The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-06-20
THE FALSE PROPHET.
An Authoritative Statement as to
the Delusion and Death OF
Mrs. Lay.
Sandwich ffll.l Gazette.


About two years ago a happy and
prosperous family lived in St t. Cen err.
Iowa. About fifteen years ago they
removed from Sandwich, near which
James H. Lay. the husband and father,
owned fine farm. They were finan.
cially successful in their new home
in Iowa, accumulating a handsome
competence. The father was an &C.
tive and prominent business man. The
mother was lady of high character
and excellent judgment, belonging to
a family noted for intelligence and
good sense. There were three prom
Using BOYS. who were trained in a well
ordered Christian home. The eldest,
w. X. Lay, was attending college,
preparing himself for some profession.
and was never known to cherish any
religious beliefs outside of what is
termed the strictest orthodoxy. Sud-
denly the young man had become
possessed with the idea that he
was prophet and had mission. He
left college and began his new career
which has resulted in such terrible
consequences. He claimed to be the
Elijah who should appear as the mes
senger of the speedy coming
Of Christ who should close the present
dispensatiOn. He at once turned his
attention to.
THE ANCIENT PROPHECIES.
endeavOrlng to prove from detached
passages that he was Elijah. that he
should appear on this continent, that
the should be young man, and that
the second coming would certainly oc-
cur before the close Of 1892. He at
first tried public lecturing as a means
of convincing the world OF his divine
mission, and this failing he began is
suing a series of pamphlets which he
entitled "A Prophets Warning" An
intelligent exegesis OF the passages
quoted clearly showed that they ut.
terry failed to substantiate single
one of his delusive claims. They were
woven together in way that showed
considerable ingenuity but a total lack
of sound, critical judgment. They
were forced into service to establish a
preconceived and wild theory. They
little attention and were
looked upon by the curious as the
wild vagaries of a disordered and
fanatical fancy, as harmless as they
were baseless. After a time the
who had the utmost faith in
the sincerity Of her son, became con-
vert to his notions.
Through the influence probably of
some physical and nervous derange-
ment she became morbid on the sub
Iect and at last believed herself under
the power of some
DIRECT INSPIRATION.
The father also became a convert,
out claimed no inspiration for himself.
After time the delusiOn assumed
new form. The youngest son, about
10 years old. was made the scapegoat
for all the sins of the family, and bv :
way of penance was made to fast at
frequent intervals, during which he
~as closely confined to the house. :
This awakened some feeling in the
at State Center. and it is
,aid on this account Mr.. Lay sold his
real estate there to his sister at NOM
nal price, and removed with his fam
lily to Sandwich, where they have re-
sided since.
During the last winter a new and
fatal delusion seized upon the young
prophet and the mother. She become
with the belief that she was
soon to become the mother of another
prophet. who. while vet an infant, J
would have remarkable, even marvel
BUS powers, and would astonish and
convince the world of the truth of
heir mission. A little over four
weeks ago the son. w. K. Lay, who
vas in Adrian. Michigan, preparing {
lis writings for the press, thought he
received
A SPECIAL ORDER tRON HEAVEN I
o return at once, as something notable {
vas soon to happen. He had but a
ew minutes to prepare to reach the :
ars, and came in great haste. On .
his return there was new revelation.
The mother was to fast until the new :
prophet was born. Mother, father, I
nd son all seemed to devoutly believe =
a the coming event. Little attention .
vas paid to the wild and absurd de- +
usion by the community. Some E
tilted and others ridiculed. The fam 8
Y lived in such secluded and quiet .
vav that few knew the real state of =
fairs. The relatives. while they de- +
lored the insane delusion. hesitated to 5
1terfere. At last on Thursday morn n