The San Francisco call., 1899-03-12
SKELETONS HANGING HIGH IN IRON OAqko.
Strange Ceremony That Has Just Taken Place With the Boz
Executed Several Centuries Ago

running the city and coun-
try. Chief among them
was John of Leyden. a
tailor by trade. and a man
of dignified presence, beau
tiful of face, eloquent
and magnetic. He soon
achieved wonderful popu-
larity in Munster, the wo-
men especially worshiping
him as the new Messiah.
"On February q, 1884,
during a stormy night,
John placed himself at the
head of a numerous mob
and compelled all citizens
who did not subscribe to
Anabaptism to leave their
houses and run for their
lives. The Bishop and his
soldiers had left the pre-
vious day to unite with
the Hessians that were on
the way to Munster. The
city now being in his
hands. John declared him
self King. He ordered the
gates closed and manned
the walls and fortifica-
tions with his fanatic fol-
lowers. Then he decreed,
under assistance of the
Ministers, that all gold
and silver be brought to
his palace to be at the dis
posal of the common
wealth.
Next he set up a So
called Christian co-opera-
tive community, with
twelve apostles as COVER
nors. Goods and chattels
were equally divided
among the citizens, who
also participated in pleas
ure and work in equal
shares, the King, however,
reserving for himself one
hundredth part of every
thing of riches, real estate
and women. Two years
of the widest orgies fol-
lowed. John ordered that
everything high be low
cred, and the church stee-
pies were, in consequence,
demolished, platforms be-
ing substituted, on which
John planted cannons
which worked great loss
of life to the Bishops be-
sieging army. = little
later John declared him
self King of the Uni
verse appointing another
set of apostles, whom he
sent out of the city to
preach. OF course the
Bishop caught these fell
lows and promptly hanged
them in the face of John
and his troopers, who
stood on the city walls
watching the progress of
their brother Anabaptists.
LAS it happened. there
were six times more wo-
men in Munster than men,
religious fanaticism haV-
ing caused the wives and
daughters of the neighbor-
ing districts to leave their
homes in droveS to join
the Anabaptists. So King
John decreed polygamy
after the example of ABB
raham, David and Solo
mon.' For himself he
took seventeen wives, sew
eral of which were after
ward beheaded by him in
the open market place.
Meanwhile the besieg-
ing army made little prog
ress. The Munster wo~
men, men and boys proved
equally courageous de-
tenders of the Holy
Realm. The Bishops SOL
diers were defeated num>
bers of times, and King
John led his troops in
many successful battles
outside the gates. But
what neither prowess nor
strategy could achieve
hunger worked slowly but
surely. Bread riots null
tiplied in the city, and
Johns measures in the
long run were unable to
break the spirit OF insur-
rection, though his execu-
tioners sometimes cut off
as many as sixty heads a
day. Finally one of Johns
own guards led 400 Epis-
copal soldiers into the city
on a dark night. They
succeeded in opening one
of the gates, and 5000
more followed. The Ana
baptists, men and women
alike, though unnerved by
hunger. fought like tigers.
The slaughter lasted twent
until all that carried
lying dead in the streets or