New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-04
THE "HOLY ROLLERS"
A QUEER RELIGIOUS SECT IN ONTARIO
COUNTY, n. Y.
uEtL<FIRE OF THE o1.p-rAsHIoNEp SORT IS THE
STAPLE OF THEIR PREACHING-THE
STORY OF BOY PREACHER.

HELI<-FIRE OF THE OLD-FASHlONEp SoNA ." $780,
STAPLE OF THEIR PREAcHISG-THE
STORY OF BOY PREACHER
From The Rochester Union and Advertiser.
John Bradley is the nf,een-year-old son OF Mrs
Alice Bradley writer c Of some bpsS resembed
hypneiism in its most powerful form. the boy left
and ,TS inc to o R saHa of IsfSHs
and reused his hearers to frenzy his m1sher
to induce e., Ser son 10 The boy
now with relatives at South Dansviile' many miles
save for ' occasional brooding he led life such
most boys lead out In the open at i,bhorbaod
two persons who were destined to exert upon him
Influence stronger than that q fTenSs Eastman Ga
and Emma chase leaders OF religious sect known
as the Holy Rollers. ,o,o, ~, urged
him to be saved In few DAYS campmteea,he
organized and the exercises h nsSun Of the
meetings was great upon him. He learned 10
bhS acts his Past life and to ys Of
he'll Two weeks he 'o Snaa the him h0 to
Boilers 70 cG 6s fsow 1nea GOD ""a '
Then Eastman si' and the woman moved their camp
o 90 canandagma Lake Here bradley also took
up his abode living for few days YIN rastman
az Mini II" village mile or so away. II cost him
nothing for board He had lev ,,t dp norsv was
nothing 70 him in his spiritual exaltation and he
gladly put it in the Holy Roller collections
BOY PREACHER.
Than ha preached. It seemed as II the boy were
ana ad;ences Which crowded the The
people heard him In wonder They iste dh zoo ,s
the life they were leading. and trembed az ms
picture of the hell to which they dritte ,b M Mrh,
he b maa preached We're his words
Yet ali agreed that it was not so ncn Nv wa' he s
and his and the tones ,S of b his
Voice All the Holy Rollers believed tda. rme
l.l md
Tas were CONTINUALLY offered tina! he had
been reclaimed from the evil OF 'ns ne. Holv Roll
Week t.' before last Mrs Bradley e R0ohe sis
informed thai the relatives with whom ~, no had had
LIVED at Son nttemp TO have him return Mrs
bradley ascertained where me 10y Whethcr he
received II or not she does not know. lhere WIS
no reply. . 1,s.,no, leader OF the
hand She asked that her son be sent 10 her d.
once T., o,.od " wrote Eastman in reply.
.1oW can ny yo ask that he leave us? You your
self are doomed to he'll for trying 70 turn hi'n
rem Ts 'f Hra nH becao desperate She could think
of no other move than an aPpea TO % 'e mstce Of
,he nnace who wrote letter to Eastman himseli.
stating that If young BraSey how wal aid p not make his
appearance and it was decided 70 senn al, o,'t h
with Mrs bradley to Bristol . springs ana '"A' '"'
Eastman himself claims that after ne receive e,
Mrs Bradey's first letter he ADVISED the W! "
leave However 1t was not until the news sndr
police officers would take hand In the anair
reached Bristol that he dd ieaye whicn was With J,
his relatives IN South Evansville us nea nun, u
shattered from the excitement ana .he anx
strain under which he has been for 70 many
weeks A CAMPAIGNING.
Learning of the facts as given above '.tni9 ION.
Ho VAS To be the last one Of the series and Of
sanday wheh these strange people
passing bits of bread among the congregauoh III
'n The meene was Well attended Long before the
hour for service arrived Holy Rollers rolled up IN
trees near the tent ard made preparations for
twelvehour religious feast The tent IN when me
are laid on straw, which covers the ground At
one end Of the Enclosure is platform, raised per,
To to sps wh he b wheh IS the only
material adjunct to worship used Is placed o On
Beside the Bible on another and hghsr STAKE nd
indeed none is necessary, as no hymn DOCK Ut
psalters are TO be found.
The congregation which assembled was a curious
farmland sat by the side of the country "swells"
from neghboring Villages young girls and wv women
with babies there. and on the back row was
a crowd OF titterng boys, who hardly knew
whether to TAXI the T gg oEr
Leader Eastman was the central figure OF the
se pale face hed by bsGh ee ne 81
lustre would parallel a description of Savonaroa,
the Florentine monk His voice is strong, but
sympa thetic. His gestures are earnest and stand
ing with his RICH: raised In denunciation, his
whole hearing is peculiarly impressive. He spoke
vigorously at Sundays meeting. What strikes one
most fOrcbly Is the wonderful intensity OF the man
and his personal magnetism
He he'd his hearers breathless from the begin
ming of his address to the end except when soma
alluson to things Of the unseen world caused them
to break forth with EXPLANATIONS OF "Glory"'
Glory" Thank heaven we are saved!" and the
like.
When Eastman finished there song. no
musical instruments being used. but the voices Of
old and young blending with considerable harmony.
Then came exhortation from member Of the
congregation old man whose palsied hand
trcmbled he raised II aoft. This prayer was
long He interrupted by shouting during its
entire length. At times the voice of the man ex-
horting could not be detected. but he went right
| on. Women threw their coaks from their Shout
ders hurried their caps to the top OF the tent
in their delirum. 1t was religious ntoxicaton.
Self was forgotten
AN OLD-FASHIONED HE'LL.
He'll is the dominant note in the Holy Rollers
| belief-a hell OF real birthstone burning with flames
which eternally torture but consume the
bodies of the damned. For this he'll is destined
every who does not accept the faith. Yet IT is
possible to check the in the river OF dea th
even the brink OF the awful gulf. Toward this
river OF death thousands Of tributaries. the
vices and weaknesses Of humanity depicted In the
accompanying chart, which the Holy Rollers dis
tribute In great numbers.