The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-26
A PRETENDED CHRIST.
PERFECTIoNIsTs TORN UP BY DIS
SENsIONS.


A Too Tyrannical Leader is the Cause
of the Trouble-Absolute Control of
Every Action Of Her Followers De-
manded.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
There is dissension and strife in the ranks
of the Perfectionists.
@Seven members have recently seeded and
| others are about to follow.
This startling state of affairs is attributed
to the overbearing manner of the leader,
Mrs. Martin, the woman who claims TO be
Jesus Christ.
The dear sisters and brothers have wearied
| Of the belief that that lady is a true god.
The story that is told by the dissenters is
full of interest, as displaying how far the
credulity of mankind can be played upon.
One of the sisters who has weakened on
being votary at the Martin throne is very
sincere in her unmesking of the follies OF
this new religion. OF the seven who have
quit the Martinites in disgust are Mrs. Flora
| Miller, Mrs. Croker Of West Fourth street,
| and Miss Black.
| 1t appears that six months ago the first
rebellion showed itself, four Of the faithful
| quitting the ranks AS soon as this quar-
tette had broken away they succeeded in
| convincing three others of the toolishness OF
! the belief, and took them away. Strange as
it may seem, these leaders in the rebellion
were the first Of the devotees Of the new
god.
When Mrs. Martin was the butt of scan.
! dalous reports these seven were among her
s.anchest supporters, and stood by her in
| all her trials and troubles, but as time drew
TO the band new recruits Mrs. Martin
BECAME TYRANNICAL,
And the the members suspicious, envious
and fearful. In fact, it was truly I'm.
happy family. The god was naughty, pos.
sessed a bad temper, which showed itself II
most violent form. Sue was never satisfied
even with the most abject submission tc
her wishes, and was ever reaching out fol
more power and conquest. Her followers
were honestly aud faithfully seeking Goo
and the truth, but did not find them where
they had located them. 1t seems
during last summer the wealthy
members of Mrs. Martins strange
fold subscribed literally to a fund tc
send her to Niagara, where she was to &c
and work up new power. During her alb
seuce Miss Black, one Of the most tervent
of the fold, unveiled some of the assertions
of their deity and started the rebellion
against Mrs. Martin, 50 that when the lat
ter returned she found matters in a de-
cidedly tumutuous state. She became
very violent, aud. according to one of the
seven, she greeted the rebels with bias
phemous denunciations, calling then
thieves and robbers, and saying: "You
cannot add to or take from God:
I AM GOD,
and you are all blasphemers."
She contineud this TRADE, only increasing
in emphasis about the damnation that wa
to come to all. So terrific were her utter
ances against the sisters that many were IL
from nervous prostration for days; Will,
she strengthened herself with many, sh,
could not remove the spirit Of Weakening
that haG struck the others. After 1--WE
months of persecution they withdrew
When one of the ex-Martiuites was asket
how she accounted for such tyranny, sh
replied:
, Il can only believe that it was due to ig
norance and an almost insane desire fo
power and "a hypnotic power which she wal
very skilled in. Once she discovered thi
influence over the minds OF her follower
she never let up, but she reckoned withou
her strength, as she overtaxed it, aud thi
I disorder that has broken out 50 be-
ranks will very so)n end the entir
business"
The dissonters now ridicule ell OF la