The herald., 1898-12-04
MRS. RS.MINERvAWILLIAMS
HIGH PRIESTESS OF JUDGMENT
SEAT OF CHRIST
A FANATIC BUT NOT INSANE
Her Examination Discloses Nothing
More Than Inordinate Zeal in
Her Peculiar Mission

Mrs. Minerva Williams, the ''voodoe
priestess," as she is called by those who
disapprove of her peculiar teachings, OF
'the high priestess of the judgment seat Of
Christ" as she styles herself, was brought
before commission on lunacy yesterday fol
examination as to her sanity.
The negress had been detained at the
for observation as to her actions, according
to the requirements of the state law. She
had been perfectly tractable and had occa
stoned no disturbance in going or coming
nor had she complained on account of her
detention, merely saying that she was not
understood.
When Drs. Gates and MacGowan inter.
rogated her as to her belief and teachings
she displayed such knowledge of the scrip
lures and such faith in spiritual things that
they were decidedly ''out of the running"
She could explain faster than they could
formulate inquiries, and the way she rolled
out the verbal essence of church doctrines
was remarkable.
Mrs. Williams said that she taught her
followers to fast occasionally, as well as to
pray and to eXhort. Usually her little COM
pany had observed the second Thursday and
the last Friday of each month as fast
days, restraining from food and drink from
morning until after p. M, when they took
nourishment. The Bible taught fasting as
beneficial to ones spiritual nature, and she
was only trying in that way to help her fol.
lowers and herself to higher life.
Long fasts, such as resulted in the death
OF Miss Thompson and the commitment of
George Beasse to the insane asylum, she had
discountenanced. They were injurious to
ones physical nature and by no means cal
cuated to bring one nearer to God. In fact.
all she was doing, Mrs. Williams said, was
to endeavor to lead all she could to forsake
their sins and embrace Christianity.
Mr.. and Mrs. Mackentosh testified that
they We're in no wise religiously inclined,
but that they were acquainted with Mrs.
Williams and regarded her as good wo.
man. In their presence she had decried the
senseess fasts of weak-minded people who
came to her meetings, but failed to compre.
hend her teachings. Though she was a
colored woman and wholly uneducated. save
as she had taught herself, they regarded her
as lady, far more deserving of considera.
SAOA oS SoHC 1idiL LIZ. SOIuDS ana MS WIFE.
the negroes who swore out the warrant for
her arrest.
Various other witnesses testified. includ.
ing those from whom Mrs. Williams rents
her little cottage and also the church where
she holds her meetings. Most of them de.
clared that she had never manifested any
symptoms of insanity, but was very jealous
for the salvation CT her fellow beings, and
one man said he believed she was actuated
by as pure sentiments as the prophets Of
old. He admitted that he had held converse
with God himself, but qualified it by stat.
ing that this had been spiritually effected,
and he and other followers of Minerva had
all the pet phrases of the church. If any
Of them were insane, it might be claimed
that the churches generally were daft.
The most that could be made out of the
case of Minerva Williams and her followers
was that they were fanatics, well-meaning,
sincere, but bigoted and peculiar in their
notions regarding the unseen world. The
discharge of Mrs. Williams was therefore
ordered, accompanied by the Injunction.
however, that she refrain from interfering
In the domestic relations of her followers
some complaint having been made that she
had been instrumental in causing the separa-