The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-08-30
A STRANGE PHENOMENON.
An Illiterate Negro Who breaches Good
Sermons While Asleep-He Knows
Nothing of 1t Afterwards No Ex-
e:lanation Yet Found.

! An Illiterate Negro Who breaches Good
! Sermons While AsIeep-He Knows
| Nothing of 1t Afterwards No Ex-
PLANTATION Yet Found.
Major Perry is about IS years old.
This is a strange way to begin an arti-
Gle, but stranger still is our story of
him. TO begin with, he is a negro,
living on Mr.. ill Bouknight's place:
about six miles north Of Batcsburg,
S. C. In his ordinary state, he is
nothing more than an ordinary negro.
He is about medium size, and alto
gether illiterate, not being able to read
and write. He is just about fair
specimen of our Southern darkey, and
anyone meeting him would never sus-
pect anything strange or uncommon
in him. He was born and brought up
as slave in Fairfield County, S. c.,
but for many years has been living at
his present home. II is strange, in
deed, that such strange being as he
proves to be, has not been brought be-
fore the public more than he has.
The writer remembers, several years
ago, Of hearing something of negro
who preached while asleep, but gave
little credit to the story, and it was
soon forgotten. Last June, however,
it was his opportunity to talk person
ally with those who had witnessed the
strange phenomenon. Since then it
has been the constant topic of conver-
sation in these parts. The following
are the facts in the case:
Major Perry was common farm
negro till about thirteen years ago. At
that time bis right arm up to the elbow
became paralyzed, which unified him
for farm work. About the same time
it was noticed that after he had retired
at nights he would preach splendid
sermon. Whether or not he has ever
since then followed just the same
order, I am unable TO tell, but now,
every night after he falls asleep, he
gives out hymn, then prays, and fol-
lows with a sermon. AS before stated,
he is unable to read word in the
Bible, yet he announces his text and
quotes it word for word as It is record
ed in the Bible. Though be is in bed
and has fallen asleep, it is evident his
sleep-if we may call it a sleep-is not
a natural one, for it is impossible to
arouse him till his service is over. He
has been pinched, stuck, smoked, sha-
ken, and almost everything else has
been tried to arouse him, and though
these sticks aud pinches hurt him
after be is through, none have aroused
him while preaching. The most skill
full physicians have examined him
while in this condition, and all agree
that he cannot be aroused. Moreover,
while preaching, be frequently gets
convulsions, or cramps, when he be-
comes like a dead person, when he
says never a word till some one goes to
him and rubs and shakes him till he
goes to breathing, and he starts off
with his sermon again. The doctors
say his pulse is not beating then.
Another strange thing is that until
quite recently he preached every night
except Friday night. Now he breaches
every night, and when be is not feel
ing we'll he has preached four times in
one night.
1t is natural to suppose was anx-
ious to witness the-shall I call it SER
vice. myself, and last Saturday night
determined to do so. went prepared
to give more or less full account of
the service. After long buggy ride
we drove up to his home. AS people
frequently 60 there to listen to him We
had no trouble to get ourselves in read
mess to hear and take down some
thing of the service. He had just re-
tired, and by the time they got US a
lamp, table and chairs, I heard him
make a kind of mumbling sound,
something like people frequently do
while asleep. I was afterwards told
that be always did this before be be-
gan. Had I known this sooner, I
would not have missed the exact
words of the two first lines of his
hymn as I did. Without a bit OF
warning, save these means, be gave
out bis first two lines, and sang them
in peculiar, pathetic tone. (He never
gives the number of his hymns.) 1t
described a deathbed scene of young
man unprepared to die. After singing
these, he lined out:
Mother aud father standing round,
With tears trickling to the ground.
"'Dear father he cried, pray for me,
For I'm damned to eternity.
"'I love the grave where Jesus lay,
love the place since Adams way.
"'I love the Lamb who died for me,
I love the little Lamb to be-"
After having lined out and sung
this, be paused few seconds, then Of
fered prayer, which is substantially as
| follows:
"All-wise and everlasting God, be-
fore Thee and in Thy presence we
meet in Thy house to return thanks
for what we now enjoy. We thank
Thee for the privilege of singing, and
of offering unto Thee our prayer of
praise and thanksgiving. Be pleased
to hear our cry, our mourning, our
groaning on account of sin. 0 Lamb
of God, remove all sin from us; lift sin
out of our land! Very loud ] Make
the crooked ways straight, and the
| rouph places smooth, and grant US to