Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1906-07-04
HOLY ROLLERS AND
KNEE BENDERS.
The LATEST Ridiculous Sect Ia Vest
crn New York.

The latest curious sect to take root
In western New York are the Holy
Rollers and the Knee Blenders. The
Holy Rollers were organized about
six years ago on sne shores OF Can
andaigua lake. and the story OF the
rise of this strange religious sect ~
absolutely out OF place in the Goth
century. Hell Is the chief tenet OF
the Holy Rollers belicf---a hell of
sputtering birthstone and flames that
etemally torture. but never consume.
the bodies OF the damned. To this
he'll is destined every one who does
not accept the fai,h. The creed en-
bodies doctrines which Were regard
ed as essential to happiness leo yeaig
ago. 1t is creed that converse by
fear. and the writer has seen aun-
her of young women In various stages
OF hysteria at the conclusion OF
Holy Roller revival meeting. The
leaders of the faith are M,1. Mary
Mcintyre, Miss Emma Chase. Prof.
\. l.. Eastman and Elder james
Woods%ppfh OF syrosue. Nv Re
generation Is effected in several ways.
the course of treatment Including
prayer, bathing, robing and baptism
BY immersion. When these rene I.cS
prove futile In cleansing the soul OF
he sinner, the penitent In Obliged 10
perform what the believers call the
holy roll" The unregeaeral, iicy
ON the floor at one end of the build
ing and rolls over and over like q
ips until eve y one present Is sails
lied that the devil has beel rol Ell
out Sometimes the ceremony ias.sI
Q quarter ui an hour but IL the On
vert has been an unusually Tough
customer he may be compelled to roll
for four or five hours most he
roic method OF securing saiyation. AS
The subject rolls by the kneeling
audience. every person has the priv
ilege to ask such questions as each
sees it, and the convert must make
satisfactory answer before he is
allowed to rise The sins OF lifetime
must be confessed in detail and the
innermost secrets of the soul made
public.
The Holy Rollers have operated
extensively in central and western
New York, and certain small com
munities are in condition not un-
like that which marked the begin
ming OF Mormonism. Perhaps the
strongest feature Of this frenzy is the
establishment Of the strangest of all
rocts, the adherents OF which cal'
themselves Knee Benders. The Knee
Benders are a small community and
live along the eastern shore OF Ser
eca lake. At that time a Swedish
farmer named Bursou, 1t man Of some
education. being to act in astrange
mannSr. lie claimed that nc hnI
'isior, a.d refused 10 assist 90 work
10 fern, and spcs, mo-, Of MS
i0ic ca knoll near the lake Hc
rmained on his kne 3s i1d ~ ans, er
TO an inquiries said that the grea
Jehovah had cOmmaded him TO re.
main the rest OF his life In that un-
comfortable position. Shortly after
receiving this interesting but incon-
venient revelation. he began to
preach. his time being on sociaIis-
tic lines. Gradually his relatives
became imbued with the sincerity Of
his preaching and espoused the
strange religion. The entire family
soon began to live on their knees-
The enthusiasts now number about
zoo The Knee Blenders deny the
existence Of punishment in the next
world, declaring that hell wiz come