The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-10-06
THOUGHT HE'D NEVER DIE.
4 FANATICS MOCKED FATE, BUT
DEATH CAME.
was Fonowe er OF the Strange Rengion Of
sh a2maaIem-TFhen Dying He DID Not
Believe That Rs Would Die.

BELIEVE That Rs Would Die.
Sleeping in death beneath the sod
If tbs Old family bdrying ground in
, Henry county is Mack Dodson, man
1nG IN Life believed that he would
never die Bis faith was that he would
never see death, yet he is dead. In
pretty house at No. l Glenn street
came the end tc this mans remarka-
bic career. Lying almost unconscious
in the throes OF death, he argued that
ihe would not die. To the religion OF
g lifetime he was true to the last.
Mack Dodson was a believer in that
strange creed called Sherm manism. The
sum and substance of this weird DOG
ma is that man who has faith will
never Gle; that if he will live right he
will some day be caught up to heaven
in chariot Of fire, just as was Elijah
Of cid.
Shermanism is without doubt the
strangest religion in existence. 1t has
thousands Of followers. but none OF
them with faith like Dodson's. He
was the most prominent OF the hun
dreds OF Saermanites who inhabit
north Georgia. For years he has been
an aggressive believer in the religion
OF Sherman aud there has been no
more powerful factor in spreading the
religion in Georgia than he. He was
prosperous and could have dressed
well, but his religion was that man
must have but one coat, SO he never
had but one. He thought that man
should wear his hair long like Jesus
and the apostles, and from the time
he adopted the eccentric belief he
wore his hair IN long flowing locks
that fell below his shoulders.
List week while Dodson was visit
ing mis- brother.in-la at No. l Glenn
street the death which he had scorned
grew tired of the mockery and took
iron him that life which he had
sworn should always be his. Just be.
fore he died ne was told by brother
of the creed to get up and walk aud
he would be well. The sick mans
faith was strouger than all else aud
he rose up and dressed. In short
while he was dead.
It was over ten years ago when
iDodsou Fl :st embraced the faith which
| he held to mis- death. Ia Henry county
he was one OF toe most progressive
icitizans. About 1886 a preacher named
fisherman came to Henry county
preaching a strange, new religion.
jDodson went to hear the man tell OF
his system OF religion. He was struck
with the force Of the strangers utter.
iauces Alter tae sermon was finished
Inc offered the preacher some money.
= nev9r accep! money or pay for
imiaistering, said Sherman.
| Toe preacher told D)dson that he
must 60 through forty days OF fasting
la0d prayer. For forty days the search
er tor thu truth prayed and eat only
iwbat was necessary to keep body and
tsoul together. Sherman, with the as.
isistauc5 OF NJ Doison, sooa secured
Other followers. 10 a few years ne
established in Henry couuty and
jClaytDn a large caurca OF his follow
ers Very few people IN Atlanta know
Sherman or kuoT that his religion ex'
lists, ye5in a few miles OF the city
tnere are huadreds Of men who believe
they will never die. In north Alaba-
ma Sherman has following estimat-
mated at 10000 men. They may not
b5k own as Saermanites, for frequent
iIy the only evidence of thsir belief is
their quaint way and long hair. The
main basis for the belief is found IN
the eighth chapter of John, This Is
5 the passage OF Scripture which Dodson
said was his promise: John viii, 81.
Verify, verify l say unto you, If a
man keep ny saying be shall never
see death"
Others were: verify, verify,
say unto you, he that belieVeth on
Ne hath everlasting life"
Your fathers did eat of that man.
IA IN the wilderness and are dead"
This is that bread which comeEh
down that man may eat thereof and
rot die"
II am the living bread which came
down from heaven; if any man eat
this bread he shall live forever, and
the bread that I will give is my flesh,
which I will give for the life OF the
world"
This is that bread which came
IdoWn from heaven; not as your IA
ithers did eat mama and are dead he
that eateth OF this bread shall live for
ever"
TRo weeks ago he came to Atlanta
to visit relatives. He was unwell
when he came to the city and every
'1day OF his stay he became worse.
Last Monday he was quite i'll His
brethren OF the faith visited him and
encouraged him to cling to the creed
! of eternal life. Sherman, the man
who had changed the current Of
Donson's life, came and sat by his bed
side. Rugged, bearded and with hair
} streaming down his back, he looked
like some priest of dark craft. He
, lost one arm in battle and the empty
sleeve adds to the grotesqueness OF his
appearance.
Have faith; take up thy bed and
!; walk" ne said to the sick man.
Dodson rose up and dressed at the
: bidding Of his chief. He was hardly
able to stand, yet his faith upheld
him. Dodson was so weak after
dressing that he had to 60 back to his
bed, despite the urgent request OF his
priest TO conquer sickness by faith.
The sick man refused q doctor. FL
nally he became so Ill that he could
10: forcibly OH ject and Dr.. Ojell was
IsUmmoned 1ne physician diagnosed
The case and said that the patient was
isufer!ng with typhoid fever. Dodson
lgrew constantly worse. In few days
his relatives saw that death was inev-
j:taoIe. Ee contended that he would
! moi die. He still laughed at death and
sad that he believed too strongly in
Jesus to think ne would died. Just
! tetCra Dodson's death number of
1.-THE Shermanitas were with him.
! At,e- he died they fed like frightened
! people lee from one who has been
Stricken by the plague.
lie sirGed, they cried.