The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-10-15

LILY INTELLlGENCER
with shouting, and SO Choked with emo
ton that he paused for O moment. Sob
and cries echoed from the congregation
aud shouts Of mo! noln "Wes'e nebe
doubtedl We lubs our pastor, deed w
dol Come, Lohd" re.echoel from ever
quarter. A low murmur Of disappoint
ment arose from the crowds gathered out
side, and now and then there was laugh
as the voice Of the hysterical sister wa
heard loudly announcing the chariot O
brass.
Reconstruction Jim ceased his prayeI
suddenly, with consummate art, and even
had not nature kindly aided him by send
Ing violent storm at that moment biz
success would have been complete. The
low growl OF thunder which fell upon the
cars OF the trembling listeners seemed Ia
their excited fancies lIkethe rolling OF the
chariot wheels Of the Almighty. There
were many who would not have been sur.
prised to have seen the preachers prayer
answered by the coming oil the Lord. AS
the. thunder In the sky grew In violence,
and as vivid flashes Of lightning came to
east q urid glare upon the dark faces,
many OF the women gave way, and falling
upon the seats, writhed In spasms painful
TO witness. Strong men began TO move
uneasily. and 10 clap their hands; and
youth, who had fancied that they were
proof against the emotional tendencies Of
their race, began to feel the thrill creeping
through them.
A hymn was sung, and, as It's echoes
died away, Reconstruction Jim, looking
once more like a Moses in ebony, advanC.
ed to the edge Of the pulpit platform, and,
gazing over his people, knew that they
we're utterly In his power. He looked for
Deacon Brudders and the conspirators,
but he could not find them. AS for the
chief plotter, he was at that moment
pitiable spectacle to contemplate. The re-
ligious excitement had suddenly and unac.
Countably invaded his whole being. He
struggled against 1t, but 1t was in vain,
Reconstruction Jim imperlously com.
manded silence, and began TO exhort as
vehemently as he had prayed. He en-.
treated his hearers to put away from them
the suspicion which degraded them, and
then, in plain language, he alluded to the
explanations which he was expected to
make. He told them OF the circumstances
OF the arrest Of Mr.. Floss, and speedily
showed them that he had no more to do
with his ex-masters movements than they
had. he dexterously alluded to his mis-.
sion ia search Of Mrs. Floss without dis.
closing any particulars, and In an orator..
cal burst which impressed even the white
hangers.on outside, he appealed to all
honest men to help him In finding the
real assassin for whose crime Tom Floss
wasiGlsely suspected.
Else bo1n Ter en- him." cried tho mas.
tor, with the accent Gf prophecy in his
voice. II lub Marster Eloss bs.ter,n
tongue kin tell. l knowed him when he
was ,pickaninny, an held him in desc
yore old arms many hour. lub dat
boy. I'd lay down my life 10 sabe dat
young master! But all you widin!de SCUM
OF my voice harken when tell yo' dat Ise
done gwine ter vote agin him cherry time,
ct he ebber runs in politicks! AM want
yo' all to foller my sample. OATS what
say! Lub and honor and toll fur dem dat
was yo' masters in de ole days, but don't
vote de same ticket. De time amt ripe fur
dat yet"
Cries Of assent were heard from MI
parts save the porch, into which one or
two white Democrats had penetrated,
muttering words which sounded yery
much like odd Niger"
The old minister, after this political eau. |
ton, returned to apiritual affairs, and
once more arose into one OF those strange,
unnatural frenzies which recall the annals
OF the convulsionists. His words were
like arrows sent to strike the upturned
toreheads OF the listeners. The min was
pouring heavily now, and the hiss OF The
storm, the shouts OF the excited negroes
crowdlng around the base Of the altar, the
shrleks OF the women, and the continuous
exhortation OF the preacher, we're, when
combined, positively startling. As Re.
construction jim gave way himself to the
emotional intoxication, he began to speak
anew Of the need OF chasingo out the spirit
OF evil, and, whether Willingly or
unwittingly, he pointed toward
the bench on which Deacon Brud.
ders sat. The individual arose and half
turned, as il to fee, movement INSTANTLY
observed by several sisters, who uttered
derisive cries. The Virginian sat down
again, all his assurance vanishing in the
rush OF this spiritual whirlwind. While
he was desperately trying to recover his
equanimity, the old preacher once more
alluded to the subject OF the assassination
OF the man found in the river and sur.
posed to be John Wylde.
"Brudders an sistahs we mus fin de
wicked man dat stepped his hans in in.
nocent blood! We mus fin him an set
de innocent free! We mus fin him.
eben ef he's cen de bosom oh dis chich,
an we mus drag him 10th 10 dc light OBJ
day-w
At this moment the brethren and sisters
were Mortified to see Deacon Brudders
arise, push his way forward to the foot OF
the altar, gesticulate madly with both
arms, cry out ~ didn'tg 60 fur to do iii"
and then fall foaming at the mouth, with
terror and remorse imprinted on his black
face.
"Breddren and sistahs," said Recon-
struction Jim, leaning forward to take a
good look at his PROSTATE and groveling
enemy, "de ebil spirit hab spoken, an is
its own acCuser! Dis man kin tell us all
We wants to know bout dat murder. +
knowed dat my pore young master was
innocent"
How He was Cured Of SwcarIng.
John came in and inuuired whether