The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-07-04
THE angel DANGERS. =
Weird Beliefs Of the sslf-styled
Religious Martyrs.
THEY ARE m H4CKENSAGK JAIL
In New jersey and win not Ask for
BAN Charged With Conspiracy
Ono Claims to be God and Another
is John tho Baptlst-oIalm to BIO
Victims OF q PIpt- Compliments to
Reporters


New YrlHna'd
Strangely enough none OF the "angel
dancerA" In prison at HaCkensack, n,
J., will accept liberty under bail unless
thewhole. party is released. There is
great doubt as 10 the ability ofthe pros
eGutIon to make out case Of conspira'
cy against the prisoners, Meanwhile
they continue TO speak Of themselves as
martyrs aud TO hope for miracle that
will eontouRd the Ungodly people oil
New Jersey,
II is easy to see how the frowsy, long
haired takira at the head Of the Church
OF the Living God are able TOY hetpddle
and bewitch their followers, They are
masters OF o style Of logic that appeals
strongly to inexperienced minds, and
when they arc Sornered byG superior
personality they take shelter behind
ScElplprRl quotations that have an I'M
pressiye sound, but have nothing 70 do
with the subject.
Let us take o look ut Hultsmap y,
Mnason, 'IIhe Holy One, az no lles In
his cell, while talk through tho iron
bars TO him. He is man Of about Htty
years. A mass OF long, dark hair,
atFeakal with gray, falls overR fiat skull
and low forehead, The face Ia that OF a
ianatic-sharp features, restless, keen
eyeS, and firm, thin lips. A shaggy
beard sprawls down from tue palIld
countenance and screens the chin and
throat. That beard mas known the
cruel touch OF scissors in the hands OF
infuriate men, and those anaky tresses
have been yanked and shorn by pro.
fame hands,
The brawny torso Of the leader is clad
in q patched shirt, open At the hairy
throat, aud pair of stout white arms
are folded. ",lhe Holy One" lies on
narrow cot staring at the inscriptions
which have been drawn In colored
chalk on the wall. A tin bucket stands
in the corneri q nickel-plated alarm
clock lies on tho floor.
"Mnaaon, what is your belief"
The dark eyes stare at mo- and the
man rises slowly 10 sitting position.
The taller at my aide clanks his key
against the bars. "The Holy One" is
an artist, can soc that at glance.
He swells up his big chest, drops his
gaze and Aighs.
"The God Of Ages IL my foundation,
Heia my sure defense"
MSAsoN's RELrEr.
Then the right hand moves slowly
out with studied grace and the long
iorefnger Rrtlstloally trembles as 1t
points ut me.
nMy God can DO worshipped here.
You can come into the cell with me
and we can address my God together.
] do not worship the God Of forms and
fashions ! do not worship tho God OF
the rich"
sWhy aotR WHAT'S the matter with
the rich?"
II Worship him who can break these
walls down
"But you call yourself God, so the
people Of New Jersey say"
't1will not answer that question, II
you believe that am God l will not
rob you Of that belief / have no right
to influence you. If you call mo God, |
tell you to hold to your belief. Tho peo-
pie here say that am God. We'll, they
know mo no better than you do. and it
is for them to decide for themselves
whether am God or not Ihave my
message To deliver to man."
"Does II hurt your conscience to trim
your hair and beardW
ut is my nature to have such beard
and such hair. God has willed 1t, aud
i will not deny Him."
"But you are charged with having
meanly conspired to rob poor old
man Of his housn and farm under q
pretense Of piety. How about that2"
Another mysterious sign and sol'
emn way Of the head,
HAiasl alasl Glory to God! The
conspiracy is on the other side. The
Dutch Reformed church and Its friends
have conspired against US. l had
tent. asked no one to come to It, l
stood there and delivered my message.
Ibid not carry the message into peo-
pies houses, remained In my own
tent with my own people; they are all
in jail with me. They tore down my
tent and they imprisoned my body.
But | am not the first Christian mar
tyr. they soy that was demoralizing
I the community, but simply asked
people 10 believe in the old, old God,
the real, true, everlasting, all-seeing,
omnipotent, omnisctent God-the God
of Abraham aud Isaac and Jacob. |
don't take stock in any modern God"
'You are a sort Of Methodist, are you
not2"
''God found me in Methodist church
about eight years ago. But am not q
modern Methodist. / an Methodist
Of the old style. ! am an antique"
"You don't believe III formsW
u am'against forms."
i'But you take great caro- to grow your
beard and hair as long as possible"
"Ah, yes Glory to Godl He is my
cure foundation. He 10 my strength.
He never deserts tho poor or the weak,
He is mighty. Gloryl"
1.-THE Holy One" It will DO perceived,
had avoided tho point.
"Have you seen IN angel"
~ would not deny any OF Gods mani
testatlon TO me. l tell you ! am like
all those other fellows the Bible tells
or
''But have you really seen an angel ?"
~ am like Jacob, aud am like 9th.
ors honored by God, When you look
ut me you lpak at an angel ! ain like
Samuel. He heard the voice Of God aud
said; "HOro am II" and God told him
TO 10 aud toll Eli. But suppose l
should toll these Rhoritl'a officers what
God has told lnp, that He wants thom
TO releaao me- do you suppose that they