Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-19
SYRUP OF PIOUS PERSUASION
LITTLE Fig Says That's All His N'thsr
Used On DSHGios,
ANOTHER EIss MAKES CROWD LAUsH
Declares that Anybody Can Get Mes
saEes from the Spirits as His
Mother Did-Court Room
Crowded.

II was only standing room, and very little
Of that. that was available yesterday in
Judge Fawcett's court room, where Mrs.
Sarah c. Figg is suing John p. Hanger, w.
". Browning and Albert Donahoo for $4,000
damage for malicious prosecution. alleging
that they secured her detention in a hos
pital for insane.
The list of witnesses on the stand yester-
day morning included a bunch of Figgs, two
tender offshoots OF the Wood family, DR..
Murphy and the wives Of two OF the de-
PENDANTS.
The first to testify was Edward Figg, a
son, who said that Mrs. Figg was a good
mother, that she didn't shout any worse
now than she had when she first broke out
with her present religious frenzy and that
Donahoo, defendant, had come to the Figg
home once and accused Mrs. Figg Of steal
ing his wife from him, but that Mrs. Figg
had not said Get thee behind me, Satan"
as some had reported. On the contrary,
witness said she had acted with great dig
nifty and had only attempted to move Dona-
hoo with the Figg syrup Of pious persau-
sion.
Ira Figg, another son, testified that his
mothers shouting habit is firmly rooted,
but that she doesn't always see the Lord
1t such times.
well, does she get messages from the
Lord?' asked the attorney.
BaiIin Gets Real Busy.
"oh. yes, indeed. Anybody can get those"
was the prompt response, and the bailiff
had to rap a full minute before he could
quiet the laughter. This witness also de-
scrtbed his mothers system Of beginning
her incantations in a soft-pedalled cultural
and winding them up with a Cherry sisters
operatic tremolo, which, he admitted, could
be heard a block away without straining
the ear. He denied, however, that the
words were a patois of the Figgs alone and
said that anybody could understand them.
The acceptance of the testimony of Mrs.
Albert Donahoo, the next witness, was OBJ
1octed to and the court excused her from
the stand after citing that part of the
statute which declares that the husband
can in no case be a witness against the
wife, nor the wife against the husband, ex-
cept In the case Of a criminal proceeding
Of the one against the other.
DR.. w. M. Murphy of Gretna testified that
he knew all the parties to the suit; that he
had talked with the defendants at the time
Of the trial Of Mrs. Figg for insanity and
that they had expressed a desire not to in
lure Mrs. Figg, but to reclaim their strayed
wives.
Gertrude Browning, the 15-year-old
daughter of one Of the defendants, testi-
fed that her father had told her mother
that II she went to the Figgs to meeting
she could not come home again.
Talks About Donahoo.
Miss Wood. a sister Of Mrs. Donahoo.
testified that during six months that she
had spent at the Donahoo home the head
OF the house had frequently locked his wife
and her In to prevent their going to Figg's;
that when they had escaped to go he had
hauled them in again; that when they had
been permitted to 90 he had denied them
the use OF the horses and they had had to
walk seven miles; that Donahoo had told
his wife that she must not go to the meet
Ing at ~Brownings' either and that once he
a turned the horses about when he
caught them In the act Of starting and had
cramped the carriage so sharply that he
nearly upset them into a hedge fence.
For a few minutes before the noon recess
the attorney for Mrs. Figg had c. c.
Wright, the attorney for the defense, on
the stand in an apparent effort to prove
That Wright had at one time advised the
insanity board to permit Mrs. Figg to re-
main at large providing she would move
from Gretna. Charles Behrandt and Attor-
ney Hassett of Gretna, who we're on that
board, were among the witnesses Of the day.
Vision of the Lord.
The first of the afternoon witnesses was
Charles Berendts. clerk of the court in
6arpy county, who testified that when Mrs.
Figg was before the insanity commission
she averred that she saw the Lord with her
W eyes and that He controlled her in all
that she did.
The next witness was p. j. Langdon, who,
when asked II he had known that the Figgs
were to be mobbed, answered: mo, /
didn't know that, but 1 did know that men
are angels only after they are dead and
that when their wives are persuaded away
from them they won't stand it long"
County Attorney Hassett Of Sarpy county
testified that he had been consulted as to
the best way OF dissuading the Figgs from
longer continuing their meetings.
w. s. Raker, editor Of a Gretna paper:
DR.. Murphy. David Warren and A. Hileman
testified as to the general nature OF the
Figgite demonstrations.
To a representative Of The Bee Mr.. Flgs
stated that they disclaim the title Of Zig
gtsm' for their religion. I'VE are not
preaching the faith of the Figgs," he said,
''but the faith of the Christ Jesus"