The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-03-06
EFFECT is CURIOUS
TOTAL CATELEPsY rs PRODUCED BY
so CALLED RELIGION.
lounS Man Passes Into What IL Called by
Condition for Period of Thirteen Con.
secutive Hours-Dr. Cave Is Sent In. But
IL Soon Informed That His Services are
Not Needed-EutIre Affair More of a
BurIesque Upon Religion Than Any
thing Else.

For several months past a curious
sect Of people who called themselves
Free Methodsts' have been holding
meetings over on the West Side, in a
small frame building on the angling
street from the Douglas avenue bridge
TO Chicago avenue, which is some times
called Douglas. The number is 557andthe
meetings have been going on every
night since last summer.
At times the meetings were attended
by only few people, not more than six
Or seven being present some times. For
the last two or three weeks, however,
the attendance has increased quite ap-
preclately. How this effect came about
is not known, but the increasing interest
made itself manifest very peculiarly up
ON several persons.
A young man living upon the West
Side by the name of Ed Stancer became
very much interested, so much so that
in the course of the meeting, when the
excitement or fervor was at its height,
and while taking an active part in the
meeting he went into trance. This was
at II o'clock at night. DR.. Cave was
sent in after some time and he was
warned, it is said, TO not touch him but
he did SO nevertheless, and pronounced
il a case OF catelepsy. He was told tina,
he didn's know anything about it, and
also that his services were not desired,
and as natural consequence he sub
tracted himself from the surroundings.
The young man remained in this con-
dition from II eleven O'Clock at night to
the next afternoon before he returned
to his normal condition. The matter has
been kept very quiet, and 1t was discov-
cred yesterday that this one case, while
being of longer duration than any OF
the other has by no means been the on
" one. Two girls about is or II years
of age went into this peculiar state the
same night, and 1T is said by those who
attend that it has come to be of almost
nightly occurrence.
The room is furnished very plainly.
Common chairs and wooden benches are
used: the rostrum is homemade affair,
one pane is broken from a window and
an old buggy curtain with few rags
are doing service in stopping the hole.
The meetings are becoming of greater
interest steadily, many from the east
side attending.
VINO the prime movers are and what
their peculiar faith is has not become
available as yet. 1t is a very peculiar
one to say the least from the results.
Those who were in the cataleptic state
were as stiff as board and remained
in that condition during all the time
they were in this state 1t is claimed
that the effect Is produced by God him
self and not by any mesmeristic influ-
ence brought to bear by any earthly
person.
Christian people who are informed up
on the proceedings regret that anything
Of the kind should be carried on under
the guise of religion, for with a great
many such performances will cast a re-
Election upon all religious bodies of
whatever nature. The people who par
ticipate are thoroughly in earnest, it
seems. and the enthusiasm which has
been worked up is Of no small degree
by any means.