Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-08-27
Disc s.-assfal Doinss Of Illinois Re-
lisious Fanatics.
FREE LOVE AMI SPIRITUAL WIVES


OOClhi tCuUA1 bSeA ~ sAoso - tcoS~SiohOc w
the Mormons and Free Lovers that unless
some check Is given to the growth Of the
sect, 1t seems probable that they may make
As much noise at Erwin, their hesdTisr.
tiers, Is did
Joseph smith and Hts Follower
at Navoo. The founder Of the body. which
now hiss membership Of over 800 and 10
building Q temple, 10 Caleb Anderson
btDshain. He 10 an ex.MethOdist
preacher, IS years OF age, Of mediam sire,
and OF remai kabie handsome face and COM
manding fgure, which, combined with .
persuasive eioquenoe and powerful person.
al magnetism, made his exhostatiens sue.
work NJ en- orthodox preacher, bat - he
introduced innovations In the way Of doc.
trine and form, the Conference gave him
his choice between severing bis connection
with the Methodist Episcopal Church OF
abandoning
The New Fsssh
which he had begun 10 propagate. He be-
came On apostate, and while. for the time
being he lost ground thrC n the detection
Of his Methodist followers, he soon fonnd =
means of awakening fresh interest aud
gaining new hearers and followers.
0benshain announced 10 the people that
one Rayburn. another Methodist minister,
who had also been forced from the Confer
ence on account Of his departure from or.
thoGy, WAS a man sent from God To bring
them 10 the light. The new conner vas
welcomed and proved valuable addition
TO the propaganda department ot the PA.
grim Band, n the new society had come
70 be known. The Pilgrims soon came 70
Accept Nay bsPa - Thets Deity,
and.in Il Q praise songs The worl "God" was
q h. R.y hnr hst ntaH
For instance, inst AL Of Jesus is a rock In
the weary lane" they sang "RAyburn Is
rock, etc.
ID 10 this point outsiders had made no
att, mpt to interfere with the Pilgrims, but
this was going too FAR, and threats began %
be freely made that the tab~ruacle Or tent
in which the band met would be destroyed
and the occupants mobbed unless the meet.
ipgs ceased or were conducted with more
pTopYiety. The tabernacle was pitched
near Erwin on the place Of prominent
farmer, who
keeins Trouble Bsewtsg.
ordered Obenshain to remove IT, Oben-
shain declined TO do DO. stating that the
tent had been placed there by Gods will.
but in q spirit OF unbelief the farmer one
night chopped down the tent pole and
highway. The Pilgrims had him arrested
end fined, and, assuming the role of mar
tyrs, whiah gained them m uch sympathy
from the simple farming folk, they entered
with real upon their meetings which
gradually began TO show the taint which
has since brought the Pilgrims under the
suspicion of being Mormons or worse.
One OF the earliest innovations prac'icsd
by both Obenshsin and Rsyburn was the
alleged healing OF the SICK by faith and
prayer, their claims of sccompliah hHiants In
this direction
Exciting tho IRdIEaatioa
OF those who saw clearly through tho fimsy
pretsnse Then came . divine revelation
10 Obepshain that the band needed house
OF worship, the site Of which WAS later re-
vesled TO q sister In vision. The farmer,
however. upon whose place the house Vas
10 be built insisted that both revelations
were Of satanic origin and refused to grant
the land required. Finally, Postmaster
stofIer, OF Erwin, rave them . lot. Soon
after this Obeps bsin had another vision, In
which he was instructed 10 raise q temple
on the lot, and the Pilgrims were ordered
10 copsecrste their worldly goods to God;
that 10, to subscribe 10 the building fund.
They
A farmer named Friday gave over ti 900.
sud poor widow named Mira Unssr drew
all her money, about $500, from the bank
which caused the indignation already
aroused among the people To boil over.
There 700 4, cropped out NJ miStakabls eyi.
dences ibat the Pilgrims wsre beginning 70
favor the "free love" and spiritual wife
doemas, an attendant st one Of the secret
SrSicts nskiDg discoveries of Q most hor'
rible psiurs. showing tbat thsse we're sim-
ply orgies pf unrestrainsd promiscuity.
Obenshain's previous career WAs looked
into. and IL vas found thAt he had dis.
CT srgpd the excellent woman who had
been bis wife for
A .spiriiuni wife,"
in the person OF Q pretty young ssrvsnt
Girl who bsd lived in the house with the
isniiy. His real wife vas brought 20 him.
and besouybt bin, for the sake OF their
children, 10 sbandon the other womss,
but be declined, and stated that thsir
children were 'tinners, for thry bed
only spiritual consort OF the prophsi, Who.
al one OF the meetings, announced that he
bed hsd q vision In which God told him
there was 10 be born in Erwin this yesr .
new prophet, who would dictate 20 the
world, snd he C0bsnsbsin) was TO be its
father. A lev nights lsier one oil the Insr.
risd sisters arose in the meeting and re-
marked that Il bsd been revealed 20 her
ibet she vas TO be the mother and 0ben-
bnhl0 me bhtDeT VI
The Exssessd PSsNbst,
an spnouDcement which recsivsd The an.
qualified approval OF thoss prs,ent, the
womsD's husband, who 10 also Pilgrim,
not excepted
Thee thing, Gnslly aronsed tbs CON.
nipity. and on July 3 last, . more than
usually large crowd gathered 10 watch The
performances Of the Pilgrims, wbo,e spss.
nodic eontortions while under the 10.
fuepcs Of visions never failed 70 provide
great amusement 10 unbeIisvins 90 lootsrs..
A eq.H, Jeih srose, and the crowd wrecked
the tent snd cleared out tbs oocupsots.
about go 10 Dumbtr, In every direction.
This aifrsy, however, only temporarily
checked the growth Of the nss sect, snd
they are nov stronger and more sdscious
than ever. They have nearly compIsted
their temple, which 10 being sfsctsd on .
well drained lot In the north east psst ot
Erwin, snd 10 handsome structure. Its
main room hss Q seating capsciiy OF w,
while there are slso pfsyef rooms, seefss
meeting ebamhsrs, kiicssn. ee6feons,
&c. The building has ALREADY cost over
| IS 900.
In IN interview with ObsnshAin rsg1rd.
| ing the ,epeu Of bis alleged chuscs, y
| ,sid: .Thsre is . fsilossfip bstssss TOO
| religious souls that tie world kno.s noth:
| ing Of, snd IL 10 this fellovship ny GU
lo6,spe.s. We regard ouf rslsssoeship
most ssa.dly. The n.'bSa,sss s..ss,n si "a
| r,re formcrIy Methodist nioistsn Iney
ieei tost they have lost iheif po.sf .nd :s
tbsrsfore teDssful ibink OF Sn
don siil iDers... :ad o"s ~ eso'@' .
"sase,,sS4 Tss MD mo.ih Of The bedy. which =
/ .I,.sdv 1sst nal kfsS convsstAI poS oo!y 70
sNh,si.y but also in Brown, Co., naoeA
"a other ADJOINING cons'ies, shers -
pss are i,tqu.Dtly hsld by r'sr:ssss,ooss;s -. ~.
.;r,. ho,.t NOT IN yain. At Isae 20 thtnk
| msny ,sre old yss.dtnts Of fho!s Io:s!iusA
rho rsryet dsspty bsiss ossiGed tss
| knowledgs - msch. - ~
Bssttsg zesews1., ~
Lospos. Augu1. 2s-The sicugq
| tween ibs or,> >Eemen and CstheiSs .
| coalbr;dge, H.o,isnd. vss renewed S9ns.
dsy. TssnyJ .tvo Terson' ssr afrssss1
Tn.r1,a, bedhdiien, invalid vifs, ~
| ts, ryy,.Lsr ar 6.pghpr. ran - Hlee1 ~