The herald., 1898-10-28

with the result that she became SO weak
from the lack of food that she expired in the
patrol wagon while she was being removed
to the county hospital. The inquest was
held at the undertaking rooms Of Orr &
the cause nN Of Mrs. Thompson's death, to
what extent Mrs. Williams had been re-
sponsible for it..
The inquiry attracted large number of
colored people, in addition to the witnesses,
as the question of the influences exerted by
Minerva and her teachings is one which has
agitated large portion of the negro popula-
ton for some years past. The woman is
about As years of age and evidently is able
to gain great influence over many of her
race, and in fact some white people. She
has strong mind and readily overcomes the
strengthens the knees Of failing weak con
verts. Her belief is a mixture of foolish
claims, the chief end of which is to give
her supreme power over the members OF her
flock She is strange combination of su-
perstition and cunning.
Moses, in the olden days, was content to
be the mouthpiece of the Lord, but Minerva
is evidently a new woman, for she has
usurped that position and installed herself
as the local representative of the Lord. In
fact, she strengthens her position further
by claiming to be the bride Of Christ and to
quote one of her former followers; "What
she says goes" Minerva followed the ex-
ample of some of the disciples, however,
and her conversion came in heap.
Formerly she was washerwoman, and
had she not received inspiration would prob
ably have continued in that humble but
cleansing capacity until called to her final
account. With her change of occupation,
however, she has become so purified as to
be able to assist the laity to their last home.
The coroner's jury corroborated her in this
belief, for they. subsequently decided that
she had materially helped poor Nellie
Thompson to die.
1t was one night, she SAYS, that she was
standing on the corner of Wall and Winston
streets and happening to look up saw before
her Jesus Christ "a.standin' on air, nat
url'-like." This was the, turning point in her
life, for she forsook the washtub for the
pulpit, where she has since labored to
from the evidence, the change of methods
has proved more profitable than the rub
bing Of dirty clothes. The woman rigged
up shack in the rear of 1923 East Fifth
street and there has since been holding
forth at her spiritual washtub. Her con:
verts have been numerous, and some OF
them have been possessed of money. Some
souls were sooner cleaned than others, and
Minerva was able to collect, but SIS apiece
from them, but fortunately there were other
souls who contributed as high as 500 in
cash. This is probably what Minerva meant
when she. said that she never worked, but
"the Lord always provided" The Thomp-
son woman came to Minerals spiritual laun-
dry and the priestess said that her soul
was unclean and in order to prepare it she
must fast. Nellie is said to have starved
herself for period of eleven months, and
when she died her body was nearly devoid of
adipose tissue.
Walter Killon, colored man, residing
at 232 East Elmira street, was the first wit
ness. He had known the deceased in Den
yer seventeen years ago. About two weeks
ago he met her at the corner of Los An
gcles and Second streets. and she, in her
religious zeal, had urged him to accept her
religion. commence fasting ond become
cleansed. Killion looked her over, but her
emaciated condition, while speaking VOL
umes for the fervor Of her belief. was con-
demnatory Of the methods. so Killion de-
clined with thanks. 'Why, it made me hun
CRY to look at her. he said afterward, "she
was 30 thin" Killion thought the woman
was crazy. Once she went to Long Beach,
and his mother had tried to give her some
thing to eat, but Nellie had directed her to
bring but one meal day, because, she ex-
planned, 'sthe saints would eat the rest of
the food" Killion did not know whether
his mother had qven the woman angel food
or not, but Nellie seemed to think that
more than one meal would be wasted on her.