Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-02
RELIGIOUs CRAzE In INDIANA.
One Of the Female Converts Explains
the sensations of a franco.

One Of the Female Converts Explains
the Sensations of Trance.
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 3O.-The reports
from the Hartford City religious craze.
carried on under Mrs. Woodwork, are
beyond belief. Mrs. Woodwork is well
known in the State and enjoys a good rem
utatiOn. A letter from there gives some
instances OF the sO-caIled conversions,
which rival and OutdO the celebrated
~ erks' in Kentucky a half century ago.
Among the conversions is a man Familiarity
known about town, whose name is with
held from publication, a man of cOnvivial
habits, and who on one occasion was
''lOaded to the guards Determined on
breaking up the meeting. he marched
within 10 feet OF the pulpit, and began a
torrent OF pTOfane abuse until, as he SAYS.
his tongue failed him. He sat silent. an
noyed at being overcome by woman who
had caused this result without making
any special effort in his direction. He
seems, as he says. when asked what his
sensations are like, not to understand
what 1t is, but replies in an injured tone
of man who has been personally al-
frOnted, go up yourself and find out"
All sorts of theories are out as to the
secret of the evangelical power. The be-
lief generally seems to he that of mesmer-
ism, although Mrs. Woodwork denies
that she possesses any power Of mesmer-
Ism. She saws that il is truly the power
of God. II mesmerism it is, she must
have some way of securing private inter-
views with her subjects and bending them
10 her Will afterWard, for she certainly
does not have an opportunity for it in
church. In nOinstance can the writer find
out that this mas been done. A strange
plase Of this revival, and one not at
tendant on the ordinary meetings.
TE n hat 20 al ffr~aa
has on persons away from the church.
One young woman went to an evening
service, and at its conclusion went home
where she talked on the usual topics be-
fore retiring. A whole night intervened
and at breakfast the young lady did not
appear. She was found sitting up in bed
cold and apparently stiff with wide star
ing eyes, her pulse barely perceptible
and not able to speak. When two or three
hours later she came out Of the supposed
trance she seemed greatly worried, and
when rested told that with one exception
the scenes that she had witnessed were
glorious. The exception was that of a
body of angels marching down to hell
with lost souls.
Viola McDermOtt is a woman above the
average height, with a very pale face
that Is saved from being plain by a pair
of handsome black eyes, which have any
thing but a restful look when she is inter-
viewed. She says: Il know as well as
anything when the trance is coming on,
for 1 have been in a trance five different
times. My hands get Geld as ice ana l
feel my arms stitfening. Ny eyes get hard
and the inside of the church or room
grows smaller. The darkness begins at
the outer edges OF the room and comes
toward me from all sides and gets closer.
! become more icy and stiff, and then the
sight is gone. / can't talk and don't want
TO talk. l am in both wOrlds-in this be-
cause can hear everything that is said
around me, and in the other because l
can see the great white thrOne.'
'sHOw does il lOOkY was asked.
Il hardly know how to tell you. 1t is
something like char, only great deal
larger than l ever saw
"Did you see anything else"'
"Ies; golden streets with angels pass
ing around through them. There are
habitations or paradises as you would
call them. They rise up on each side,
glorious and magnificent. The light is
not white, but radiant and brighten, so
bright and glorious. L 20 there by two
ways-sne with nothing on my mind, and
all is happiness; the other is TO have a
sinner TO save, and then am praying and
pleading for him. That is hard work, and
/ suffer. NV coming back is Just the
same as nv going. There is no time of
total uncOnsciOusness between. l am
always very much worried afterward."
This Young woman has been member
OF the church about two years.