The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-25

Tt was from Southport that Deacon
Lynch came, arriving in the city on
the Gamer Wilmington yesterday
morning, but left in the afternoon on
the 2:25 O'Clock Wilmington and New
Bern railroad train en- quite for Beau
fort.
INTERVIEWED BY A MESSENGER
REPRESENTATIVE.
Several weeks ago it was reported
that the Lynchites intended to come to
this city and hold a series of meetings.
Mayor Wright, upon hearing this re-
port, and after obtaining legal advice,
instructed the police to arrest any and
all Lynchftes caught holding either
private or public meetings in the city.
knowing that such instructions had
been given, a Messenger representa-
tive. who was ole of the few aware Of
the presence in h city of the father
of the Lynchites, at once sought an
Interview with him. He experienced
some difficulty in finding Deacon
Lynch, but at last located him at the
Atlantic Coast Line depot, about TWEEN
ty minutes before the departure of the
train bound for New Bern. The rep
preventative, ~congizant of the expert
ence the Lynchites in the past have
had with the press of the country, felt
it in his bones that ne was going to re-
ceive a chilly reception, but this feel
ing soon vanished, for Deacon Lynch
shook hands with INN heartily and
greeted him warmly.
After the greeting the representative
obtained a chance to survey Lynch. He
is a man who is nearing three score
years and is about five feet six inches
in height, with a grey mOustache and
a scattering of grey hair on his chin.
He was attired in a plain suit of clothes
and Wore a dark fur cap.
To the representative Deacon Lynch,
when queried, stated that he was ON
his way to Beaufort to ordain twelve
men as deacons of his church, Christ's
Sanctified Holy Church, but that he
did not intend to stop i'm Beaufort for
| any length of time, and neither are
the members of his party, the majority
of whom are now in Southport, going
there. He also stated that in three or
four weeks the party at Southport in
tends to go north, but may return to
this section of the country next fall;
that many Of his party are at present
conducting meetings in Virginia and
other states, and that wherever they
go they always work for their living.
UNLESS INVITED THE BAND WILL
NOT COME HERE.
The representative next asked Deacon
Lynch if he or any of his party in
tended to come to this city and hold
meetings, and also asked him if he
was aware of the Instructions given
by Mayor Wright to the police.
To these two questions he replied
that he had read an account of the
mayors instructions in the newspaper
| GMessenger, Sunday morning, the 9th
instantly, which, however, did not eff
feet him in the least, as he and his
band are American citizens and have
the right of law to conduct religious
services, but that a visit will not he
made to Wilmington unless they are
invited and wanted; that they go to
40 place where they are not wanted,
and that now they nave more engage
| rooptS than trba1y oon All
Deacon Lynch presented the repre-
sentative with a small pamphlet con-
tanning about twenty-five pages, and
entitled Discipline of Christ's Sancti-
fled Holy Church"
The book contains an account of the
origin, doctrine, rules, etc, of the
L~ynchites, who get their cognomen
from the of the founder,
Deacon Lynch.
The deacon wears no jewely of any
kind, as it is against one of their
rules, which states that mo person
shall be received into Christ's Sancti-
fled Holy Church, as. a full member,
who wears bracelets, finger rings, ear
rings, breast pins or watch charms"
The faith was originated in 1887 by
Deacon Lynch, who at the time was
q, of Chincotea9ue Island Va