The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-10-01
A STORY OF HELL FIRE.
4 CoLoEED PREACHER yIsIrs TBS
GoDcURsED SEGROT ~ OKLAHOMA.
CraphIc Tales Of the Man Who IL Already
IN the Tolls Of Satan sud Surrounded
by Blue FLAMES.

NORFOLK, VA, Sept. @.-Spccisl-
Rev. w. 3. Mathews, pastor OF the Bffk-
ley Christian church, coiorcd, we'll
known and reliable man. has Just return
"a from a curious and, according 20 hin,
fruitful pilgrimage.
Some tlve weeks ago Mathews beard OK
the strange case OF Jacob Brown. the NO
gro reported 10 have been struck by hfe
from heaven or the other place In Okla
boma some months aro. and In discuss
inc the matter with some brother preach
crs "A number Of them naturally express
cd "A doubt as 10 the auih'hutity OF tNS
story. Mathews expects a. nave
vival in his church soon, ana h,'llb ~
fbe story III proyCn true. a great chance
10 use II during his revival, ft-"N,o 70
60 forth aud see with his own eyes whctn-
er or not the strange things told OF brown
lie MAS under tho impression That the
object OF hts search WAS in Macon. e'h,
So he went there. bat was informed t..te
Brown was al Centr9l SfosS i.91pa t1e
preacher set out for the iar West ~ i
Thomas. another brother OF the clDln,
Joined him In his pilgrimage az Macon
THEY FIND NliE MAN.
Arriving i'm Oklahoma. the two were d.
rectcd 10 their destination. They i9una
the man they were looking lot tnet,9s,u
in a lumber stOckadcl twenty i,et hisn,
Id Y.
dollar and "A half was asked. ms STOCK
adc which IS being replaced oy nHcA
wall Is built. according 10 M'iHDNn. ~
Tile spot where The man was so cniloley
afBicted Tho story is that he was long
ago deacon IN the church, hut Mtnott-
ing from the paths OF rcctitude. Dec3ne
one of the most notorious Do lhit 20, Npn
OF Virginia. and Eastern Georgia, rom
which STATE he was driven by DIS indis-
nant noighbors lie Was an inNrtetals
and INSCRIPTIONS gambler anu t WIS
while engaged In this occupation tnat ne e
blow came. According 10 the story. no
was sitting on a log az lumnef camp
near Central Cross Roads gampliu- anu
had lost all his money. nut one AliNtI wv
lar, which he held up in his hand calng
on the Lord 20 witness That II ne lost
H. he would curse God die where he
was. and 20 20 hell lie lost the dolNt,
and forthwith those around him, 80 goes
the tale saw fire leap from hls mouth,
eyes. nose, ana from othcr parts OF us
AN APPALLING SCENE
The two preachers paid iheir WY ana
went into the stOckade. His description
OF what he saw there Is interesting. Ine
Rev Mathews says the sight ihtt gree
ed him was appalling. lie saw ne says,
Brown still sitting on the log. Whcfo ne
was when the catastrophe happened. with
blue flames running all over him from
his feet 10 his head and licking about nihl
i'm a horrible fashion. accompanied uy
smoke resembling that emitted hy 10
comotive. The flames were 50 hot that
tbn visifors could not get closer than
within fourteen feet OF him. and even az
that distance IL was exceedingly uhcoW-
Portable 10 those looking on.
The man appeared 10 bee suffering mo
fortunes OF the damned says lteF. Mhln-
ews. but he kept on singing M a wiz SOL.
OF a monotone: J wish nae hsaIo ,Dn
when YOU called ne, but now u la i.p
late" ACCOMMODATING hts WORDS Win
spasmodic jerks and writings
Mathews asked him u be wanted 70
hear amy one pray, ana brown answered.
Thomas asked N he wanted 10 hear
sermon. and Brown replied. no u"
preaching. u makes hfll nolisr,, 80 "a.
and Brown replied that he wished ne
'OO'' O'' IN DIVES HE'LL
Asked why be was In bis present con-
dition. Brown replied that he bad tried I'D
charge 10 10 his vile, bur realized thtt
10 was himself alone who was rfspon,ible
FOR his misfortune. ana then ne reieii,'g
Proverbs. and especially % the thiily-
sixth verse.
cant YOU die? Have YOU got 20 stay
here always2' asked M1thcws
NO dying here, replied bf0"n' i am
I'm Dives HE'LL
Mathews describes the scene as weird
and awful beyond description, saying
women We're fainung all around ana men
Keeling away from The scene overcome ~
horror Browns clothing is NOT injured
bv the flames. and bis coat is lying on
tho log just as he pulled 10 of and placed
10 there when the little game of CARDS
was so abruptly terminated.
More wonderful SIN. Mathews SAYS
that "A cross-cut saw Us partially buried in
the log. and when pulled blood flows from
Tie timber lie says he saw % with his
own eFcs. -
THE PASTOR DOUBTED.
Al OF this and much more that rs re-
mark Ole and Incredible Mathews d. tell-
ing his congregation. the members ~
which FOR most part are accepting u an
as true, because they believe ln their
pastors. IL Is different with bis brother
preachers though. Tor The most part. The
maiorliv OF them DO not take any stock in
the tals. and are free in saying 80. Iath-
ews si,s if any OF them come % him and
tel him they don't believe 10. De Will show
them that be is something else besides
preacher. tie Will probably have 10 20
DO. too. for o. Is said a delegation OF other
preachers will call on him in reference 20
tho matter
They say his story o. not only untrue,
{ but that be IS using it simply % draw
crowd.
Mathews Indignantly denies this. and
as a matter of fact has not used the
story but once since his return in Us COM
piete form reservlng 10 fof future use
I 4 o. al IT, "a