Morning journal and courier., 1885-04-29
ROBBED IN WHITE GARMENTS.

1
which had left him of very shy and retiring
| disposition. No other cause can be assigned
| for his act.
ROBED IN WHITE GARMENTS.
A Hand of Millerftes Waiting To As
cend To The Ancient of Days -
Weird Scenes I'm Their Tabernacle
| Where They Figure Gut The Vision
ofDanIel.
CoRRINA, Me-, April 28.-During the win
| ter months the towns of Corrina, Newport
| and Orrington have experienced revival of
the Millerite excitement, a prophet named
| John Nickerson having labored extensively
| and secured many converts. They make the
vision related in the seventh chapter of DAN
lei the basis of their faith and aver that all
| the things which Daniel saw have come to
| pass save one-the coming of the Son of Man.
He, they solemnly prophesy, is due to-mor-
row. A reporter attended one of their meet
ings last night. 1t was weird scene There
were about one hundred people in small
| room lighted by two kerosene lamps. On the
wall where all could see it was large chart
on which the allegory of Daniel was illus
trated and explained with realistic pictures
and mathematical demonstrations The
dragons, horned beasts and impossible
monsters frolicking over this great map
in red, yellow and green colors looked part
ly ferocious and partly fantastic in the dim
light. There were the lion with eagles wings
and the bear munching his own ribs, and
the. other monstrosities prancing in bright
paint before the Ancient of Days with his
throne of flame and chariot of fire. 1t was a
spectacle well calculated to appeal to credul-
ity and superstition, and the application
of these pictures to the tragic events in the
career of the world by the prophet was in
genious; but his addition, subtraction and
multiplication by which he made the world
end on the Goth of April, 1885, was tedious
and not very lucid. Some of the leading dis
cip1es as well as tho prophet took part
in the meeting and one or two brethren who
agree in the substance of the doctrine, but
differ slightly from the chief priest in their
arithmetic, also lifted up their voices. These
men are called by the others "opposers -
They argue that the judgment day should be
postponed till 1889. A debate was kept up
for an hour between the two sects in serious
ness and good temper. The 1885 people
seemed to get the better of it. At any rate
they are SO firmly convinced that their solu-
ton of the problem is correct that they are
making ready to meet the Lord on Wednes-
day.
The farmers who have been drawn into the
craze did not get out any wood last winter
and have done no ploughing this spring.
Some of them have sold their cattle. Wheth-
the proceeds will be any more available
than the stock after next Wednesday they do
not say. The female members of the CON
gregation have been busy at making ascen-
sion robes for several days. One and the
1xT,f 1<E l.
men, women and children tomorrow morn
ing. 1t is a flowing garment
of bleached cotton cloth, which looks some
thing like priests surplice, something
like butchers smock and most like night
gown. There are no buttons on it, but it is
gathered at the neck with a tape. The only
decoration is a narrow white sash which will
be loosely gathered about the waist The
believers will not sleep tonight, but will
pass the hours in fasting and contemplation
at their homes. Tomorrow morning at
o'clock they will assemble at their taberna-
Gle, put on their white robes and sashes and
in unbroken and solemn silence await the
Ancient of Days.
"Will the sun rise Tomorrow I asked
one of them. "It may said he, land it
may set. The end may come before sunrise,
or in the evening or at noon; we cannot tell
the hour, but it will surely come at some
time tomorrow.
The proceedings on the programme for to-
morrow are no stranger than others which
have been of frequent occurrence here and at
other places during the winter. When Elder
Nickerson has felt called upon to baptize
through the ice in some pond or stream
and devised the man or woman
into the frigid water. It is remarkable but true
that all of the baptized are alive, and have
had their ascension gowns made. It has not
been an unusual spectacle to see the disciples
kneel and pray on the street corners in loud
voices Sometimes they have gathered
groups of people around them in the open
air. Their favorite mode of self-discipiine
has been to crawl through the streets on their
knees in the mud and slush. One woman
crept half mile in this way singing and
groaning alternately. Strangest of ali, one
of the believers declared last week that moth
ing would mortify his pride but to sink him
in the ground like fence post with nothing
but his mead out. He induced two brothers
to dig circular hole in the ground and he
jumped in and prayed while they shoveled
the dirt around him up to his neck and
shoulders. He remained in this position sew
eral hours.
Nickerson, the prophet, is a tall stout.
full-bearded man of forty, uncultivated, but
good talker He gets little lucre from his
lsbors In an interview tonight he said ''I
have no desire to crafty the curiosity of the
thoughtless They will soon receive an
awful enlightenment and the scales will fall
from their eyes. The Lord sent me here to
preach the truth to these people
and only the wilfully disobedient will be un-
prepared. It is enough for me to say that
the time included in the vision of Daniel is
two thousand three hundred years. We have
passed that time. The last great day is at
hand. The seventh seal is about to be opened |
There will be silence in heaven about the
space of half an hour. Then the ten thou
sand times ten thousand will be gathered be-
of c.
Noah. He was given the year (12O) and then
he was ordered to move into the ark. He
obeyed instructions. After that seven days
and then the awful flood"