The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-10-20
A Lamentable Outrage.

To the Editor OF the Intclligcnccr.
DEAR SIR:-With a marked degree
of pity, sorrow and contempt I have
read in the metropolitan papers of one
Elmer Ellsworth Masterman, of New
London, Ohio, posing for pictures 10
be called "Christ's Head
1 have pity for the insane s'freak"
who posed, sorrow for the debased
condition Of people who would permit
such thing to be done, and contempt
for the uncivilized wretch who produced
the pictures.
The iron arm of the law Is not of
sufficient length to reach such rs Mas
terman and the artist, but public
sentiment, which is stronger than law,
should hurl them into the pit of dis
grace and infamy. They should he
made to realize that in n Christian
country no such an outrage, no such
sacrilege, will be tolerated.
1t is wholly without the bounds of
reason for man to pose as the
physical counterpart, in point of ap-
pearance, Of our Redeemer. 1t is an
insult TO every church, every minister
of the Gospel, every follower of the
meek and lowly Nazaiite, every school
which has the Bible at its foundation In
the entire world.
Masterman, the subject, has strik-
ing personality. He is tall, spare,
angular and awkward in his move
ments. His long, red, shaggy, flowing
hair, and red, unkempt whiskers, beard
and moustache give him leonine
appearance. He Is thrrty-two years
old, single, and lives upon his fathers
farm on the outskirts of New London,
Ohio.
To pronounce the man n lunatic
would be unnecessary; no one but one
bereit of reason would commit such an
outrage against "High Heaven"
When asked il he had any compunc-
ton in posing for SO sacred n subject
as the Savior he replied that he had
not. He said: al feel that IL the act
was sacrilegious Christ and the Al
mighty would not have led me to such
success. ! was urged by Protestants
and Catholics to pose for the subject,
but the first suggestion came from a
Jew. IL 1t was such an awful thing To
do, think that the Almighty would
have prevented it,"
As an argument against the disrepu-
table and sinful course Masterman and
the artist have pursued, will give the
following. This was found in an
ancient manuscript sent by Publius
Lentulus, president of Judea, TO tho
Roman senate:
"Therc lives at this time in Judea a
man Of singular character whose name
is Jesus Christ. The barbarians
esteem him as q prophet, but his
offspring Of God. He is endowed with
such unparalleled virtues as to be able
to call back the dead from their graves,
and to heal every kind of disease with
a word or touch. His person is tall
and elegantly shaped, his aspect
amiable and reverend. His hair flows
in those beautiful shades which no
united colors can match, falling in
graceful curls below the ears, agrceably
touching on his shoulders, and parting
on the crown Of his head like the head
dress of the sect called Nazarites. His
, forehead is smooth, and his cheeks
without q spot, save that of lovely
red. His nose and mouth are formed
, with exquisite symmetry. His beard
is thick, and suited to the hair of his
head, reaching little below his chin
and parting in the middle like fork.
! His eyes are bright, clear and serene.
He rebukes with majesty, and counsels
with persuasive language. His whole
1 l... Ia. n..l &.
elegant, grave, and characteristic OF so
exalted being. No man has ever
heard him laugh, but all Judea has frc-
quently beheld him weep, and so per-
suasive are his tears that the msltitudes
are unable TO restrain theirs from
mingling with his. lie is modest,
temperate and wise. Whatsoever his
phenomenon may be in the end, he now
seems to be man of strange beauty
and divine perfection, in every way
surprising the children of men,"
"Freak" Masterman resembles the
above description of the Redecmer of
the World about as much as common
cornlield clod resembles the sparkling
diamonds in the diadem of n queen.
Strip our Savior of all his divinity !;
dispossess Him Of all claim TO kinship
with God; lower Him to the level of
common humanity, and he is still the
most beautiful being that ever walked
the earth. lie is still MS far above this
insane ape, IN personal appearance, as
the silent, glittering stars are above
the oceans waves which reflect thell
light.
If ii is crime for a man to impcr.
senate a United States officer, how
much more heiaous and damnablc is Il
for a man to represent himself to bt
similar in appearance to Jesus of Naza'
reth; how much more outrageous for q
homely, ignorant brute to claim per.
sonal resemblance TO Him who Offered
up His life on a rough Roman cross fol
the sins of the world, and, dying, said
of His murderers:
"Father, forgive them, for the!
know not what they do"
CARL Nj. BRosIUs.