The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-08-16

supersede all other kingdoms, which
kingdom shall have one national flag
Turning 30 Rev VII, g Smith read.
And | SAW another angel ascend from
the sunrising having the seal Of the Nv
ing God"
To the reporter the prophet said
81 believe | am the angel referred 10 in
that passage | came from the East
from Chattanooga, Tenn"
He explained that in his opinion the
term angel did not necessarily mean a
disembodied spirit, but mighf mean a
minister. quoting from his Bible to sus-
tain his position
Il wac laboring man." continued
Smith. ANA | was commanded by some
spirit. I believe it was the Lords to sell
my crop IN Fort Bend county and begin
this work.
The reporter asked him If he had proph-
esied the end of the world 10 which he
replied that he had foretold the end Of
all sin, or the beginning Of the milen-
MUM. which Re said was now at hand
when sin should be botted out and truth
should prevail
81 prophesled year ago last Fenri-
airy that after sufficient warnings 10 the
people on my part trouble would come.
foretelling the Brazos food I begged
and plead with my people to leave the
bottoms but most OF them remained.
also foretold the rainy season we have
had-that crops would be destroyed by
water and Insects, and | say now that
the coming year will be worse in thls
respect. There will be continued rain
and the worst is still before us. 7 am
advising the people to build boats They
will need them before they think; tho
need for them is sure 10 come shortly
The rain We have been having is only
forerunnner of Wa Is to come. | was
told last Saturday to announce to my
people that the time is near"
~
Smith is practicing what he breaches
He has had an ark" built and placed in
his church, ready for use when the super.
abundance of moisture comes
Speaking of the moral reformation he Is
making in his church. Smith said that
none of the members were allowed 30
use tobacco or ntoxlcants in any form.
and that he had married more than fifty
couples some of the men being preachers,
who had been previously living with
the other sex without the sanction of mar
raige ties. According to Smith, each
member Is made to pay his just debts.
II he does not pay them the church pays
'"'Ih l"l MN ana turns out the delinuuent
member
Smith is an odd character. indeed ana
his influence among Houston's colored
population is remarkable, many of them
regarding him as the only genuine
prophet eXtant and 1t may be said
that ne shares in this belief,
colored girl about IL years OF age
who is member of Smiths flock. when
questioned as to the prophets" predlc.
tions gave some very apt replies
Didn't you lose faith in your propbe,
when the destruction of Houston. which
he had propbesied, failed to Gomez"
Jonah prophesled the destruction or
Nineveh, and 1t was not destroyed" was
the reply
Wen. Jonah must have been mistaken
then, returned the reporter
No, sir; Nineveh repented." she said.
All Of the prophets" followers are al
ways ready with some kind OF answer for
the faith that is in them. though many
times the answer may place a far differ
ent construction on passage OF s-rip-
ture from that given 1t By recognized
commentators.