Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-08-02
Negroes About Crazed
A False MeSSiah'S Teachings i'm Lib,
erty County, Ca. Exercise
Rueful Effect.
His Followers Regard August 16 as
the Judgment Day and Are
Preparing for Ii.

A special TO the New York Times from
Savannah, Ga, says:
The religious frenzy sroused among
Liberty eouney'S negroes BY rhe luuauc
who pretended to be the Messiah Is
b Ill ng every effort made to counteract
II. Those who are possessed listen to no
srgnment or appeals of he whites. nor of
the more intelligent OF their own color
Ortiz wSs sent 70 the insane asylum at
M'lsedgeville two weeks ago, and the hope
was INDUCED that the crSse would die
out. But 1t has not. On the contrary, it
Is spreading. Osth, or Dopont Bel, As he
st times called himself, has been succss dsd
by negro, Edwacd James, who claims
that the spirit of Christ passed INTO hun
His preaching Is having q worse effect
than the white lunatIcs had. James
breaches that the world Is coming to An
end on August l6, and this has added To
the decentralization of the ignorant
blacks. He also breaches pernicious
practices, and five hundred negroes are
following him. This new pseudo
Christ obtains an influence which has
thus far parsly zed the advice of the
old orthodox preachers. One of these
to whom the blacks throughout
eastern Georgia have Tor years looked up
70 a. leader, is Rev. Floyd Snelsou, the
Republican candidate for Congress in the
First District, last fall. Even Snelson's
Efforts are CT no avail against James. The
deluoed bsnd continues holding daily
meetings, singing, shouting, and praying.
white man named Merchantmen went
out IN the Old Homestead Plantation
couutry few days ago to employ labor
srs for &. W. Hawkins SAW mill upon he
East Tenues CT, Virginia and q, orgia
Railroad. M1Ceimmeu had secur, hands
IN that part of the CuOntry ovfors, aud he
found several CT his old wurk WvU. Their
friends aud families persuaded tht IN not
TO leave. The march to the Promised
Land Is 10 start early Friday morning,
August 16, and the men were deterre )
from hiring them selves TO work III Guuth 7
country through fear of be ny left behind
when the procession starts Cspauw4ri
THAT part of Liberty bordering on MIlu-
;osh county Is thickIy settled by blacks
out thInly populated by whites, her &C
there are hundreds of blacks who are TIL
lers of small crops. They do not see
many do lars in We course of ar, and
now James tells taem to throw hAay what
money they have or give it to Christ. H.
had box ON the GROUND near his rude
pulpit for the reception of the mCnty
Any one who dared o touch it would be
stricken dead, imss declared. Last
Saturday darkey known as Zero attend
ed the meeting and saw bright silver
coins thickly spriukled over the turf
around the box. Yesterday he wa in
Savannah with a shot-bag full of silver.
He ankly owned up that he rifed the
box,
ut WASN'T dong anybody any good
lying there" ne says, end adds, 81 SAW
some children pick up Few pieces and
they didn't fail dead. s. Suniay night
slipped out to the box and picked up nj
could find. l get S2275 altogether.
paid NJ. Sweat Sl.65 for ticket TO Sa-
vannah. ! have bought Jug of whisk )
and pair OF shoes, and | amt dead \ ct
Next Sunday am gong out there to gee
more OF the fool nigger's money"
Monday David James, a brother of Ed
| ward, went over to the camp wi Ii frienG
named Garter. They are intelligent col
ored men, and wanted TO get Edward
James to quit preaching and go off t,
/ another part of the country for while
! His brother and Garter looked aroun,
|
| They woke him up and begged him I,
follow him. The mpOstor quickly grew
excited and then mad at his brother anC
| friend. He threat to smite then
| dead if they did not go off and let hin
alone. The flock crowded around TO lis
ten. Carter put his hand on the preach
er's shoulder while arguirg with him
! THIS enraSed the leader of the crowd
! and he struck Garter in the face. Carte
grabbed him by the throat and choke,
| mis- tongue out. Tue mob closed in tC
help their Lord, ana they nearly killed
! Carter and Dave James. Carter got thu
worst of i, as he was knocked down witt
| a club.
The Ohio Iunatic, Or;h, seems to hav,
started an epidemic in this state, for {
negro has appeared in Cherokee county
who claims to be CHRIST. There Is another
| III Camden county, down near the Oke
tiuOkee swamp, and a woman in Bruins
wick, down the coast, is preaching Hnt
claims to perform miracles.