Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1907-11-08
NEGRO "DOWIE"
AND STRANGE SECT
Adam a Black Man, Says
Prophet.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. T.
( (SpeciaD Beneath the conventions
surface of American life exist man
strange religious cults, which lin
the twentieth century with the dar
ages
One of the most curious of these
and noteworthy for its widesprea
hold upon negroes, is the sect Great
ed by a man sometimes called eth
negro Dowie," because he, William
Crowdy, claims to be Elijah II AM
the latter-day prophet of the Al
! mighty. The name given his follow
ing is the sweeping and not yer,
modest one of Church of God ant
Saints of Christ"
Less formidable and respectful /!
the designation applied by those out
side the pale, who call the Crowdy
ties Holy Jumpers" because O
their frenZied performances at theil
meetings, and Feet Washers" be.
cause of their observances Of this
practice Instead of being confined
to the rural parts of the South, as
might be expected, this queer body
fourishes chiefly in metropolitan cen
ters, having "tabernacles'- Jew
ish nomenclature is followed-in Bos-
ton, Washington, Philadelphia New
York, Cincinnati, Columbus, Kansas
City, Topeka, Atlanta, Jacksonville,
Richmond, Va, Newport News, Bridge
port, Conn, and Newport, Rhode
Island.
Cloak for Practices
AS Joseph Smith discovered in
establishing Mormonism, present-day
revelation is a convenient cloak for
many teachings and practices Thus
Prophet Crowdy says, with Brother
John Jasper, that the sun do move; "
he knows it because the Bible says
so and because it has been revealed
to him. Similarly he knows that the
earth is flat and square Also that
Adam was a black man-"Did you
ever see any white earth God made
Adam of earth as we're alsd the
patTiarchs and Jews There is lud-
icTously fearful and wonderful exc
gesis of Scriptures in all the the
Crowdyite addresses.
Crowdy and his people are Jews,
he declares, for the Jews are negroes.
Therefore they keep the Jewish Sab
bath, use the Jewish calendar, OBJ
serve limitations of Jewish feasts
practice what they believe to be
Jewish rites, and decorate themsel-
yes in a regalia that is brilliant be-
yond the Hebrew high priests robes
Women Strong Factor
Evidently the prophets strong right
bower is The Daughters of Jerusalem
and the Sisters of Mercy" They are
more in evidence than the men
The Soliciting Sisters" are an inn
portant channel of revenue Most OF
the notices concern the female
saints" Thus one news item reads
Saint Sophie Brown, who has beer
absent from Zion for several months
has returned to Zion from Jerusalem
and the saints are welcoming hel
with much joy" Which, being in
terpreted, means that Sophie Brown
has removed the light of her coun-
tenance from some Washington kit.
chen, and has, temporarily, at least
solved the servant problem for some
Philadelphia household From Zion,
you know, is none other than Phil
adelphia, and Jerusalem is as ont
paragraph naively remarks, "bet
ter known as Washington, D. c."
Much is made of the race question
by the Crowdyites. They never fai
to print in every issue of their organ
the portrait of their one white mem
Der Bishop" ]. NJ Grove, of Empor
ia, Kan, and they eXult over his re
lationship to their body.
Here is what the Weekly Prophe
says of him:
Although a member of the white
or Caucasian, race, he does not il
any way feel out of place among tn
gatherings of the black race, as
was many years ago in the Far Yves
that his eyes were opened by Prophe
William S. CroWdy, teaching him tn
true gospel as he had never heard
before This faithful son has neve
wavered to the right or left, haVin
one of the finest and most business
like groceries in Emporia whicl
caters to the very best trade tina
this Western town affords, but as tn
sun sinks on the Western horizon o
the beginning of the seventh day hi
doors close and his business care
cease until the sun sets on the begin
ming of another first day He ais
| possesses a fine home and enjoys al
/ the comforts of life in a modest an
unassuming way. He will tell yo
that Prophet William S. Crowd
! D,oda him, tho man tbat ba ic TO-DAY