The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-29
MANIA SIEzES
GERMAN PEOPLE
Thousands Attacked by Re-
IigiouS Frenzy That Leads
to Violent Antics.
VISIONS SEEN BY CONVERT
DEVILS CAST OUT AT THE MEET
lNGS.

Berlin, August.-Thousands of per-
have been suddenly seized with an
acute form of religious mania.
Detailed kilograms from Cassel state
that the outburst, which is manifesting
itself in all kinds of astonishing forms.
was started by two fanatics, who pro-
claimed themselves divine emissaries,
especially sent by heaven to lead the
inhabitants of the adjoining provinces
to salvation.
The principal lieutenants are two
Swedish women, whose oratory exer-
cises a strange fascination over the
populace. Extraordinary scenes take
place at meetings held nightly in Cas-
sci and many surrounding towns and
villages. The participants at these
meetings emit inarticulate shrieks.
throw themselves on the ground, roll
on the floor, fling their arms and legs
wildly about. beat their heads against
the wooden benches, and amazing con-
fessions of sin then pour from their
lips. After this they declare they see
visions OF heaven, he'll, and other
worlds
Sometimes all those present at a
meeting PROSTATE themselves stimuli
unison, with wild gestures. Suddenly
man springs up and graphically de-
scribes some strange vision which he
sees before his eyes.
Loud shouts of "Hallelujah!" greet
the speaker, and when the vision has
been described men and women arise
from the ground, embrace one another
with ecststic fervor, and dance, with
many amazing grimaces and erratic
movements, all through the night till
sunrise.
Scenes of Violent Emotion.
A spectator of one of these meetings
states that there were over 200 people
present. All of them seemed absolute
by intoxicated with religious ecStacy.
He says: 81 heard wild cries, loud con-
LESSONS of sin, uncanny shrieks, groans
and other unearthly noises. 1 saw dis
tOrted faces, men and women gesticu-
lating like lunatics.
Il saw them sink to the ground and
kick out in all directions. Suddenly a
young man sprang up and uttered
sounds which the chairman described
as being the result of a divine vision.
No sooner had the chairman uttered
these words than a great shout of tri-
umph rose from the assembly. They
all looked as if hypnOtized."
At another meeting, after a hymn
had been sung, young man sprang to
the platform, threw himself about with
extraordinary vigor, made indescriba-
bic grlmaces. and then shouted inco-
herently. One of the founders of the
movement informed the congregation
that the youth was divineIy inspired.
and that his antics and noises were a
divine revelation. The WOrshippers
clapped their hands, knelt down, ges-
ticulated. shrieked, groaned, and grow
eled in the dust
Several woTshippers shouted: I'VE
see the blood of our Savior" Women
embraced one another. saying: I'VE
have seen our Savior himself
Cast Out a Devil.
The preacher then offered up the
following prayer; 80 Lord, let every
one here kneeI down. Whoever refuses
to kneel, let him be thrown from our
midst" One man remained standing,
whereupOn there were wild cries of
out with him! Out with BeelzebubI
When the unbeliever left the~~haIl
the worshippers shouted: THE devil
has now gone. The evil one has left
our midst"
At a meeting at Gross Almerode a
young man Invested himself of his col
lar and cuffs, declaring that he desired
to renOunce luxury. Young women
tore off their hats, wells, ribbons, Iaces
and other finery for the same reason.
Night after night hundreds of de-
luded enthusiasts are attending meet
ings of this kind, where eccentric doc
trines are systematically preached by
fanatical religious maniacs.
The congregations are principally
composed of peasants from the agricuI-
turai districts. but the intelligent
classes of the urban population are also
represented at the meetings.
A dispatch received from CasseI
states that large numbers of peasants
are pouring in from the province of |
Upper Hesse and Lower Hesse in the
hope Of seeing signs and wonders
worked by the leaders of this mis-
guided movement.