The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-06-26

A. Afisssenary Transforms nm African To~n
Into a GAr,ie, ~ the Lord.


The rawer II missionary field the
greater is the likelihood of strange and
startling events, SAYS the Boston 1rdc-
eltsY.
When. six years ago. Bishop Taylor
went TO Africa, Sastown was II hole of
murderous robbers and devil doctors.
This town. 50 named from the cruel
habit of administering saswood poison
to suspects of witchery or whom the
devil doctors might Indicate. is the
largest town on the Krn coast. and
situated about fifty miles north by
northeast from Cape Palmas At that
time no white man. or even Liberian.
could pass it without the greatest
danger of being captured and his val
uables taken from him.
Only Just before John Clinton of
Grand Bossa. coming along the coast
selling goods from his cutter was
overpowered and put in one of their
conical houses and smoked with burn
ing pepper pods till he surrendered
nearly everything he had 10 save his
life
Two years ago the heroic bishop en-
tered this town with t:ie gospel mes
sage. After months labor he organ
lied church of fifteen members. all
Krumen. Under his appointed mis-
sionary, the Rev. X. Valentine Ekman
and the converted Krumen. together
with visit from the Rev. Mr.. Kephart
of Cape Palnas, the work went rapidly
on. Many were baptized. and some
IT'S converted and Joined on probation.
Not only this. but, as sparks from n
brisk fire scatter and kindle elsewhere
and so spread the flames, the work
had spread from this to a village TWEEN
ty miles away. which Mr.. Ekman also
took under his care.
AT time when he was absent super
intending this new work II devil made
his appearance Mt Sastown and per-
suaded the old war king that this busi-
ness meant bad for the kru people.
and that these white men were only
spies and forerunners of n host who
would soon follow them. take their
land. and deprive them of their liber-
ties. This was TOO much for the old
king, and he called his head men to-
getiier and took counsel. There was
nothing else 10 be done but obey the
wizard. So they determined 10 muir
der the missionary, pull down the mis-
sion house and break up the mission
work, The converts and their friends
got word of the plot. and came out in
force 10 withstand the destruction.
Meanwhile Il messenger hasteued TO
the missionary to have him come at
once. Coming to the scene he found
that stubborn resistance of his people
had checked the onset and quellcd the
heat of the excitement. which greatly
exasperated the iiendish instigaior of
the plot, and he started in in full rage
to do the work of destruction himself.
Now. such Is tho superstition of this
nation that the devil doctor must be
implicitly obeyed. and that 1t is in
stant death to touch him. Ekman.
however. told them that it was all nom
sense; that there was nothing SUPER
natural about the wizard; that it was
mere matter of strength. and that
whoever was the stronger would win-
With this he started in. overcame the
wizard. bound his hands behind him
with rope, the loose end of which he
piled to his back, and so drove him
through aud out of town and let him
60. The next morning Ire returned
full of rage, tore off the boards of the
chapel, and made general havoc The
missionary went after him once more
caught him and bound him to Il post
where he let him fry in the sun three
mortal hours.
Shortly after this the king became
sick and the missionary attended him.
He was very sorry that he had been SO
deceived, and begged the missionary's
pardon. He prayed and sought the
Lor,l. and became himself Il Christian.
THEN he forbade the lesecrntion of the
Christians Sabbath and The perform
anee of unnecessary work on the holy
day. He also forbade the further adj
minisiration of the saswood poison.
while faith in devil doctors has gone
into great discount.
Says Bishop TAYLOR; Sastown is
now a garden of the Lori. Il miracle
of grace" So much for the power of
spiritual aud muscular Christianity.
But. sad to relate. this good mis-
sionary. who began TO write letter on
the 1st of last October. stating that in
all Liberia Bishop Taylor has no
school house or boys house like the
one in Sastown." never finished the
letter; but on the 4th yielded up the
work from black African fever leaving
the church to mourn the loss of an