The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-23

tials. p B. have a mytlologlea- sienifi-
canoe. has. like Schiatter. an intensely
magnetic personality, and is rapidly gain
ing converts 10 his queer sect L. is. per-
haps. the only religious sec- which is alb
solutely without any ceremonial observ-
ances. Sunday IS observed among the
members no more than any other day the
theory being that every day Is a Sabbath
in itself The farm tenated by the sect
once belonged to Herman storms. The late
ter is now a nonentity in the community.
He IS very old and ar first protested
against the Angel Dancers. but finally sue
cumbed TO force of numbers and arEu-
ment and deed his land TO his dauch-
ter Mary, who IS under the
control of Afnason. His wife and sons are
also in accord with the doctrines of the
healer. One of the sons is a graduate Of
Rutgers College and is civil engineer
by profession. The colony now numbers
about fifteen men and women and the
principal tenets of the faith seem TO be
"unceasing submission to God" and the
continual casting out Of the devil" The
first part seems to cause the colony no
trouble, but the latter part sometimes
disarranges the economy OF the farm; for
his Satanic majesty may. In the eyes OF
the members Of the sect, have entered
the food, which must then be instantly
destroyed, or the room. from which he
must be turned out These visitatiOns
at times render the farm life very un-
comfortable. The converts drop their
worldly names on entering the cOmmu-
nifty and assums cognomens of Biblical
import Thus there are John the Baptist,
Daniel Matthew, Luke, Mark and others.
As no money is made in any way by the
members of the sect, they can be ac
credited with sincerity I'm their inten-
TONS But the central figure is Mnason.
who is the soul of the organization, and
without whom it would anguish.
DR.. Cyrus Teed, the Chicago Christ"
who owns Estero Island, in Lee county.
Florida. and who is the leader of the
'Koreshans," has already been described
in the New York Times. He is the master
as well as the lord" of his flock and he
rules over them with all the assurance Of
an absolute monarch. Unlike most Of the
healers, he has a cOnsort, who is the queen
of the colony, and who is known as "Vic-
toria Gratia Horesh." HIS mansion is
named "Beth-Ophrah." Teed is a sort of
yelled prophet to his followers. who are
not except in the case of a few officials,
allowed to enter the sacred palace. The
followers are practically slaves, inasmuch
as they have signed over TO their leader
all their worldly goods and are compelled
TO indulge in a life Of unremitting toll, re-
gardless of weather, natural aptitude, or
physical ability. Teed. to the Koreshans,
is the actual incarnation of Jesus Christ.
His followers are angels" and are sup
posed to be without sex. There is no mar
rying nor giving in marriage. The chill
dren brought into the colony are taught
to believe of Teed as God and the blind
obedience to his word are the two princi-
pal laws Of the colony. iced says he will
die soon, but will rise again from the dead,
although he will hereafter remain invisi-
BILE to the faithful Through time and eter-
nifty He claims to be able to heal by the
laying on of hands, and to be able to du-
plicate any of the Biblical miracles. He
is now preparing for his taking off, and
is getting his New Jerusalem in readi
ness for the event. The Koreshans be
lieve he can destroy and create at will,
and invest him with supernatural powers.
They carry on manufacturing plant, run
two newspapers-"The Flaming Sword"
and ''The Pruning Shears and are quite
independent of the outside world. iced
comes nearest of all themoderns 10 Alex
ander of AbnOticus. 'r
Thousands of pilgrims iocklng to vialas.
in Switzerland, proclaim the wonderful
healing powers of NJ. Vignes. Vignes IS
peasant, u years old. He is Of the
stern Huguenot type and 1t well off in this
worlds goods. He is a faith-curist, and
when asked for advice he simply re-
plies: Have faith and you will be cured"
His magic touch" has, however cured
thousands of various ailments, and the
crowds still seek him. 1t is said that
company is being organized to provide
for the accommodation of the pilgrims
who hail from Berne, Basic, Zurich ana
other places in Switzerland.
The career of Alexander Bedward. the
Black Prophet of the West Indies, is in
dicative of the power of the strong mini
to dominate the weak. Bedward called
himself the prophet of the Lord Jesus"
/. ~
sentenced to two years Imprisonment for
highly seditious language, but he escaped
on a technlcality. He was once an inmate
Of an insane asylum, but that does NOT
prevent him from accommodating a consid-
cradle fortune from his ignorant follow
ers His plan was to bless" the waters
of Hope river, so that they would become
"healing" in their nature He blessed
them every day, and thousands of negroes
Of both sexes would battle in the stream
in the hope of becoming purified from
their illnesses. The mixing up of the SICK
and the well, the healthy and the unclean,
is said to have propagated much disease.
Bedward, with a lieutenant named Shake
speare would go to the waters every day
in regular procession, bearing crosses ana
banners, on which were such devices as
Alexander Backward, the Servant Of Je-
sus" After singing hymns and taking up
a diligent collection. Backward would bless
the waters and eXtol the crowd as IL
plunged into the stream. After several
hours of this he would go away, and the
healing power of the water was supposed
to depart with him.
Another colored prophet is Or" Ander-
son Rodgers, who prophesied the ascen-
sion of his followers for March last, but
who left them in a position corresponding
to between the devil and the deep sea-"
His disciples made such disturbance in
the neighborhood Of their church that
the police had to interfere. They were
told that if they assembled at a given time
all would, of course, be well, but If not,
they would have to go to an insane asy-
lum. Converts were made all over Geor-
gia, and even the convicts in the prisons
believed in a quick deliverance. Unlike
the MiIlerites, no sumptuous robes were
bought, but NOSE Of the fanatics sold
or gave away most of their possessions.
When the end came, those who were not
put In Jail were scattered to the four
winds, not in a literal sense, as they
expected, but by the strong arm of the
law. The sect was started some years
ago by a white man, DR.. John S. Will
let's, who left this earthly sphere with
the assistance Of the White Caps. The
minds Of the coiored people werei great
ly infiamed by the publication and dis