The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-30
a QUEER RELIGIOUS SECT.
Negro Midnight Chantings Mixed
With Searchings ,or Treasure.
From the New York Sum,

Charleston, s. c., Sept. AFTER
having been unnoticed for several years a
religious sect known TO the police of this
! city as the New Adventists and having for
one of its purposes the seeking of hidden
! treasure Is again at work around Charles
I ton. Some time ago a train near here was
: almost wrecked because the track had
| been torn up and at first 1t was believed
/ that train robbery had been planned.
Later facts proved that the track was torn
! up by the Adveatists. Two causes stopped
! the work suddenly on that occasion. One
! was that the band dug under the earth
| and struck box which was believed to
| contain gold, but which turned out to be a
| coffin in which negro brakeman was
| buried. A railroad Waterman. who was
! attracted by the midnight chanting of the
| band, came up suddenly and frightened the
members away and tagged the train. The
negroes in tie band were afterward ar
rested and sent to jail for trespassing on
! railroad property.
Just now the scene of the midnight
searching is around Ashley Junction, a few
miles out cf Charleston, and the leader
says that a vision sent him there. The
I band has been gathered together again and
every spot around the Junction is being
examined in the night In the hope that
the long lost treasures may be found.
short time ago the band got in some
of its work in a house on Drake Street
which was believed to be inhabited by
ghost. A member OF the band happened
to be a former servant of the owner, who
was killed, and ever afterward there was
the story of appearances OF the ghost. The
leader of the Adventists had vision and
the next morning he summoned his people.
The following night they had sneaked into
the basement and with the aid of a dark
10, y zinc for no Ont1 Tha
leader, an old man with snowy hair. sat
in a corner OF the basement and read pas
sages from the Bible while the others dug
and chanted and prayed There was not
much light, but the work went on rapidly.
"Hark," said the old leader, suddenly,
II thinks hear dem angels buzzin'."
1t was not angels this time, but police.
A tip had been given that the band was in
the house and a patrol wagon filled with
men was sent to make a wholesale arrest.
Every member of the band had to finish the
night in the stationhouse, and some went
to the chain gang because they could not
pay fine for trespass.
Another house, which was put down in
the haunted class gave no end of trouble
to the police, until the mystery was solved.
Stories had been told about the house and
nobody would occupy It, The neighbors
moved away, and at night weird noises
were heard. Finally the city detectives de-
cided to solve the mystery. Late one night
they cautiously entered the premises and
crept up near window and listened Sure
enough there were the ghostly sounds.
There was dull humping, low chant
ing, and just enough light from dark
lantern to show men In white shrouds
around grave. 1t should be stated that
the three entrances to the house were clos
ed and the cobwebs showed that the doors
and windows had not been opened for
months. So convinced were the officers
that they were up against the devils that
they hesitated about going further. 1t was
after midnight. Two men were left to
guard the house and the third went away
quietly for re-enf0rcements
An hour later the plans had been made
to storm the ghost centre and every man
was prepared to act. The officers expect
ed 20 see the objects in the basement dis
appear in the air. Without giving any
warning a window was jerked down and
two lanterns and half a dozen guns were
doing duty. The ghOstly figures stopped
work at the first command although no
interest was taken by them In the inter-
ruption They die not look up, and the
leader said with a solemn air that the
officers had interrupted their service The