The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-07
DIR. T.. L. HALE'S CRANK.
TIE BOSTON CLERG rMIN'S ExPE-
RIENOES WITH rOENN COLLIER.

Numerous Letters Threatening Drnth Rccc,ycn
by the Prrachcr-CoIuer Thought Tic Nns
the Messiah nnd Inslstcd an Having DIR.
Hale ms Ono OF His ApostIcs-iIs Career.
NARRAoASsETr PIER, II. L.. Aug. G.-rho Rev.
DR.. Edward Everett Halo sat on the piazza of
his house at Mattanuc Beach this evening, and
spoke Of young William Armistcad Collier, Jr.,
the Memphis, Tenn. theological student, who,
under the hallucination that no was n second
Messiah, nvowod that no was sent to slay tho
Doctor because he taught false religion.
:" feel rather relieved to hear that Collier Is
In custody" said DR.. Halo. although really I
was not so very much alarmed. You soc, he is
smaller than I. / first met the young man in
Chicago at the Exposition. Io introduced him.
self to me. He said he had dono newspaper work
in Atlanta, and that he had earned enough
to buy some religious books. In June OF tho
present year Collier cNmo to our publishing
house In Boston. He was sent over to Halo
house and taken care of by Mr.. Brown. the SUI
perintcndcnt. That was the second time l saw
Collier, and l had at that time not tho slightest
intImation that he was n little ont mentally.
Il saw him in the jail at Kingston yesterday
afternoon and | never would have known him.
They said down at Hale house that no was
getting rather wild and wrote very crazy let
tiers to various people. His letters to myself
were remarkable creations, in which he claimed
- w t'S >hiiob ~ All tHtlEtll ncW
religion. l was to be the new apostle, and Col
Her evidently thought well OF his father, for he
put him on the list of apostles as well. Then he
made another apostle of Mr.. Brown Of Halo
House, and he added some of those whom he con.
sidered his friends.
Collier was finally induced TO leave tho Halo
House in Boston, and then he found out where
l was stopping and came to Narragansett Pier.
He wrote prolific letters about his being tho
nayy Messiah and hn enid thn, I ,,,,s, -, 49,
line or that he would kin me. On one occnsion,
not many days ago. l was astonishcd in
more ways than one when n bicycle
rider came up tho driveway. He was
rocking with pcrspiration. The Iuan proved to
DC : MESSENGER from Collier, who "as eyidontly
rider thrust a message into my hand, saying it
was important, q matter of life and death. A
message was written on one OF the small send
Ing blanks to be found in every telegraph office.
1t read:
".Dr. r.. f. Hale:
Como. rs you value your life, at once.
Nv; A., oLLIEr. the New Christi
Dr; Hale took his pencil and wrote upon the
what Collier would have done to me. but he
me. While about the house here Collier told my
sister that he was fasting forty days, and that
10 his ideas of the new religion. He made threats
OF the most eNtraNaEant character. and finally
T wsf tsnsn 'nt sss sSptSd u all ii Thank the EEiSsi od!E of my
Collier sits in his cell in Kingston Jail writing
yards and yards of nonsense. which he calls his
book" He will probably be committed TO the
State Insane Asylum tomorrow.
despatch from Memphis gives the following
"Wiiiinm Armistegf iSoiiiiEEr ia thc .,dos, i,
Of Capt. w. A. Collier, a lawyer OF Mem
phis. and formerly one of the wealth.
lest men Of this city. He left Memphis
several months ago for the East to take a
place with an advertising concern in Boston.
A friend accompanied him part of the way. and
on the train said he intended buying something
to read. Collier said he would give him a tooE
and handed him Edward Everett Halc's a Man
Without a Country The book was marked at
various places and had the appearance OF having
been deeply studied"
1t is supposed by those who have known the
young man since he came TO this State that too
much study has unbalanced his mind.