The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-05-21
A SALUDA MYSTERY.
An Illiterate Mulatto breaches Ad-
mirably While He Is Sleep.
A TEST IN THE SCHOOL HOUSE
BY Leading Citizens Of the County
and the Proof is Conclusive
That 1t Is No
Fake.


Preacher was here Thursday night,
large crowd went out to hear this
strange man. Major Perry" for that
is the preachers name, was in the
charge MessrS of II. ?. BOuknight and
J. P. Bodie, two of this county'S most
reliable citizens. Perry has been liv-
ing with Mr.. Bouknight, few miles
below this place, for twelve or four
teen years and, with the exception Of
a few nights, he has never failed to
preach a sermon on going to sleep dur
ing this long period.
Perry is 81 years Of age. Of medium
size, copper colored and wears flow
ing beard. He was raised in Fairfield
County. but not by a Baptist preacher,
as has been said in explanation of this
strange phenomenon,
Mr.. Eouknight has been In the COM
munity where Perry was born and
raised and lived until 16 years ago, and
emphatically states that Perry did not
belong to preacher. The place Of
his birth was near the present town Of
Ridgeway.
One cf the peculiar things about
Perry's SermoniZing lies in the fact
that his preaching dates from the time
of his being paralyzed on the left side
in 1885. He was never known. to
preach before then and he has never
failed to preach sermon every night
since then save occasionally on
Friday night.
A test made by your correspondent
revealed that Perry is very illiterate,
being scarcely able to spell out the
simplest words. even with book in
hand. He is extremely reticent on the
subject Of his nightly preaching, and
if pressed will resent too close ques-
tioning. Another popularity notice
able is that Perry can 60 to sleep sur
rounded by curious crowd as quickly
as a babe in it's mothers arms.
Thursday evening Perry's wife ar
ranged a bed in the school building
here and at $40 the strange man un-
dressed and turned in" apparently tor
the night. In fifteen minutes, amidst
the gaze and huh,1b of the crowd, he
was sound asleep. Four minutes later
he commenced to sing in low and
measured tones an old-hymn, begin
ming Come, ye that love the Lord"
After Timing OUT and singing two
verses he slowly turned on his right
side and reverently repeated the Lords
Prayer. making but one change in it,
viz, inserting the word ALI before
the words our trespasses." He fol-
lowed the Lords Prayer with an ex-
temporaneouS petition, the logic and
language Of it being as good as that OF
the average white preacher. At the
conclusion Perry turned on his back
and, after moments pause, stated
that his text would be found in the
18th chapter Of Matthew and 2Sth
verse. This he quoted and compari-
son of the quotation with the original
shows that he repeated the words ver-
batim. His discourse lasted forty-fve
minutes and the reading OF a steno-
graphi, report made by Mr.. Tadlock
shows a closely reasoned with some
eXceptionS) Gospel sermon, instead of
being {. senseless negro harangue. Few
grammatical errors were made and
many Of his citations from the Bible
were Substantially correct. At times
he was really eloquent.
For the most part he spoke in a
smooth, conversational tone, but oc-
casionally he became impassioned and
made the welkin ring.
Twice during the sermon he had
like convulsionS, and when
ever seized by one of these, he immedi-
ately left Of speaking, his heart and
pulse ceased to beat and, except for
the strange movement of his muscles,
one would suppose life extinct. These
convulSions lasted but minute and
as soon as over he would commence
his sermon just where he left off and
in the same tone.
An examination Of the eyes while
preaching showed the pupils motion
less and a bright light placed close to
his face while the lids were pushed
back did not cause him to move or
finch.
During his preaching period it has
always been found impossible to wake
him. Pins have been stuck into his
flesh, burning acids have been put
about his eyes, but all to no effect,
save that he suffered from there eX-
perimentS on awaking.
Perry is particularly severe in his
criticisms Of the present-day preach
ers. He stared that I'VE are told
there were twelve disciples or teach
ers, and one of these was devil. But
today l think about eleven and
half out Of twelve are devils" In
elaboration of this statement he re-
ferred to the "mansent preacher"
and the self-sent preacher and the
money-making preacher.
Perry mnde no gestures at all, but
,rbaD up6nr tho i'm nracSi0n that he