The Washington herald., 1907-06-02
HAIL BLACK PROPHET
" Bishop" CrOwdy Absolute
Ruler Of Strange Flock.
CLAIM TO BE LOST TRIBES
Power of Head Of Church Rivals
that of Dowie in His Palmiest
Days-HeceiYes the TitheS of 5000
Faithful Followers PhiladcIpbia
the Mecca Of the Members.

Spreading quietly outward through
America and into the heart of Africa.
there has arisen during the past ten years
a religious organization of colored folk
called the Church of God and Saints Of
Christ, at whose head stands a figure
reminiscent I'm his Omuipotcnce Of the late
Alexander D0wie i'm his palmy davs-
Prophet Cor Bishop William s. Crowdv.
Of Washington. Under the sway of his
prophetic powers. the organization has
grown from a modest little cotsrie of awe
struck citizens of Oklahoma Territory
until more than 5o11 Jealous souls link bis
name with the supreme Being and turn
their tithes into the Golfers Of his taber-
nacles.
The faith Of the saints" the official
title Of all members of the church. en-
bodies three great beliefs.
That the negroes are the real Jews. the
lost tribes OF israel
That the Ten Commandments and 1T
eral adherence TO the teachings and
chronicIings of the Bible. both Old and
New Testaments, are mans positive guide
to salvation
That Prophet Crowdy is in direct com
municauon with God. has the power 10.
and does perform miracles and prophesy
tho material workings Of the will of Prov
idence.
Controlled by Crovdy.
Under their combined creed Of Judaism
and Christianity the Saints recognize the
Jewish calendar and feast days. Christ
mas and Easter. and worship their Gre
ator through the spirit Of prophecy as
manifested jn the being Of Prophet Crow
dy, who sits at his desk i'm his house ON
L street and controls the lives of his fol-
lowers with a stroke Of his pen. The
prophet is supreme upon earth. He has
but to write to his Saints in Africa or
Kansas City. and they would come post
haste 20 Washington. or. as is more
often the case. make prompt remittance
OF the requested donation toward the
earthly support Of their aged leader.
The local church OF the Saints was in
corpOrated i'm 1896 and numbers about 100
ardent members. Their tabernacle is sit
uated at Fourth street and New York
avenue. where. on each Saturday. the
Jewish Sabbath. the faithful followers Of
Prophet Crowdv assemble 90 hear Elder
Oliver Tyler preach and to gaze upon
the inspired coUntenance OF the prophet
The Saints dress in brown and the mem
bers Of the choir. numbering thirty or
forty. wear golden pasteboard crowns
All address one another as Saint" ad-
ding the surname. The form Of greeting
is kiss on the lips. or. should the par
ties be of opposite sex. and such a token
Of fTaternal respect be undesired by
either, the greeting takes verbal form in
the v0icing of the words "All hail"
Prophet Is speechIess.
Prophet Crowdy is afflicted, being with
out power Of speech. This is taken by
his followers as additional proof of his
spiritual powers inasmuch as several Of
the best prophets that history shows have
been in the business had something on
this order the matter with them. Il has.
therefore. become necessary for the
prophet 10 have an Interpreter. and his
son. August Crowdy. a large. heavy-set
negro with little suggestive spirituality
about him. performs this sacred office
This son has only been associated with
his father as a member Of the firm for
the past three years. Prior 10 that he was
engaged in some purely secular occupa.
ton in Guthrie, Okla.
In the three years that he has been
engaged as the mouthpiece of his talented
father. Young August has apparently
memorized the entire contents of the
Bible. Upon the slightest provocation,
in reference to some trivial. everyday.
commonplace action OF his brethren. ne
can summon some Biblical verse 90 illus
trate his meaning. To The Washington
Herald reporter who dropped in upon
the prophet yesterday, August Crowdv
explained the intricacies Of his church.
while the prophet sat in a comfortable
armchair gazing vaCantiy and with trem-
bling lips al the ceiling II was suggested
that the prophet appeared TO be suffer
Continued on Page 3, Column @.