The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-18
m HoEr
Practices - = seet Eha, u spresasss an owe
Eastern NEnfnN.

oRIANp. Me-, July l6-"Anything which
Christ did I can dc" Is the keystone OF the faith
Of the Holy Ghost EvanTeiists, n sect Organised
in this town about two years ago. which II now
spreading all over eastern Maine. The leaders
Of the faith arc Mrs. Mary Mcintyre, who came
here from Waldo county two years ago and
organized q prosperous church. and Elder James
Woodwork Of Syracuse, n. Y. who has been in
Bangor and its vicinity about q year. Though
the members Of the sect lay great stress dpon
prayer and laying on OF hands. they are not
Christian Scientists, and claim no affinity with
the faith hcalers. The new cult begins where
the other two leave OF. accepting nobody but
hopeless sinners and confirmed invalids, who
are treated for sin ana disease free Of charge.
Regeneration is effected in several ways, the
course of treatment including prayer, bathing,
rubbing, and baptism by immersion. When
these have proved vain, the penitent Il called
before q secret meeting Of the members and COM
PEELED to perform tho I" holy ROLL" According to
the stories told by backsliders who have taken
the full number OF degrees. the person who
makes the holy roll lies down upon the floor at
one end Of the building and rolls over and
over, like a log. until every person present il
satisfied that the last trace of the Evil Ono has
been shaken out. Sometimes the CEREMONY Is
finished in ten minutes, while in stubborn cases
VI " 49, SHbAhuCu " o
o'clock in the evening until midnight. As
the subject rolls past the kneeling audience.
every person has the right to ask such questions
as he sees fit. and the ~penitent must make ready
md satisfactory answers before he is allowed to
rise. The sins of q lifetime must be confessed in
detail, and the innermost secrets made public.
Having rolled across the floor until everybody In
satisfied and has no more questions to ask, the
subject is assisted to his feet and conducted to u
rostrum. where he is proclaimed the brother of
The first suspicion OF unusual conduct by
members OF the sect came about n year ago,
was sick and dizzy for q week after his exercise.
Soon after this man recovered. a girl who wished
to join the sect had the holy roll administered at
an evening meeting. and the next morning she
a swoon, which lasted for more than a day.
brethren said she was in a trance and was pay
ing a brief visit to heaven. from which she
OF " Ssp Sody' Thesy t,xed The time Oh 81 SePP Issessc9n
at q O'Clock the next morning. and when the time
came she began to, revive. gaining strength and
before noon. Though the Holy Ghost Evangei-
lists pleaded with her to tell them where she had
been and what she had seen. she said she had no
memory OF events from the time she started to
walk home until she reSaincd consciousness In
bed more than twenty-tour hours later. The
new evangelists took her lack OF illumination
for a sign that she had not been wholly regene-
rated, and caused her to make a second applica-
tlOu U I inc molly IUll, WulCn was no DOUBT sue
~cessful. because the girl Is now n fun member.
While Mrs: Mcintyre exhorts and gains new
converts. Elder Woodwork goes from town to
town treating the lame and casting out devils
AS he terms 1t. Some OF the cases which he has
treated have been followed by unexpected
results. Last winter he was called out to Great
Pond to attend a Mrs. Hurt, who was in the last
stages OF pulmonary consumption. As soon as
he entered the house he began to rub his hands
and mutter prayers.
The room is full OF devils" he said. Throw
up the windows and let them out. cannot do
q thing while they are here"
When they windows were raised, Allowing a
bleak wind to enter. he threw ali the medicine
bottles out OF the room. and, kneeling down.
prayed for a full hour, while the patient shiN-
cred with cold. After the prayer he went back
to Bangor. promising to return in a week. The
next morning Mrs. Hurd died from shock and
exposure,' so DR.. Patten made out the death
certificate.