Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1895-06-06
THOUGHT 1T A DEVIL.
WASHINGTON WOMAN'S STRANGE
HALLUCiNATlON AND DEATH.
Believed thu vermiform Appendix Wa
satan-Cou . Only Drive IL Out with
the sacram ent-Made Many Converts
Remarkable Religious Mania.


Administration circles in Washington
have received within the past few weeks o
shock without a precedent in the history
of sensation. A lady of birth and station,
popular as hostess, with no mean repu-
tation as wit and raconteur, has with
drawn to privacy in the west conjured o
new religion, gathered her disciples and
died, dramatic expression of her convio-
tons.
One of the few congressman remaining
In that city narrates the spiritual election
and death of Mrs D.:
1T was shortly after Christmas that ]
noticed first the unusual fact that Mrs.
ID s cheeks were getting paler than their
wont, and that certain listlessness of
manner betrayed itself from time to time
In her actions. But put 1t down to the un-
usual gayety of the season and the languor
incident to loss of sleep and thought little
of the matter. My surprise was great,
therefore, when one day Mrs. ID. said to
me:
do you know, believe that / am pos
sessed by the devilS'
81 expostulated, of course. Mrs. ID.
then said:
% i am in deadly earnest. feel It. ]
know 1t. May heaven help mel
~ never saw Mrs. ID. again. The next
day she was taken suddenly sick and nev.
err saw any one before leaving for the west.
The rest Of the story 1 have from her
friends.
MRS. ID. was left in the west by her
husband. She improved rapidly in health
and seemed to be doing we'll when Mr.. ID.
received word from a neighbor that she
was looking i'll, and then from the serv.
ants that she was dead
1.-THE preparations for the funeral went
on in due form, Mr.. ID. being only surpris-
ed at the number of strange women who
came to view the corpse. He observed that
they all prayed about the coffin, and that
all were strangely pale. However, they all
professed TO be friends of Mrs. ID. and
much concerned at her strange death.
ITO cut the story short, Mr.. ID. found
out the following curious and tragic story
of her death. The attack she had UNDER
gone in Washington of appendicitis, cou-
pied with her deranged nervous system,
had affected Mrs. d. IS mind to tremen-
dous degree.
From medical statistics she easily dis
covered the great number of deaths due 10
inflammation of the vermiform appendix,
and she came easily to the conclusion that
that fatal duct was the devil in her and in
humanity. To get rid of him was the next
point, and Mrs. ID. made up her mind that
the one thing the devil could not subsist
on was the sacrament
Accordingly Mrs. ID. prescribed for her.
self "A fast of 20 days, in which she was 10
take nothing but hard water crackers ~
the flesh and claret wine as the blood. This
20 days she passed SO successfully that ID
strengthened her convictions
"How Mrs. ID. succeeded in making con-
verts to her belief is not know. Tho sery-
ants said she would De gone all day and
return at night, only to go Mt once TO bed.
But she made many disciples, as was at
tested by the great number at her funeral
Their rubric was a 20 days (Which WIS
subsequently extended TO 30 days. fast
When person died during the fast, it was
asserted that the appendix was the only
thing which had stood between them ard
election. Much rejoicing ensued at every
death.
But, perhaps from having her mind
too much on the organ or perhaps becau
it had never quite healed, Mrs d. 5 doy ii
began again to trouble her. She then said
she had been too proud Of her success, ard
that pride went before fall, and that sic
had admitted the devil again. So she
concluded on "A go days fast. She al
lowed her fellow believers to come to read
to her and encourage her in the last strue-
gle, saying, as they saw her gradually
sinking, that she had overcome satan for
ever. She died among them, singing
hymn and promising her assistance from
the other world if they would abide in her
teachings,
"This sounds, / know, like fiction, but
1t Is absolute truth, as / have il from tho
lips of her husband. "-Cincinnau Com
mercial- Gazette.