbreak of feeling to this effect: ooh, |
am right glad O. that" ''Whnt mercy"
&c. There were several other cases of COM
plete prostration, chiefly of females. AS
many as three or four could sometimes he
seen lying in meeting at once, all alike
in state of apparent Inconsistencies.
People seemed to have no particular
anxiety to take them out, and some OF
them were almost entirely without friend
or acquaintance to look after them. In
stances were numerous of females fNinting
and falling quite helpless into the arms OF
those near them. Women, when named
in the prayer of their friends, shrieked
more and more vehemcntly rs the meeting
advanced, but whenever the excitement
was getting noisy Mr.. Turner started a
hvmn-"I can, | will, do believe"
"What's the News" or something of that
description; and, strange to say, by the
time it was sung, comparative quiet was
unf:tilingly restored. To take one another
in their arms and fondle each other was a
common manifestation, alike for the cx-
preston of joy and administering OF con-
ISOLATION, more particularly among the
women and girls, but also, in several in
stances, between male and female, even in
the midst of the meeting.
a girl of about seventeen years then
arose and made a long incohcrent address,
beginning as follows:
| WDarling sweet Lamb of God! You arc
looking out at the windows of heaven up
on me at this moment see Christ with
! His wounds; see the nails in His feet
Lord enable me to pray. Stop till mind
There was a woman. What WAS her
nnme2 think it WAS Dudley's mother
think she was carried out. | saw the
| folks carry her away. That blessed ship
of foam-(n pause)-Lord enable me to
pray. Lord, enable me to pray! Dear,
| blessed Saviour Jane Geddes, you told
me last night you saw two roads with a
gulf between them. That was choice
| which road to take Lord, enable me to