Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1889-07-31
"A SABLE SOLOMON.
The High Priest Of the Children
Of the Wilderness. "
4 BAND OF RREnzIED FANATICS

SAVANNAH, Ca, July 3I.--As fast as
one leader Is taken from Liberty county's
children Of the wilderness. another
springs up to take his place. Dupont
Bell preached to them SIX weeks, and
was sent 10 the insane asylum. Edward
James assumed the leadership, and kept
Il until "Wednesday last, when he was
arrested and sent to Hinesville Jail.
Now slight built. coal black, rice field
negro fills the position Of high priest.
He was known as Shadrach Walthour
until he went crazy through Bell and
James, when he took the title Of King
Solomon. Now all believers address him
~ the king.
A Reporter Visits the Camp.
Nothing that has yet been written Of
this peculiar sect gives more than .
vague impression of the truth. "A re-
porter and a companion brayed the dam
gers and spent several hours in the camp
Of the fanatics. The deluded band w0r-
ships in the open air under the sheltering
shadow of q huge, moss-grown live oak
--one Of grand avenue of venerable
trees leading up to the site Of the former
Walthour mansion. At the foot Of this
oak Is a circle of rough benches and
seats For five miles the visitors had
ridden past empty cabins and abandoned
patches of corn and cotton. One church,
a mile or two from Mcintosh, was de-
serted, the congregation having gone
over to the new faith. All along the
road from the station groups trudging
on to the Walthour plantation were over
taken.
Solomon Wears q Greedy Hat.
The king looks to be anywhere from
85 to 80 years old. He had on his head
an old white hat which was new in the
Greedy campaign. lie was coatIess, but
wore vest which was once white.
Tarred strings served as suspenders.
holding up d pair of poverty SCARED
trousers. When a goodly number of
his followers were seated, the king
waved q wand which he carried and
cried Honor"
He petulantly repeated the word once
and the buzzing ceased, as If by magic.
Then he paced around the circle and
thrice across it; turning quickly, he
asked IN sharp voice, pitched high:
sWho are yous"
children Of the Wilderness" an
ewered every throat in perfect concert
'sWho am ~
ssKing Solomon, the WISE
An Interesting Catechism.
The answers were given in chorus, 100
to 100 voices responding. To say that
the effect was weird is not more than a
faint statement of fact. For twenty
minutes the old, weak minded negro
fired questions at his listeners. To and
fro across the ring he strobe, keeping up
his running catechism. The dusky chill
dfen were well trained and rarely Stun
In their replies. Solomon kept his wand
waving constantly.
What is your dutygn asked he.
10 be humble and honor God, re-
piled the believers. A few random Ques-
tions and answers viii show the charac-
ter of the catechising:
Where will the children of the will
derness so when they dieg'
To heaven"
What do the Knockers turn tor
ITO caters, then 60 cooters, then to
snakes, then to dogs, then to birds, then
70 fish and then they come back to the
people without color.
Who knows the most"
THE long haired people"
Why do they know more than the
short haired peoples'
DEGAUcC VIC CIUCtkfc(l the son.
How did you cruelty him?9 Show
mel"
AT this twenty men Jumped up and
stretched out their arms, making the
sign of the cross.
Solomon's Ecxhortafion.
When solomon exhausted his stock of
questions, which flowed out without the
slightest logical connection, he exhorted
for ten minutes. He told his listeners
that the knocking niggers" would be
turned into slavery for 400 years. He
assured them that the law. President
Harrison and the constitution allow them
to worship undisturbed anywhere within
five miles of the oak tree which they sat.
His talk was rambling and plsdnly the
vaporings OF an unbalanced mind.
Towards the end the spirit began to
assert its presence, and those upon whom
its power fell were moved to strange
things. IA man arose and began Co
sliver More and more violent became
his movements. until. with one bound
he reached the center OF the ring and
shouted, 1--WE stay in the wilderness
land. Shout, sisters. shout
Two sisters shouted, and then, grasp
ing their skirts and slightly elevating
them, began to dance in the open space.
while the brother clapped his hands and
the onl0okers sang, Wen soon leave
the wilderness land. shout, sisters,
shoutl
70 Break Up the Hand.
AT noon band of fifteen or twenty
burly, black turpentine hands. who
wanted to break up the sect. suddenly
appeared on the scene. Several OF them
had wives and daughters IN the
AZ. III