Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1896-01-08
HE BROUGHT AN AXE.
A New Element in Religious Revl
val Services.
PROPOSED OFFERING SACRIFICE
4 Queer Religious Enthusiast and His
Unique MethOds-His Insane Ac-
tiOns Broke Up the Meeting.

Not to be outdone by the balance of
the civilized world, Plymouth has a
Messiah.
He is not built upon the Schlatter
order of architecture, nor after the
style of the Rockford Schweinforth.
Indeed, one of the strongest arguments
used by the believers in his direct COM
munlcation with the Almighty is that
he is built upon a model exclusively
and originally his own.
He is young man by the name of
Lewis Canaan. His father, George
Canaan, is farmer who lives upon the
Bremen place, some four miles east of
! Plymouth. The son has been staying
at the home of Archie Myers, north of
Bourbon. The story of his odd haluci-
nation and its curious symptoms Is
quite interesting.
1t was about five weeks ago that
Rev. ". Ii. Rittenhouse, of Bourbon,
began series of revival meeting ser
vices in the "Brick Chapel" some 81 )
miles northwest of Bourbon. One of
the early fruits was the coming of young
Lewis Canaan to the altar and his
wrestle with The Spirit. He was kneel-
ing, but shortly fell over upon the floor,
where he lay writhing and unconscious
for quite long time. lie was taken
home about IL o'clock still in dazed
condition.
From this night on, Lew was regu-
lar attendant at the meetings. He was
supposed to be directly in communica-
tion with the Holy Spirit 10y many of
| the people thereabout, the divine inn
pulse manlfesting itself in divers
strange ways during the hours of meet
ing, such as uncanny twitchings and
jerkings of the arms, sudden starts, and
many evidences resembling epilepsy.
A few days later his mania took the
form Dt wrenching and tearing up the
bench seats of the chapel. All this
! time he Aas most reticent as to the i'm
pulses which moved HIM during these
spells, and great many of the deyout
ones still believe thoroughly that the
young man is simply possessed Of "the
power"
Well, a week ago the meetings closed
and on the 2Sth ultimo, Rev. Ritten-
house began his work at Fairview
Chapel, four miles north of Bourbon.
Canaan attended from the start, and
exhibited the same peculiar religious
fervor. Their opinion began to be di
ylded regarding the authenticity of his
authority and controlling medium.
Last Saturday came climax. Ca
naan got around to church early that
night, and evidently had come pre-.
pared to take small hand IN the pro.
ceedings himself. When the other
members arrived, "a strange, unusual
air hung over the scene. In the middle
of the center aisle, -four or five feet IN
front of the pulpit, sat square block
of solid hewn wood, like chopplng
block. Beside 1t on either hand leaned
two axes, one double-bitted sharp axe
and the other an ordinary single.bitted
one. On the front lower steps OF the
pulpit, with his back up against the
affairs front, sat Canaan. In his lap
lay the curly head Of mammoth black
Newfoundland dog. Lewis looked
stranger than ever, the observers
thought, and nobody yentured into the
other end of the sanctum until Preacher
Rittenhouse arrived.
The latter went forward and asked
Lewis what he intended to do with his
grewsome raraphernalia.
"Never mind,' was the dogged re
sponse; you'll find out before you're
done preaching tonight"
This answer, under all the existing
circumstances, did not arouse In the
pastors breast the calm and confding
spirit which was to be desired.
lie retreated to the stove In the other
corner of the room, TO get warm, and
affairs remained in statu quo.
The audience gathered, the trustees
Of the church were among them, the
hour for service arrived, and still the
man and the dog occupied undisputed
the further end of the room, while the
preacher warmed himself by the stove.
Then ensued a canyassing of the sit.
uation, and Rev. Rittenhouse insisted
that the trustees remove the sacriiiclal
layout before any preaching was done.
At last one trustee reluctantly started
to interview Canaan.
The latter by this time was manifest
ing other strange impulses. lie had gone
down to his chopping block, and stand
ing up on it, was swinging around an