Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-04-01
THE CRAZY PREACHER ..-- A
TRUE STORY.


Travelling through Central Illinois sn'
fne autumn,'a number of years ago, q
the end of the week | found myself il
the little village of S. | make it rul'
never TO travel on the Sabbath when i
can be avoided. and finding neat room
procurable in one of the cesiest and mos
comfortable new country tsverns it bat
ever been my good fortune to find, ] was
you may be sure, pleased to order my
horse to comfortable stable, and tc
place my name on the two quire register
= Yer jist in time to tend the 'Socia
ton tomorrow, said the landlord. "The
towns full of big preachers from most
every direction, and reckon thar'll be
great time 'mong the meetin' folks"
The prospect of hearing passable ser
mon on the morrow was not at all dis
pleasing to me, and / began to think my
self peculiarly fortunate in the chance
that had brought mo 10 s to spend
the Sabbath.
had to share my bed that night with
a stranger. But then l was used to that
for in those early days in Illinois one
seldom in travelling secured room fer
his sole occupancy.
Ny bed.fellow was q tall, dark com
plexioned man, with a high, square fore.
head, and an eye as sharp, black and
piercing as any eye l have ever seen.
1t seemed to me that there was q
strange, weird, almost unearthly light in
that eye; an expression which haunts me
even yet The owner of the eye was
quiet, modest, and entirely gentlemsnly
in his depoHment, and i gathered from
the manner Of his evening devotions be-
fore retiring that he was minister
We had very little conversation before
retiring, yet enough to reveal to me a
voice Of singular pathos and powers
voice which seemed to thrill me like the
contact Of magnetic battery.
The next morning my companion rose
much earlier than !, and did not see
him again until we met at breakfast
He bowed as / took my seat at the table
opposite him, and we at once entered
into. conversation. ! found him to be a
remarkable conversationallst, and able
to drsw Information and instruction from
his hearers as well as to import informa-
ton from the ample store he had in re-
serve. .w
at eleven e'clock l repaired to the
place of meeting 1t was in lovely
spot, in grove of straight young maple
trees, with sward of rich, thick June
grass, or blue grass. Here pulpit had
been improvised, and seats arranged,
enough 20 accommodate o large con
course ofpeople. "a .sa s
The people were already assembling
coming from all directions, in all sorts
OF odd and primitive looking vehicles,
on horseback and on foot.
) Presently l noticed my bed fellow of
the previous night arrive, and proceed
ing straight up the main aisle be entered
the inclosure, where the ministers, some
dozen in number, we're seated. laas
Il occurred to me that my eagle-eyed
preacher did not meet very warm re-
ception from the assembled ministers,
and | was just entering into debate
with myself whether or not Jealousy was
not at work even among these plsin,
primitive preachers, when an incident
occurred which furnished me with an
explanation, and o most perplcxing one
indeed, but still no explanation of the
whole affair. ..... -..-,.,'...,-.
A white.haired old minister, dressed
in home-spun, arose to his feet, and in
A slow, earnest and sad tone, preferred
charges against Brother j.. His list
Of charges was appalling. BE had mar
ried young and pure woman, and with
in week deserted her in the most un-
accountable manner. Drunkenness, glut-
tony, and profanity were also charged,
and with the assurance that the facts
wera so notorious and open, as scarcely
to demand investigation. ..slt
Brother j. sat as immoyable and
iuperturnble as q statce When The aged
minister conelnded, he arose and shocked
the congregation with an expression Of
the erossest profanity, coupled with the
somewhat ludicrous annouHcement that
he should start camp meeting OF bis
own in the opposite grove, and woald
preach al 3 o'clock p M, taking for bis
text the shortest verse 10 the Bible
After this announcement. be staiked
out and The meeting a. once took the
necessary action 10 erase bis name from
the list Of the members Of the associn-
tiou. n
That afternoon, curiosity induced ne
70 form one Of the large crowd of hear
oFs vho attended Tie opening Of -
y cam unniinRF Daring the interval
between services, I hsd heard much die
custom in regard 10 BE strange doings,
and had heard b many exciting sio1ef
of his seceut conduci, AZ 70 Be forced .
- eoncl1siou that he ras insane.
I'd hiufed ttis belief - tha landlord,
va hsi replied o Il b. saying -@isi
vou wait tili you hear that eritter preach,