The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-10-07

Pilgrims Pass Through Lebanon I'm
ISIS I'm Search of the Promised

Pilgrims Pass Through Lebanon In
ISIS I'm search OF the Promised
Land. u 7@f
RED LION, OHIO. Aug. 20, 1874.
Col. JAS SwENY--SIR:- BY your
request ! herewith give you short ac
count of the strange sect of religious
fanatics, that passed through this
State about the year 1918, called
This society organized. as | am in
formed, in the following way: A man
by the name OF Isaac Butler, in one
of the New England States, in Yer
mont, believe, )had fall that injured
his spine, producing partial paralysis
in his back, hips and legs; he was
helpless, and confined to his bed for a
long time. Loud talking, or the least
jar in or near his room gave him great
pain; the chopping of wood in the door
yard gave him such pain that his
friends had to draw it some distance
from the house to chop it. Every one,
thaayist hsawrnid die Ills pieus'
neighbors frequently met at his room
and held prayer meetings; at one of
these meetings, while they were pray
ing to the Lord for his restoration to
health, he said to his friends that were
present that the Lord had answered
their prayers, and that he was instant
ly restored to health; that he had no
more pain, but he had not yet the use
of his limbs He said the Lord had
not only made him whole, but had
made him a prophet. and commanded
him to collect together and lead them
to the promised land. Bnllers sud
den relief from all pain, after such Sc
we're suffering, satisfied the most of
those present that his restoration to
health was the immediate interposi-
tion ef Providence, and that God, had
created him prophet for great and
good purpose. Butler soon recovered
the use of his limbs, so that he could
walk with the use of two canes. He
told the people that the Lord had
commanded him to say to them to dis
pense with everything superhuous in
clothing or food, and humble them
selves as dependant creatures on God
alone. Many believed that God had
created Butler His holy prophet, aud
| had given him more power than was
ever given to man before, and that he
stood next to Jesus Christ. and that
in obeying his commands they were
obeying God. The followers of Bull
ler by this time became satisfied of his
divine mission, and that his commands
were direct from God to man through
him. Butler told. his followers it was
their duty to go aud collect the people
together, and he would lead them to
the promised land This order was
promptly obeyed, and Butler and his
brethren went through the New Eng
land States and Canada. and collected
together from eighty to one hundred
persons. before starting to the prom
ised land. Up to this time many per-
sons OF wealth, talent, and scspecta
BILE standing in society had emDrsced
this strange religion, Gf we may cal
it religion); their clothing was plaiI
and neat, and food simple and clean
| After they had everything ready t.
start to the promised land. Butler sale
the Lord had directed him to stan(
his cane upright and let it 60. ant
which ever way it fell. that way the!
must go. and that would lead them t,
the promised land; (strange to say
the cane always fell to the south
west.
Having provided themselves will
wagons and teams, and as little bed
ding, clothing, food and cooking uten
| sils as they could possibly do with
they left their own native New Eng
land, in 1917, under the guidance o
Butler, and his cane. Their first stop
ping place was the city of New York
After leaving New England, Bulle
had frequent revelations from tn
Lord, ordering his followers to chang
their habits of dress, their food an,
mode OF life generally, that the
should not wash their persons o
clothes. dispensing with eyerythin
superhuous. and have 10 regard fo
the quality or condition of what the
wore, so it protected them from tn
incIemency of the weather, and if the
eat meat it should be bacon, and tha
it should be eaten without cooking
and that their other food should be G
the poorest kind-such as soup O
thin broth, placed in large woode
bowl or other vessel, set on an oil
chest or on the ground, and by th
side of it the most loathsome filth
the latter, they said, was to mortif
the flesh. As many as could &C
around these bowls eat out of thel
at the same time; if it was thin brotl
they sucked it through quils; if it W;
thick soup, they would cat it wit
They did not dare to eat anythin
unless the prophet first gave the
leave. Never were slaves more OBJ,
dient to their masters than these pee
pie were to. Butler. II other peop
gave them choice fruits. pies, cake
&c, they would not eat them unle.
the prophet gave them liberty; and
he told them they must not eat then
they would throw them away as the
would the most lcathsome carrion
From New York they followed Blu
ler-and he went the way the car
fell (to southwest)-and in 1918 the
arrived in Lebanon, in Warren coul
ty, Ohio, the most dirty and filth
people, both in their clothing and
their food. Oh the face of the eartl
Butler said such filth was necessal
to mortify the flesh.
After leaving New York Butler ha
so many new revelations, and the il
PRODUCTION of so much filth, that MAI
of the more intelligent and less fana
ical became satisfied that he was a
impostor and left him-some returne
to New England; others remained
. different parts of the country
Lebanon they stayed short time, an
: occasionally held meetings for VIII
they called the worshipping of GO
The prophet and other speakers wou
warn the people to avoid all pride an
everything superfuous, AMI live a
cordlng to nature, avoiding all Il
sinful inventions of men ard devil
I in dress and luxurious food. II
! speakers would frequently use W r,
something Ike the following: III
II, xI ~