The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-12-14
THE sANCTIFICATIONISTs.
Their Meetings In This City and
Recent Shameful Doings-A Lot
Of Crazed Religious Fanatics
Whe Btarve ThemheIves Even
Unt0 Madness.
For some timO past, Id fact ever ii the

For some tim0 past, Id fact ever ii { the
arrival Of the SsnctiIlcationists in It's
following their expulsion from CorS cans
the citizens OF that place for their shame
full actions, they have continued
to hold their meetings, which
for some reason they have conducted With
the utmost secrecy. After the meetings ro-
tsrred to, which gathered a number of con-
verta, those members resident here have met
regularly to carry out their peculiar forms of
worship. For the past week their services
have boon more open by reason of an in
crease in tho excitement attending them,
and such a noise, dguratively speaking,
has been kicked up, that the ears of the re-
porters caught it, and they we're az once on
the SCENT and though tho members of the
congregation and their places of meeting
have been successfully traled, yet it WAS at
tended wi h the most lab0rious leg exercise.
and the risk of being shot for burglars. Yes
terday afternoon they found the fountain
head of this strange scot, which is 707 East
Bryan street, one block east of the
Central track and the developments are of
the most shameful character. To give tho
readora better idea of these people, it might
be well to state that they sprsng into exist.
ence at Corsicana something over one year
ago, from which place they were bsnished by
the citizens, as alreaa stated, for what they
considered immoral practices. They then
came to this city, and the majority Of them
have scattered over different parts of North
Texas, though Some remained here. After
their arrival here man, one of the leaders.
whose name the reporter failed to learn, but
who is better known AZ the "bald-hoaded
prophet" rented house alaost opposite to
the ono referred to, on Bryan street,
where he gathered about him a number of
women and men of his faith, whom he taught
the principles Of the religion of the Sanctla>
catiopist, the main features of which are that
they become snnctiaed here on earth, and that
they hold direct communication with tho
Godhead, and that they are, after reaching a
sufficient degree of saRctifcation, empowered
to work miracles. They do not believe in
worrying themselves about what they shall
wear and eat on the morrow, but are firm in
ne belief that the Lord will make ample
provision for them, and that thore are
stages in their religious grade, when
once reached, they will not desire
or require food; that eventually thsy will be
spirited away to The relms of everlastingl
a Ia Elijah, in chariot OF fro Theyo :.
lievo that their every step is directed by tho
Holy Spirit, and they deny themselves many
of the pleasures Of life, and frequently sub
ject themselves to great physical punishment
by fasting
During the meetings held, Henry Muller, a
young man some twenty-five years old, who
had been working for the saddlery firm of
Schoelkopf & Co., of this city, became reg
ular attendant, and catching the spirit sud-
denly left Off labor, saying that the Lord
had commanded him to do so. Hs lives
with his father at the house mentioned.
There are in the family the father mother,
two brothers and three sisters, one of whom
is married to man by the name of Copen-
hagen, and with tho exception of the other
two daughters, perhaps, they are all Arm and
devout believers in the faith, and here the
maiority of the meetings have been held.
Mrs. Mueller and Lizzie Copenhagen, her
married daughter, have for the past week or
more been fasting, claiming that they were
ssnctied to that extent that their bodies
did not require sustenance. The mon, who
hang idly about the place, eat but little, 60
ing for days without food. The family are
Germans, and with them was an American
of their faith. The women, after fasting for
several DIS would 60 of into Il trance, and
on coming to, would impart what the Holy
Spirit had communicated TO them. At a
meeting on Friday, Mrs. Copenhagen stated
that the Lord had directed her to reveal her.
self in her purity, and she disrobed herself Of
all her clothing, appearing before the mem.
bers of the meeting in y nude state She
continued this way, falling about the
house, which is on tho shanty order, contain
ing only two rooms, and the spectators
thought that she was being exercised by tina
spirit. In her tumblings she fell on : hot
stove sn6 badly burned her arms and body and
IN her frantic gyrations she scratched several
Of the congregation in the face. Mr.. Holt
man, German, who is next door neghbor
of ,his family, sent his wife and another lady to
csre for the poor crazy. woman. Her mother
was in almost as sad state, and Mr.. Holt
man administered to old man Mueller,
her husband, severe druSbing for
eountsnaneing such scandaous behavior, and
made him take his wife with him to the
coustry to pick cotton, hoping thus to d.
vert her mind. He returned the following
day with her, however, she being in an OIL
most unconscious condition. Mr.. Hoffman
got club and declared he would put a stop
to such fooli,hness, and he was the Joshua
of the occasion. He whipped the father
again and put the rest ofths family to work,
nursing the two women, who lay for hours az
though they were dead. He gave them VS.
ter end food, which they devoured with
great eagcrness, end called in