The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-12
WOMAN WORsHIPERs.
An Alleged Idolatrous Society Applies for q
Charter in Pennsylvania.

Charter in Pennsylvania.
| Philadelphia Press
An interesting legal point in connection with
| the granting of charters OF incorporation will
| shortly come up for decision before Court of Com
| mon Please No l. The u Elimar Mira Militia
Congregation of the Lord composed of people
/ whose form of religious belief is most remark
| able, has applied for a charter. The application
| is resisted by the friends of the woman who
/ founded the church, and for the worship of
whom the congregation is alleged to meet. Ex-
| ception to the application for the charter was
made on Saturday, and before many weeks have
passed some strange revelations of what the con-
/ gregation was formed for are expected
| The sect was invented about two years ago by
| a woman, who claimed that she had had revela-
| ton from the Lord to the effect that she was
| the third person of the Holy Trinity The
| woman's name Anna Meister, but after the
alleged revelation she assumed that of J. Elimar
| Mira Militia A number of credulous Germans
| believed her story and formed church for the
| advancement of her ideas. They purchased
| house on South Eleventh street. and became so
| infatuated with the new religion that they
decided it to Miss Meister. In the building they
| set up meetingroo and in this they congre
| gated every Sunday to worship the self styled
| prophet Miss Meister, it is claimed by those
resisting the application for the charter, was in
the habit of wearing q crown and tinsel dress
and OF going through all sorts of weird incanta-
tons, While the members of the congregation
paid her homage upon their knees, as if she had
been deity.
Several members of the congregation were
rich, and no expense was spared ia fitting up the
building IN which the services took place. For
eighteen months the followers of Meister as
sembled weekly, and sometimes more frequently
to go through the forms that had become sacred
TO them through their convictions. Mester be-
came more and more precious to them day by
DAY AT each meeting they got more convinced
than ever of the truth of her statement that she
was one OF the persons of the Trinity. They
even went so far as to have painted, at the ex-
pense OF several hundred dollars, painting rep
resentlng as such a woman resembling the al
legged Mira Militia.
A few month ago Miss Meister, who is said to
nave been religious monomaniac, died. The
enthusiasm of the congregation redoubled, and
they worshipped her as saint A difficulty,
however, arose on which they had not
counted. The heirs of the deceased
prophet prepared to take possession of the
temple on the ground that, as it was
MISS Meisters property, her death made it theirs
inns view the congregation was by no means
ready to accept. In their confidence in the
woman as a prophet, it is true, they made her a
present OF the building without throwing any
legal restrictions about the transaction, but they
claimed that they never intended that it should
De used for a purpose other than that for which
1t was purchased, namely the performance of
reng1ous ceremonies. They ayerred that the
building was held by Miss Meister in trust for
the congregation This is another point that
will have to be settled.
The application for the charter was made last
week. Gustavus Remak is counsel for the con-
gregatlon. The purpose for which the incorpora-
ton is designed is to maintain the worship of
triune God according to the Lutheran cultus
and the teachings of J. Elimar Mira Militia"
Charles 9. Lister, of 425 Walnut street, is the
attorney OF Meta Meister, the fler of the ex-
ceptlon and the sister of the deceased mira
Militia" The first reason set forth in the bill of
exceptions is as follows
Because the object of the said petitioners is
mot the support of public worship" but the
maintenance of an idolatrous worship of the said
y. Ellmar Mira Militia as one of the persons of
the Trinity.
The fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth clauses
are to this effect:
Because without knowledge on the part of the
learned judges as to what constitutes the teach
ings of the said J. Elimar Mira Militia, it is inn
possible to certify that the object of the corpora
ton is not I'M urious to the community.
Because the exceptant has been informed
and believes that for many years prior to her re-
cent decease the said Anna Meister under the
assumed name of j. Elimar Mira Militia, asserted
and taught that she was the Holy Ghost, that
she was one of the persons constituting the
Holy Trinity, that she wore a crown and deco
rated herself with silken gowns and robes and
jewels, and was worshiped by the persons who
now seek the charter of incorporation.
Because the association, of which the sub
scribers are members, have conducted this idol
atrous worship in private dwelling-house and
may desire to be present and join in public
worship.
Because without more definite statement
OF what the subscribers regard as the Lutheran
cultus' it is Objectionable to large body of
Christian believers, regularly organized the
Evangelical Lutheran Church. TO have the cor
poration styled Lutheran"
The opposition to the granting of the charter.
it is said, will in its turn be desperately fought
by the Mira Militia congregation. The lawyers
MelStePS declare that
will fight the case tooth and NALL and compel the
production in court of the pictures, crown and
othci paraphernalia used at the services of the
congregation, in order to convince the court of
their idolatrous character. Whether the charter
be refused if the application for it is proper
ly amended, so as to meet the technical demands
OF the law is point that promises to excite
some controversy. The question of whether it is
polite lawful to prevent the formation of
such congregations where the members are
really believers in what they profess and act in
other respects in good faith. is one that has
champions on both sides.