The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-20
C1No1NNA4rs FEMALE CHRIST.
Those Who bavs the Money Will Go
With Her to Europe.

| Those Who bave the Money VIII 60
With Her to Europe.
CINCINNATI, o., July 19.-The strangest
of all the strange religious sects this world
has known since religion had place in 1t,
had its birth and growth here. Unlike
most such fungi, there has as yet been no
faint of immortality about the new organ
ization at least in q grosser sense. Its head
and founder is Mrs. John B. Martin, wife of
a well-knoWn business man, and herself for
years pillar of Methodism. In the latter
years of her connection with that denomi-
nation, she became an enthusiast on the
doctrine of sanctifcation, or perfect holi-
ness, and this was probably the foundation
for vagaries which later, as most people be-
lieve, grew into the most shocking bias
phemy.
Mrs. Martin was quietly dropped from
the church rolls and soon separated from
her husband. She was not heard of for
some time, when the astounding announce
ment was made that she had set herself up
as Jesus Christ, and had gathered about her
set OF believers who worshiped her as
such. The most astonishing part of this
was the information that Mrs Martins fol-
lowers were not cheap, ill-informed, easily
influenced, superstitious people, but persons
of wealth, refinement and culture, families
whose names are known and honored in
of the city. So devoted were some of
her followers that they became maniacs in
her defense, ready to kill, If necessary. 1t
was almost impossible to secure access to
the meetings or to learn what occurred in
them, but it was learned that Mrs. Martin
was obeyed blindly; that it was believed she
was Christ come TO earth again never to die
and that these, her first converts, were to
be rulers in the new kingdom.
A sister of Mrs Martin DOses as the HOlV
Ghost and the community call themselves
Perfectionists. They hold as little COM
munication with the outside world as posi-
bic and are, to a certain degree, communists
in the belief.
To-day it is announced that a great re-
ligious movement is about to take place on
Walnut Hills Mrs. Martin, the self-styled
Christ, is going to Europe. Whether she
goes for inspiration or pleasure is not
known, but certain it is she will be accom-
| panied by beloved disciples. At least one
pair of lovers will be of the party, Herbert
| g. Shepherd and his intended bride, Miss
| Emma Brooke. The others who will accom-
pany her are as follows: Mrs. Thomas
| Foulds, Mrs. Katie Shepard. John Koch
and his sister Rose, DR.. Julia Carpenter,
Miss Lille Carpenter Miss Mile Domhoff,
| Miss Cora Watts, Ed Gerome.
Duridg Mrs. Martins vacation last sum-
mer seven of the faithful dropped away
| from the fold and two others almost
left but we're cajoled back again. In order
not to risk anything one of these, who has
money will accompany her abroad, while
the other, a poor working girl, will so as
far as New York. where she will be left
with her parents until the party returns,
| They will leave tomorrow for New York.
where they will take the steamer Etruria
Saturday for Europe, where they will re-
| main two months.
Mrs. Martin has taken every possible
occasion to condemn in unmeasured terms
all preachers who go off on a vacation. She
is considerate to take with her all her flock
for whom she has any regard, and the thirty
odd who remain must suffer because they
] have not the gold.