Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-13
A CURIOUS SECT.
A Sketch of the Chicago Enthusiasts
Who Went to Palestine to Await
Christ's Coming.

A Sketch of the Chicago Enthusiasts
Who Went to Palestine to Await
Christ's Coming.
Chicago people have almost forgotten
the cQmmOtiOn caused some years ago by
an evangelist of the Moody type who sud-
denly abandoned the orthodox theories Of
heaven of gold and sapphire and began to
preach Christ's reign upon earth. This
man, Mr.. IL. G. Spafford, who lived at
Lake View, and who had been a lawyer of
some standing, gathered about him a con-
gregation Of theorists amounting to per-
haps forty or fifty, who subscribed to his
strange belief. In accordance with their
theory, Christ was to appear for His final
residence upon Mt Calvary, and in order
to be there on hand at the time of His
second coming Mr.. Stafford and his little
band converted all their property into
cash and sailed for the Promised Land. A
traveller who recently visited Jerusalem
in the interest of one Of the missionary
societies OF the East states that she visit
ed the house in which the Lake View COM
munity lived, and that she found them in
good health and spirits, still firm in be-
lief, and waiting with hope and resignation
for the Judgment Day. This young wo-
man, sent out from Boston, returned to
that city a few weeks ago, and has written
letters to friends in Chicago describing
the way in which she was received, haY-
ing been sick for several weeks at the
house in which these people lived. Their
dwelling is described as large and COM
mOdious-a neatly but not elegantly fur
nished house-and fitted out with all the
cOnYenienceS whIch.the best civilization Of
the country can furnish. She saws that
about twenCy persons are living under the
same roof, and that all property is held in
common. The house itself is perched up-
on the side Of the mountain just without
the walls of the Holy City and present a
most strikingly picturesque appearance.
Mr.. SpatfOrd, the leader Ofthe community,
is nearly 60 years Of age, but is still hale,
hearty, and happy.
The history of this strange belief, 80 far
as this immediate colony is concerned,
dates from the wreck of the steamer Vile
du Havre in the ocean with a large num-
Der of Lake View people, including all of
Mr.. SpaffOrd's children. Up to the time
of this calamity SpafOrd had been re-
CARED as an evangelist of the orthodox
order, but very soon after he became the
author Of pamphlet on the subject of the
millennium, which was freely circulated
about the city, and even handed out at
the door of the Young Mems Christian
Association. BY leading men in the
latter society it was pronounced the
work of an infidel, but it was, neverthe-
less, read with great interest, and threat
ened for time to create a wide rupture
within the association. Only few.
however, accepted Mr.. SpaffOrd's theo-
ries, and these subsequently formed a
congregation, holdingiregular meetings in
Lake View. a few of these believers are
still to be found in the city.
Mr. Z. Ii. Adams, Teal-estate agent Of
Lake View, living at No. 1916 Yelling
ton avenue, who has devoted much time
TO the study OF the Bible, is one of these.
Last evening, sitting in the midst Of his
family, book in hand, he outlined the
whole theory upheld by this class of
thinkers, whose interests are represented
by two Western journals, the Rest, OF
Chicago, edited by the Rev. Thomas
Wilson, and the Restitution, of Plymouth.
Ind. Mr.. Adams holds that when men die
their spirits will return to the winds and
their bodies to the sands, and the dust
there to abide the time of the resurrec-
ton. But before the trumpet shall sound
for the grand reunion Of the blessed, a
battle shall be waged in the Vale of
EsdralOn, between the Euphrates and
the Nile, for the mastery of the world.
This battle, it is held, is to be waged by
England against the Catholic Church.
The latter will be backed by the Great
Bear, or the Russian Empire, whose
bride she shall be and the Russians will
send down into the contest numberless
norde OIL warriors armed with shield and
buckler. AS all other warriors shall
have long discarded these implements of
hattie it is maintained that reference is
had to the Tartars, who refuse to lay
aside their barbaric arms. After
Christ's coming, labor, and death, the
two curses of man are to be abolished
and the favored of men shall live, and
love, and abide in peace through all
time.
Using the symbols of the Bible the be-
levers Of this class pretend to be able to
trace within the prophecies all the events
that have since become a part OF the his
tory of the world. The present troubles
in Egypt are regarded as a fulfllment of
prophecy and as preparatory to the final
epoch of the world. But the event which
needs most to be watched is war which
Russia is to wage for the possession OF
India. Then all the good people must of
a surety buy through tickets for the Holy
Land, for soon thereafter comes the
struggle near the two great African
rivers, which decide the fate of mankind
and abolish sin and suffering forever.