The herald., 1896-12-20

going on. and as they We're shooting
from some distance they did not know
until next morning that it was woman
they had killed.
This attack had the effect of checking
the alarming growth of the Sanctifica-
tionists. Noah Lynch ceased much of
his activity in making new converts and
many of those who had joined the band
thought better of it and returned to their
homes. The ark. which had been anch-
ored close to the bankof the Chowan riv-
er for the convenience of communicating
with those on shore and to afford an easy
method for intending converts to partic
ipate in the revivals. were moved out
into broader aters of Currituck sound.
Here the Sanctificationistsw were compa
ratively safe from future descents by the
regulators. The attack just described
took place last July and since then Noah
Lynch and his band kept very quiet un-
til within the past two or three week ),
when they renewed their activity.
Visitors to the revivals are taken out
to the barges in rOwboats. and new con-
verts are being added to the band every
few nights, as the ignorance of some of
the country people is not proof against
the terrific word pictures drawn by the
crude eloquence of Noah Lynch. of the
flood which is to devastate the earth on
the 25th of the month. Many of the con-
verts seem to honestly believe that
Lynch Is the modern Noah, and profess
faith in the certainty of the prophesied
flood.
MANY SHAMS AMONG THEM.
Others of the converts, the bulk of
them, are mere shams. Life in the ark
Is very easy and much more attractive
to indolent minds and bodies than the
drudgery of farm work. Each new con-
tr,s1 RI
wealth to the common fund, the sur
rounding waters abound with fish, and
vegetables can be had from the farm
ing folk in the vicinity for next to moth
irg. The women on the boats perform
the bulk of the work, and this consists
almost wholly Of preparing the meals,
which are models of simplicity.
The regulators of last summer would
rever have been called into life had 1t
not been for the fact that Noah Lynch
and his cohorts were making particular
efforts to induce young country girls
to become converts, and in several cases
succeeded. One of the last converts of
this kind was the daughter of family
famed for its respectability in the vi
cinity, and although the father and
mother exerted strenuous efforts to in
duce the girl to return to her home she
resisted all appeals.
The fact that the Sanctificationists are
followers Of the Mormons in the matter
of their domestic life also helped to
bring about the uprising against them
The feeling had been very strong prior
to their efforts to convert young girls,
owing to the number of homes which
had been broken up by the desertion Of
either the father or the mother
Beginning Sunday, December 20. there
will be the biggest kind of a revival and
1t will be kept up until Christmas day,
when the Sanctifcationists expect ta
see the waters rise and the earth oblit-
Grated. For the past six weeks the
band has been collecting all kinds of
provisions. Many barrels of salted fish
are stored in the holds of the barges,
together with sacks of potatoes, flour,
meal, and boxes. of bacon. They have
food enough to last them two months,
although they expect to land on the earth
again after the lapse of forty days.