The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-04-25
A NEW RELIGIOUS SECT.
An Improvement on the IIowIing
Deryishes.

DerSisheS.
The Cincinnati Commercial of Thurs
day has the following special dispatch
from New York: Great religious eX-
citement exists in Macopin, twelve
miles from Paterson, New jersey. A
new religious society called "Jehovah's
Band has been started, supplanting a
| favorite station of the Methodist Church.
The Methodists sent their best preachers
to combat the hcrcsy, but they are re,
pudiated. Each in turn is forced 10
leave. The peculiar form of worship
develops itself in putting, blowing
whistllng, shouting jumping, wrestling,
falling to the floor and rolling over and
kicking Both women and men engage
in the exercises. Baptism is 10y INNER
sion in the village mill pond, i'll the dead
hour of the night On Sunday they
hold continuous service, and take a re-
cess for meals only, refusing TO read a
newspaper, or even to receive letter on
that day. Every Sunday evening they
held their meetings in school house,
until a difficulty about the candles used
caused them to leave it, and now they
meet at any house in the nei ghborhOod
where the spirit manifesis itself.
John Rhinesmith, q wealthy and we'll
TODD farmer of the neighborhood, is the
chief man of the band, and recently
had his house rebuilt especially to aC-
commodate the brethren; one room rest,
ing on strong beams, it stands the jump,
ing; but about month ago an ardent
member, in a paroXysm of fanaticlsm,
declared that when filled with the Holy
Ghost he felt as light as air, and even
though they jumped upon a looking
glass they would not so much as bruise
it with scratch whereupon he began
to leap upon the stove-hearth, and broke
it off, and then leaping on the top broke
in the frail covers, and finally smashed
big rocking chair, before he subsidized
Recently Rhinesmith baptized Mr.
Gilbert B. Speaker, aman of family and
a convert to the new faith, the baptism
taking place in Rhinesmith s mill pond
before the members of the band amid
shouts and cries, the whole gang at one
time shouting fire to the alarm OF
others in the neighborhood, it being
/ then after midnight
/ One of the band told a reporter that
as he was at work in his barn, he got
the spirit and that he ran one mile over
| bitches and fences before the spirit left
! him, and all this time he was SO elated
that he thought he was flying. When
jumping in ccstacy of the Holy Ghost
they say their spirits rise far above their
bodies They permit no person, except
ing those belonging to the band, to join
with them in singing or jumping, orany
other Of their exercises, although no oh.
! lection is made to the attendance of ont
siders at the meetings of the band \
dozen will have the floor at once, pound
ing and kicking, and the whole crowd
seems worked up to a fearful state OF
excitement-some jumping until they
| fall; the women shrieking in the widest
manner, and others PRAYING, whistling
and putting, rs for wager They per
nit no levity on the part Of the young
folks during their proceedings. Mr..
Cobb one of the band, is thought to be
growing insane under toe excitement o.
this religious phrensy. There is nc
doubt that the members of the band are
sincere enthusiasts. The society now
numbers over five hundred members.