Evening journal., 1908-07-23
QUEER SECT
IN BROOKLYN
Peculiar Rite Of the Drawing
Of the Dragon and Have
Woman as Bishop
PERFORM CEREMONIES
In THE HALF DRESS

NEW YORK, July 23-Thrty-two mem.
bers OF "The First Assembly OF Christi
a religious sect which holds forth in a
former Methodist Church chapel at Tomp-
kins and Willoughby avenues Brooklyn,
were arraigned yesterday in the Lee Ave-
nue. Police Court on charges Of disorderly
and immoral conduct. Twenty-Five OF the
prisoners We're women and seven men.
They We're a strange and dEsheveled fbok-
ing crew. All Of them had been arrested
In a raid ON their chnpel late Tuesday
and at a moment when they were going
through a peculiar rite called drawing
the dragon" They had spent more than
twelve hours In cells.
The police had permitted the women ts
make themselves as presentable as pos
sible for their appearance in court but tho
men prisoners had been compelled to re-
main In the attire In which they were ar
rested. undresscd. as most Of them were,
down to undershirts. trousers. shoes and
stockings
Malachi Gabriel. Kurdish priest Po-
lice Captain Hughes OF the Vernon ave-
nue. station. and three OF his patromen
were the compainants against the prison.
ers and when their afhdavits were read
TO the prisoners there were loud protests
Gabriel had acted as a confederate OF
the police by raising window which per-
mitted them TO look into the chapel and
see the drawing OF the dragon" Accord
ing to these afndavits seven men and two
women had been observed on the lower
floor OF the chapel Patrolmen Hirsohe-
witz and Seims swore that thege women
were Bishop" Elizabeth Robinson and
Miss Isabella Clark, a buxom young
woman, OF No. 297 Hewea street. They
further alleged that they saw the men
and tho two women going through a sort
OF Indian dance the women being part
ly undresscd above the waist line and the
men collarless and coatloss and some Of
them IN undershirts
Ran Around Till Exhausted.
The Clark woman, testified the police
men. kept running around the room
shouting. 90 Lord. give me powers un-
I'll exhaustion overcame her and she fell
on couch. Then Daniel Wecker. OF No.
!. a2s Division street, separated from the
men. they said. and went over to Miss
Clark
Herschewitz and seims permitted the
drawing OF the dragon to go about a
minute longer and then they burst
through the window. at the same time
giving the signal to other patrolmen on
the outside TO stand by all exits. PAN
demomium reigned instantly inside tho
chapel and the raiders had a hard time
shaking some OF the women OF their
necks and stopping their cries for God
to have mercy on them.
Here Magistrate Higginbotham gave
Bishop Miss Elizabeth Robinson an op-
portunlty 20 answer the charges of the
police The Bishop" a tall. sparely built.
hollow-chester person. with a big nose
declared that she and the other membera
OF "rhe First Assembly Of Christi were
only worshipping God in their own way
when the police arrested them; that an
improper act had never been committed
in the chapel, and that all the men pres
ent, with two exceptions. were married
and with their wives.
Magistrate QUESTIONS Them.
4 The magistrate wanted to knew why
the men had to partly undress to wor-
ship God They offered no explanation.
and the Bishop" was permitted to speak
for them. Tho reason she gave was that
complaints had been made by persons liv-
ing near the chapel, that the singing and
praying OF the Assembly was annoy
ing and so they closed all windows. This
made the building close and warm. and
the men removed their outer clothing TO
be more comfortable while praying The
Bishop" denied that the women removed
their skirts and then Magistrate Hig-
ginbottom put in:
There may be countries where people
don't wear clothes when they worship
God. but they can't do it in Brooklyn .
Miss Robinson, who gave her address
as No. 40 Pulaski street. Brooklyn: Dam
iei wecker of No. s25 Division street:
Isabel G. Clark Of No. 2e2 Lewis street.
and H. p. Dunham were held in $500 bail
each for examination on August 12. The
charge against the Bishop" is causing
persons to assemble for immoral pur-
poses" The rest OF the prisoners were
parolled to appear for examination on the
same date.
EX-SCHOOL TEACHERS IN BAND
Among the women prisoners was Mrs
Josephine Dickey, who as Miss Schults
was Magistrate Higginbothams school
teacher some years ago.