The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-07-17
CLAIMS TO BE CHRIST.
HUNDREDS OF NEGROES LED BY
AN IMPOSTER.
Abandoning All Work to Follow a Luna
tic to the Promised Land" in the
North.

below here, IN the extreme Southern part
OF Liberty County, exists an astonishing
and anomalous state Of affairs. The ne
groes have abandoned their patches,
have turned their cattle in on their
crops, are deserting the turpentlne
farms, saw mills and plantations, and
are flocking around a pseudo Christ,
who is preaching to them daily. So
thoroughly are they infected with a re-
ligious craze that a surprising and inter
esting evolution IS taking place in their
material aud social condition.
In obedience to the impostor's COM
mands, wives have separated from their
husbands, children have left their pa
rents, and in many instances whole
families have deserted their homes to
follow him. He tells them that on Fri
day, August 16, he will lead them
Northward to the promised land, Ca
naan, and in the meantime they must
prepare themselves by prayer and fast
ing for the march. He is a white man,
between thirty and thirty-fve years of
age, a little above average height, and
of spare build. Christopher Ortn is the
name of his feshly oody, he says, and
Jesus Christ of his spiritual body. Long
rlnglets fall from his head, which is
large and of unusually fine proportions.
Over 400 men, women and children
have been accepted by him and con-
stantly attend him. Women, however,
constitute the greater part Of his flock.
The co!ored people in that benishtcd dis
trict place wonderful faith in him, and
the band of 400 does not begin to repre-
sent the number that believe in him.
For two weeks after his sudden ap-
pearance the negro preachers did their
utmost to persuade their people not tc
listen to the man. Finding that their
advice was not needed the preachers
sought the influence and aid of the
prominent white citizens of the County.
So the consulted Capt. E. P. Miller, a
wealthy planter; ex-CongresSman 7. N.
Norwood, who has a country place in
the County; Capt: Gus Fleming and
Others. The whites were deeply inter
ested, too, for as the craze spread the
question of labor became serious one.
Whether the man was a lunatic or sharp
working the negroes for money was not
certain. The decision was reached to
arrest Orth for vagrancy, and q warrant
was issued upon the cath Of a cololed
preacher and politician named Stiles,
who came within seven votes of being
elected member of the present Georgia
Legislature. Colonel Norwood was re-
tained to prosecute Orth. Race troubles
we're feared, but Orth told his followers
to do no violence. He had prophesied
that he would be seized and had declared
that no harm would come to him. HIS
believers would have torn the officers
piecemeal at the slightest word OF
command from their "ChriSt," as they
called him, but he went willingly and
was followed twelve miles on foot under
scorching June sun to the trial place,
Pennington, by 800 men and women.
Fully half of these were armed, many
of the women carrying musketS and
shotguns. A hundred or more who sup.
posed that the trial was to take place at
the County seat, Hinesvllle, took short
route across country through the woods
and swamps, and missed what subse'
quently occurred.
When arraigned before the County
magistrate Orth exhibited several dol
lars, and the charge of vagrancy and
being without means of support was
dismissed. Another warrant was i'm
mediately issued charging him with
being a lunatic. The law gave him ten
days before a commission of lunacy
coy!ss inquire into hisaSsssse 0n>the th7-HSa, H3,
set, last week, the impostor appeared
with following twice as large as he
had before.
Colonel Norwood subjected him to a
long and rigid examination. Outside the
crowd kept crying weird chant: "They
have taken our Christ! Buckra man
want to kill our Christ, but they can't.n'
Orth stated that he formerly lived in
Centrevil'e, Ohio. His familiarity with
the Bible astonished court, jury and
spectators.
eff you are Christ show US miracle, F"
suggested Mr.. Norwood.
''Get thee behind me, Satan; will not
be tempted by you" was the response.
"You are charged with being a luna
tic, and unless this jury believes other
wise you will be sent to an asylum.
Show US the nailprints ir your hands
and convince the jury that you are the
Christ who was crucifed," said the
lawyer.
''This is the natural body which you
see, corruptible, perishable. 1t IS not
the boiv which was fastened to the
cross on Calvary. The spirit, though,
which is in me is the same living spirit
which was in the body that was hung
beside Barabbas My spirit is in every
body"
"Was it in George Washington"
;'Yes, and in Abraham Lincoln, too. "
"Was it in Jefferson DavisT'
cit was"
Nothing could induce the self-styled
Christ to undertake to perform mira
Gle. He refused to turn water into wine
on the ground that it would be taken as
sanctioning the use of ardent and fer
mented spirits. II did that once, and
the act has been misconstrued ever
since," he observed.
81 am about to take chew of to-
bacco. If you can palsy my arm and
stop me, l and the jury will believe in
you" said the ex-Congressman.
II don't care whether you chew or
not, and l don't want to MAIN you for
life," Orth retorted.
The commission de lunatico iaq',ir-
endo quickly concluded that Orth is in
sane, and recommended that he be sent
to the State Lunatlc Asylum at Milledge~
vile. That institution, however,
is overcrowded, and the superin-
tendcnt has declined to take more pa
tieuts for the present. Liberty County
has no jail, and to send Orth here and
have him confined would be an expense
on the County. So the lunatic was re-
leased until some provision is made for
his case nv order of one of the Judges