The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-05-22
THE SLEEPING PREACHER
An Interesting Subject for the
Scientists and Lovers of Gu
riOSiticS.

An Interesting Subject for I'll,
Scientists and Lovers of Gu
riOSiticS.
Saluda County has an cXtraordmar
freak in the person of a negro VIII
breaches admirable sermons while H.
is asleep, and last week a test wa
made by leading citizens with physi
clan and stenographcr at hand, whicl
seems conclusive that he is not a fake
The Saluda correspondent of the News
and Courier gives The following ac
count
The " Sleeping Preacher was here
Thursday night and large Grove,
| went out TO hear this strange man.
"Major Perry" for that 10 the preach
cr's name, was in the charge of Messrs.
II. l.. Bouknight and j. u. Bodic, two
OF this county's most reliable citizens.
Ferry has been living with Mr.. Bouk-
night, few miles below this place, for
twelve or fourteen years and, with the
exception Of a few nights, he has never
Jailed TO preach sermon on going to
sleep during this long period.
Perry Is Sd years of age, of medium
size, copper colorcd and wears now-
ing beard. He was raised in Fairfield
County, but not by Baptist preacher,
as has been said in explanation of this
strange phenomenon.
Mr.. Bouknight has been in the com
munlty where Perry was born and
raised and lived until II years ago,
and cmphatically states that Perry did
not belong TO a preacher. The place
OF his birth was near the present town
of Rldgeway.
One of the peculiar things about
Ierry's scrmonizlng lies in The fact
that his preaching dates from the time
OF his being paralyzed on the left side
IN 1883. He was never known to
preach before then and he has never
failed to preach a sermon every night
since then save occasionally on Friday
night.
a test made by your correspondent
revealed that Perry is very illitcrate,
being scarcely able to spell out the
simplest words, even with book in
hand. lie is extremely rcticcnt on the
subject of his nightly preaching, and
il pressed Will resent too close uucs-
tioning. Another pccularity notice
able is that Perry can 90 to sleep sur
rounded by curious crowd as readily
and as quickly as a babe in its mothers
arms.
Thursday evening perry's wife ar
ranged bed in the school building
here and at $40 the strange man un-
dressed and turned in" apparently,
for the night. In fifteen minutes,
amidst the gaze and hubbub of the
crowd, he was sound asleep. -Four
minutes later he commenced to sing in
low and measured tones an old hymn.
beginning "Comc, yc that love the
Lord" After "lining out" and sing
ing two verses he slowly turned on his
right side and revcrently repeated the
Lords Prayer, making but one change
in it, viz, inserting the word " all" be-
fore the words our trcspasscs." lie
followed the Lords Prayer with an ex-
tcmporancous 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 the text would be found in the
18th chapter of Matthew an, 30iil
verse. This he quoted and compari-
son OF the quotation with the original
shows that he repeated the words vcr-
batim. His discourse lasted forty.live
minutes and the reading Of a stenogra-
phic report made by Mr.. Tadlock shows
a closely reasoned (with some exccp-
tions) Gospel sermon, instead of beng
a scnscless negro haranguc. Few
grammatical errors were made and
many Of his citations from the Bible
were substantially correct. AZ times
he was really eloquent.
For the most part he spoke in a
smooth, conversational tone but oc-
caslonally he became impassioncd and
made the wclkin ring
Twice during the sermon he had
something like commissions, and when
ever seized by one of these he i'm
mcdiatcly left off speaking, his heart
and pulse ceased to beat and, except
for The strange movement Of his mus
clcs, one would suppose life extinct.
These convulSons lasted but minute
and as soon as over he would COM
mcncc 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 bright light placed close tC
his face while the lids were pushed
back did not cause him to move OF
| finch.
! During his preaching period il ha
always been found impossible to wax,
him. Pins have been stuck into hi
flesh, burning acids have been p,l
about his cy cs, but all to no effect, saw
that he suffered from these cxpcri
ments on awaking.
Perry is particularly severe in hi
criticisms OF the present-day preachers
He stated that "wo are told Their
were twelve disciples or teachers, an,
one of these was devil. But to.da
think ABOUT eleven and half out O
twelve arc dcvls." In elaboration o
this statement he referred to the "man
sent preacher" and 4" the sclf.scn
preacher and "thc money-makin
preacher"
Perry made no gestures at all, bu
when under the impression that h
was reading from sCme book in tin
Il bn ,c 1, - 80;