Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-03
sHEBOIA MITES.

Flouri-hing in Ala .hama-ThF DeIu ded
Followers Of an Ex-Baptist Pres cher
and Their Greed.
4 stranger Wis ting this city during
tae spring or s dsnmer montls, saws a
birmingham Al a. letter IL the CJhicago
'-5aHs, VIII J. AZ probability, if he be
b close oDser or, EOtice CT the streets
lue or perhaI s two or three peculiar
olhins men ihambling alorg in a listless,
'ea-notnlng Sind of way. At tention is
iraNn TO u ese singular indiy iduals by
-e3son Of heir wearing long. unkempt
lalr railing below the should ers. grizzly
cards ina have not felt the ieen edge of
( razor DID years, and suits of dingy brown
ans cit tning, all cut il To G same pat
aiA- , could -Ie stTdncT $ ucceed in ar
7llhs the brisk steps Of one Of Birm-
mann 's g0-yhead citizens long enough
I. a7a, "Wh1t manre- Of being is that
AAu culinary speclme - he would be
.--W cred tnus: so ? BIS a Shermanite.-
DIP making this sh0r. answer without
at suatI0f IL become yident that the
-- EIDglaEer has never taken time 90
Si.-I that but few Del. sons outside tie
-uues OF jefferson, 81. Clair, and
lal.V know Of the. On istence OF an Oh
rEl1u- sect Of peopi- called IS herman
PECULIAR PEOPLE.
N-- until your cor respondent visited
mountainous C)U mtrv inhabited bv
=a people could tJe obtain any definite
llH-uItlou regard e their habits and re-
-i1us belief; for 81 len one of them is
found Boo the city an nd questioned upon
these subjects ne as silent as the huge
c- cliffs that OTerl lang his little valley
home. 10 does ne mpress theqUgstiOneT
.ll- this reticeuCz j S maintained for the
purpose Of surr1l n' ling their lives with a
mystery. but rather enforced from fear
-Hrt IL the civil a IL nOrfties were cOgniZant
II a.. that trans il ed within their midst
some action miglt he taken tending to-
wards du mcreC Sc Of convict labor at the
tiYus coal mines of Alabama
something Ike ten years ago Elder
Morgan. of the VI )rmOn Church, together
Elrl half q d0- en- or so more missionaries I
f-lu the same source, began the work of
-lytIsm f. the mountains of North
Georgia. extending their Geld of labor
down into this state. They succeeded in
converting large numbers OF these semi /
civilized mo, utlineers 90 the faith of the
Latter Day Jints. and as rapidly as the
converts cor ld scrape Up sufficient funds
a. transport themselves GO Il tan aW ay
Elar would go. leaving behind the more
intelligent and energetic families, who
appreciates, the fact that the greater the
UI-rGu0- of that class which had en-
u-aeea the faith the better il would be for
chose reU aiming. Doubtless this one
tact alone deferred the hardy, YiTtuOus
farmers tluu removing The pOlygamOus
missionaries.
When Morgan and his zen reached that I
rugged region Di country embracing parts /
ID So. Clair shelby and Jefferson c0un-
U9s. Alabama. through which runs the
CANADA river, they We're I'm the midst of an
ignorant. susceptible. credulOus people, /
many ei whom would have followed Nor
gan the devil had he prOyised them
with free passes. Their conversion was
easy, and the only thing preventing them /
from becoming tull-hedged MOrmOns was
am inability To raise the necessary funds
6. carry them to their Mecca. They owned |
Il real property, being mere squatters
upon land To which Uncle sam still held /
the tltle IN fee simple; and as for ready
cash DO is doubtful if any one head Of
family ever possessed az one time as much |
as $40.
5-E-eG-t
one MANS POWER.
Nothing more natural than that /
sareWJ and, as his conduct has since /
shown. INSCRIPTIONS, country Baptist
preacher should renOUuce orthodoxy and |
come forward as the seIt-cOnstItuted lead
er gl these heni-hted people He saw this |
HE 1r-uulty of becoming all-pOWerful I
with them. embraced IT. and has ever /
results Of which amount To nothing less /
than idolatry. This man is named Sher- /
man. His followers he is pleased to call I
'~hermauites." The ambitious ana rev Z
a-eud gent eman did not wish his people /
called MOrmOns, nor did he propose lead /
ms his flock To Utah, preterring that they |
remain In the mountain Businesses Of Ala |
aluI- where he would continue as the /
great head of the church. Although call /
them by another name, he allowed 4
anu even encouraged these ignOrantdupes
O. Practice essentially the same degrad-
1- customs observed by the MOrmOns.
l possible they are more immoral than
l-e Agrmous, FOR tue latter cOhabiJ with
al- various wives under color of some /
sort gt marriage ceremony. while these
people indulge i'm the same hcentiOus
practices without the semblance OF a mar
L-al EQw. The laws of the State are strict
against polyEamY. and severe punish
4el- IS inflicted whenever il is known
--al man mas more than one living wife;
S. t-e -LermJultes, to avoid Indictment
@ trial. realize that it Is better for them
-.l -H enter into formal marriage with
- -l1u one woman, at the same time
--I la almost absolute isolation of
--.l community 10 shield them from pry-
ewes tlat might behold a multitude Of
a-.a.e--is could peep only be had.
sherman has inspired his band with
confidence unlimited. The members veri-
believe that he can cure them of any
20 simply by LAYING on of hands. Indeed
8 invariably practices this method, and
"t- Hl' permit q physician TO enter the
-.-e TT the purpose of prescribing for the
s..a. ~ member departs this life after
having had the hands of Mr.. Sherman
gang .u, mis- death is not attributed to a
-a.A ol power in the healer, but to a lack
q iai-l Il the sick one. They are all
----l- LNed I'm the belief that the newer
neal comes % their leader from heaven.
l-- leader claims the authority &c dele
- nus supposed power 10 others. and
~ ordained two of his elders to execute
- lNe latter charging fixed fees fer
s-- services.
WILING on WATER.
"-1- c. DOB the beginning Of the eXtraOr-
--tAl. long hair and grizzly beard of the
..--- ~--Emlli-es. They affect this Gus
-.-- because old man Sherman told them
.-e- q esLs CHRIST never shaved or had his
-.-t a--- ana Ter them 20 follow his eX-
supple LL TINS respect would couse them to
--.l-- tl- saviour i have also written
= --- -lpouuded ignorance o. these peO-
~ ~ prove this and show their limit
- confidence In Sherman it VIII be nee
-s7i,t % cite only one instance.
-L- -,'l 0sten preached to them shat any
--'A Win strong faith-a faitE of the
--7-L hlut-cOuld walk on water as Jesus
--t zones said he had done so and would
d =tlu- ne appointed n time R0eu
would make display Gi his rsmarka-
- lll1, and invited his hearers &c be
present % witness his feat OF walking /
- - ,-e waters OF the Cahaba river. I
s..H- Do ls stated rs 4 positive fact BY an
--IAdnItes who investigated the mat
II .-4t tle hypOcritical old fraud sur
--t-Lously arranged stationary boards a
s." --cles below the surface OF the murky
--teal- and a short distance from the
'-.-- and at the appointed time when the I
crowd Cf believers had assembled he EaII-
3 ea-1 Ont 90 these boards and walked
them.
seems scarcely credible that there are 1
-.-.- t-e borders of this State. and !
--..- -WaLtv miles Of @ flQurishine citv. +