Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1895-07-11


S3fnS lkSykA has been some
", member of the sect
known as Perfec-
%gga, tionists watching
EE9S by the grave Of
~ Mrs. Hannah e.
y Martin. who for
twelve years-and until her death
was considered by her followers to be
their Messiah. Her grave is being
watched that the Perfectionists may
have a credible witness to report her
resurrection, and translation in a char
lot of fire, in which event they have
absolute faith. Her successor as lead
er Of the Perfectionists is her sister,
Mrs. John c. Brooke, who once dis
puted the leadership with Mrs. Martin,
and was even proclaimed the leader Of
the sect; but the superior mental force
of Mrs. Martin enabled her to regain
her leadership, which has been Of an
extraordinary character.
Some time ago DR.. Edgar G. Beall,
editor Of the chronological Journal,
was in Cincinnati. There his profess
sional services were engaged by per-
son who merely gave him the time and
place for an appointment, but did not
mention the names Of the persons
whose characters he was engaged to
delineate. In keeping his appointment
he went to a rather handsome, old
fashioned suburban residence, where he
met, without introduction, number Of
men and women. He had been in the
company but short time when he rec
ognized in one Of the women Mrs. Mar
tin, who at that time was considered
by the Perfectionists to be Jehovah's
earthly representative. Later, recog-
nizing Mrs. Brooke, he was more than
ordinarily interested in his studies Of
these two, and preserved notes Of their
characters as delineated by his phren-
illogical observations. He was seen re-
Gently by a Sun reporter and gave
some interesting accounts Of the two
women.
According to him, Mrs. Martins fol-
lowers are people above the average Of
intelligence, and several Of them have
been educated in the learned profess
sions. Mrs. Martin ruled absolutely,
was for years believed to have commu-
nication with God through the angels,
and to hold the destinies Of mankind
in her power. AS the sect did no open
PROSECUTING its exact tenets are not
known. DR.. Beall said that in his con-
versations with the leader and many Of
her followers he found their language,
when speaking of their belief, so yelled
in mysticism as not to be easily COM.
prehensible. AS nearly as he could de-
termine the teachings of Mrs Martin
included in part the beliefs Of the The
osophists, of Swedenborg, of Jacob
Boehme, and of the modern Christian
Scientists. In the efforts made by the
residents of Walnut Hills, a fashiona-
BILE suburb of Cincinnati, to expel the
Perfectionists from that neighborhood,
1t was frequently charged that free love
was included in their practices. On
the other hand, 1t is claimed by the
Perfectionists that celibacy is imposed
and enforced by the teachings of Mrs.
Martin. Mrs. Martin herself deserted
her husband at the time of her first in
terest in the sect, and on that account
he subsequently secured divorce.
DR.. Beall describes the as-yet-unres-
directed Messiah of the PerfectiOnists
as having been a remarkable subject
from temperamental point Of view.
She was a small woman, with black
hair and eyes, 21-inch head, very
intense organization, "ine as the hair
spring of a watch" AS the Doctor de-
lineated her character phrenologically,
she was exceedingly ambitious and the
possessor of an uncommon amount Of
will power and persistence. She was
fluent in her speech to the point of
loquaciousness, as her prominent eyes
indicate in the accompanying illustra-
ton. There was nothing in her men
tai makeup suggesting the eccentricity
which is usually supposed to be a
characteristic, certainly of the foun-
ders, if not the followers, Of mystic
sects. She had a reasonable and fem
mime love for children and Of the oppo-
site sex, and, as the Doctor judged her
from his study, was not woman who
would include in her religious teach
ings anything in the nature Of free
love. She would have been more likely
to emphasize a very opposite teaching.
Her firmness-always phrenologically
speaking something almost phe-
nomenal. She was persistent, and had
a very strong love of appreciation. She
showed no evidence of very great rev.
erence or exceptionally strong faith.
eff you know anything about brain
formation, you may observe" says the
Doctor, from her forehead that sha
was a woman who could give, up her
orthodox beliefs and form new ones