The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-09-01
MEssllHs lm Prophets.
fsnatieism Holding Carnival In
the Georgia Nidiands.
a oseer Deveispasas er Resfessus
N.ass-People Clas1sse % De
~ssssahs SOD Prophets.

There has heen an extraordinary
osthrfzx o. superstition ard ssnsss-
easfn II tue Georgia highlands. A vhise
lunsfac sssddenIy proclaimed h.ra.~sf
70 he The Messiah rezpp~arinr On
earsh TO establish his Kingdom. and
profound impression was Iesf ut.yn
tse minds OF group Of ignorant
negro foilo~ers, who listened With
ave TO his incoherens preaching.
when he xxs lodged in Jail NJ Mil
edgeyibe, black Messiah. as mad "a
she traditional March hare. took an
Ms parable ard affirmed his own
DIVINITY IN baasphenEoGs outtarsts, 10
which fraosley tnruay Of zwe-struck
negroes responded ~itA many frers-
ziess Glory 10 God 81 The second
Messiah had been justice Of the p~are
and Possessed considerable aathor;ty
over men Of his own color. although
ne vas known to be a lunafic. He
was arrested while encouraging hts
disciples 10 offer human sacrifices OF,
a deserted plantation, and Was carried
OF 70 the HinesviiIe Jail. The negroes
IN their cabins surrounding the grass
grown ruins OF the stately Wssthoar
mansion burned during the civil war
were by this time in q state OF hys;~ri-
cal excitement They gathered about
TWO huge Hyeoak trees, singing HYMNS,
drinking whisky, and awaiting Nth
supersntsoas dread the advent OK the
next claimant for divine honors.
When shedrick Waithour, once a slave
on the plantation, declared him self To
be Hing Solomon. armed with
alvine commission 10 release all
the prisoners eoafned In Hines
vile on charges Of lanacy.
his subjects knei. before hirn in
ecstafle reverence His fame rapidly
as noIsed abroad, and hnndreds OF
negroes from the surrounding country
congregated at Waithoar 10 paw honi-
age 20 their new sovereign. BY day
light his majesty was on exhibition in
= tent. often, IL is 10 De feared, ROYALTY
drunk. AT night wood nres were
lighted in the open air, and about the
cracking blaze soiomon's loval sub
leess sang, prayed, danced aad slept.
The kings short reign closed with
mad rush for the Hinesvllle jaii.
where the iunatics were 20 be liberated
Tie had promised 10 attest hi. dlyineiy
appointed commission by many
miraculous signs and wonderful works,
and had called Tor fifteen volunteers
10 attend him in his triumphal
progress. With pomp ard rev.
elry. the king and his retinue
swept out of camp and took
up the march for Hinesyille. sixteen
swarthy warriors started with him
bat in the course OF the journey OF ten
mics ten fell ont. The king. with his
faithful guard Of six, appeared before
the prison and sought To perform q
miracle, but no mighty work could he
do. The marshal arrested the seven
negroes and clapped them all in jail,
lodging solomon in all his glory in the
cell adjoining that IN which the black
Messiah was swearing ike Hessian
trooper OF Revolutionary days. The
direful news was carried back To his
court by the stragglers who had pru-
IDENTIFY halted by the wayside; and a
candidate for the vacant throne IN
stanuy appeared. This time il was
the Queen of sheba, with two dusky
attendants welding palmetto fans
and adjusting the folds OF her raj.
ment, which consisted of a soiied cot
via rstSNt aAtt NV f@s& vi &AGsa
socks. She assumed no Responsibility
for miracle, was less aggressive
in her idea of sovereignty, and passed
the time in prolonged frances, dunng
which she visited heaven and COM
muned with spiritual powers. Scrip
turai characters multiplied after her
reign began. two Nebuchadnerzars be-
ing found eating grass in the feids,
King David arising for Judgment, and
satan himself eoiling himself upin the
branches OF a live-oak. Indeed, so
contagious was this spirit Of biblical
impersonation that ali the leading
roles in the drama of Israel were in
fair way to be enacted when sheriIfss
posse appeared upon the scene to
break up the encampment. Such ex-
hibiiioHs OF degraded superstition are
not uncommon among southern ne
grues. Their natures are emotional.
and under the stress OF religious ex-
element they seize upon every pass
ing conceit as drowning men snatch at
straws. With smattering of religion
crusiely taught iii their churches, they
are readily duped by the foliies and
deiusions Of demented fanatics. and
are soon beyond the control and di-
reCTipn of reason