The evening times., 1897-12-04


where queer religious tenets hold sway,
| and Just now that portion of the town
ship known as Quakertown is the scene
| of an ontlreak of fanaticism which has
| Resulted in tine burning down OF u dwell
ing house and resort to firearms.
1t should he said right here, however.
in order t. do the people of the coin
nunity fall Justice, that it is not gen
to the forcarms for any other purpose
than to frighten away two or three very
| dernonst-ative apostles Of new brand uf
faith.
But the firearms We're used, and moTe
| than score OF shots fired aroInd tnc
old farm house in which the apostles had
taken refuge for the night.
Furthermore, 1t is certain that the
apostles fled i'll the darkness, and that
in a fey minutes after their departure
the housc which they had inst left was
in flames 1t burned to the ground with
all its contents.
That was on Monday night last. The
apostles on Tuesday to1k shelter in 4
barn, ami remained there until Wedn=s
day, when they went over Tito Rho le
Island.
The Rogerene Quakers, as tiIev are called
| settled i'll Ledyard Township In 1890 and
since hat date their descen,ia nts have lived
III the old faith OF their fathers and to a
very great extent in the houses-substan
tial old colonial structures, with gables and
long slppirg roofs-which their fathers
built.
Where they follow the Quakers is in the
doctrine Of peace. They are opposed TO
warfare and contention, and are the
founders of mystic ''peace meetings
wherein there was such n violent outbreak
OF religious fanaticism recendy.
From time to time different brethren
have lad calls to preach certain dogmas
which they had evolI from their own
individual Observation-Disclosures Scriptures. They
have had followers, and they created schis-
matte groups. This has led to alterations,
so that while allare crying Peace! Peacei'
there is in rea!ity no peace.
Solomon Crouch was the last t. be moved
by the Spirir to bear witness 10 new revela-
tions. Crouch was born up in Quakertpwn
about forty years ago but has lived most
of his life here ia New London. He is 4
some property. He owns houses and lots
in New London. and he owns houses nd lots
In Norwich.
He was married some years ago and has
several children by his first wife, who lett
him, He married another wife, with W hom
nhtil June last he lived in one OF his New
London ho,lses. But in June last Sal anon
had 4 revelation.
when Crouch first appeared as the b.irc-
of Lew revelation he was pretty wei! re-
ceived in ouakertown. Thsnewcba pelwas
thrown open to him, and he preached there
several tires. But there soon arose IrTr-
murs. Some Of his new revelations were
rather startling.
For instance. he told his hca rers that there
was no necessity for eating anything. All
a person had to do was to get the spirit
in hiIr: and be would never need food. He,
for his paIt had bandoned his home in New
London, as he was going to live in the
fields and on the highway like the apostles
OF old.
Mr.. Crouch had been going On from one
extreme to another in Lis diScourses and
when lie reached the poiI.t " here he advo-
Gated abstinence from food, it was sthought
advisable tC draw the line.
So he WAS told he could not preach IL
the new chapel any more, and then 1t
was that Allen Wbipple appeared On
the scene. Allen had Ia farm OF about
fifty acres over ia Hopkinton, and this
he swappac off for an omnibus, pair
OF hoI scs and a little ready money. The
whole amounted to a nominal consider
alton of 500.
He drove the omnibus over to Quake e.
town auC he and Crouch and joel Wa t.rouE.
who nGw sGincd them, made of it u travel
ing lodging house and chapel. They lrove
all about Ledyard township ''bca ring wit
ness" and preaching CronciI's new doctrine.
Sometimes they preached in the old
meetiE;; house, a hideouS, weather beaten
old barracks of a structure, which stands
in desolate place i'll the woods about Il
mile and half from Burnett Corners.
The three new apostles got a ccnsidcr .ble
following. 1t look ed for time as though
they were going to make a serious schsInin
Quak kertuwn.
The cd ;dmceting-house. .solong abandoned
and withits smashed window panes, glazed
with ancient hats and old rags and cast-off
garments. began to have quite a cuug.e-
gition. But the bitterness OF the oppO sition
became every day more bitter and tn.
feeling was intensified because some ur
Crouch's followers began 10 put in practice
what Crouch preached.
: There were unpleasant stories lbolt
this venerable mansion. 1t was popu-
larly known as the devil house."
In this house, in 1850, it is said thlt
Seth Green ill-treated his sister Hettie,
80 that she died, and that although Seth i
got possession OF the propert: by this process,
he nor anybody else who has since lived in
it has ever prospered. During the pree 1t
century il Is computed that over a hundred
deaths have occurred in 1T.
Near 1t is graveyard where all these
victims of the curse that was upon the
house lie buried. 1t was this house that
was attacked on Monday night and