The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-07-27
NEW RELIGION
Women Disrobed While They We're
Practfcing New Religious Cult.

of their minds. SIQ
+. Two Of the men and two Of the wS
men, despite their protests, were held
by the magistrate in $50 for further
examination, while the others were
paroled for appearance in court on
August 12.
Scarcely had the court proceedings
begun when one of the sect-taken in
a spectacular raid which was made
at II o'clock at night by thirty police
men under command of Captain Ed
ward Hughes of the Vernon avenue
police station, after they had battered
their way through the rear doors of a
chapel occupied by the first assembly
Of Christ at Willoughby and Thompkin
avenues-stepped forward and asked
the magistrate If he remembered her
as school teacher whose class he at
tended when boy. She was Mrs.
Josephine Dickey. When she told the
magistrate her maiden name-Schultz
he smiled and admitted the remem-
brance.
As the prisoners filed in before the
magistrate they presented an interest
ing appearance. The women were fully
clothed, but the men without excep-
ton were coatless. One was clothed
In his undershirt and trousers.
All were murmering prayers and
they stood bravely before the magis-
trate ready to assert their denials of
the charges made against them in the
sworn complaints of the policemen.
"Drawing the Dragon
1t was ceremony known among the
sect. according to police information,
as Drawing the Dragon" or "Chas-
ing the Devil" that caused four of the
prisoners to be held in $500 bail.
They were Mrs. Elizabeth Robinson,
Miss Isabella Clark, H. P. Dunham
and Daniel Wecker, all OF whom were
charged with "outraging public de-
cency in violation of section No. 675
of the Penal Code.''
Because the police alleged she is the
acting head of the sect or church,
Mrs. Robinson was also held on a
charge of keeping and maintaining
a place for lewd obscene and indecent
purposes, in violation of section No.
322 of the Penal Code"
Mrs. Robinson was arraigned on the
separate charges and was the first of
the prisoners to appear before the
magistrate she is tall, sharp-featured
and slightly built. Her eyes flashed as
she faced, the magistrate. She was
calmer than any of the other prison
ers. Magistrate Higginbothem read
the charge to her, and in a tone loud
enough to be heard in every corner of
the courtroom she denied it absolutely.
I'VE were there worshiping God,
and we had right to do SO. There
never has been any immoral act COM
mitted there. All the men who were
present, with two exceptions, were
married, and were there with their
wives">
Her statement ended the hearing in
the separate charges against her, and
three other prisoners, Miss Clarke,
Durham and Wecker, were brought to
the courtroom from the prisoners pen.
Wecker was dressed in his under
shirt and trousers. Dunham wore an
outside shirt, but it was unbuttoned
and turned in at the neck.
What makes these men attend
church in their undershirts?" asked
Magistrate Higginbothem. The men
stammered, but did not reply. Mrs.
Robinson came to their aid quickly
and asked if she might explain.
Several complaints have been
made" she said, "by neighbors that
our hymn singing and praying was
too noisy, so we kept all the windows
closed. Naturally the hot weather was
almost unbearable for the men and
they doffed some of their clothing.
Only their outer clothing was removed
while praying"
Mrs. Robinson denied excitedly that
women disrobed in order to carry out
their religious exercises. She said
that the Sisters" prayed in a room
on the uper floor of the chapel, while
the brethren" prayed down stairs.
Don't the women take off their
skirts?" asked the magistrate.
''No. Why should they? You have
been misinformed If you have been
told that anything disorderly or i'm
moral was conducted there. There was
nothing disorderly there last night.
Haven't we all the privilege of wor-
shipping God in our own way.
There may be countries where
people worship God without wearing
clothing, but you cannot do it in
Brooklyn" said Magistrate Higgin-
bothem.
Facing the Police.
That ended the explanation and the
twenty-eight remaining prisoners
were brought in. Policeman seims.
who helped to break in the door and
who peered through half open win
dow, faced the prisoners. His asser-
tions of what he had seen brought a
chorus Of "Oh's!!!" from the men and
women, and many of them shrank
away from the policeman. One woman.
prayed, I'VE claim him, o Lord; we
claim him, o Lord" Disguised, Seims
walked away from the bench. Again
when he had left the prisoners de,
clared they had done nothing but wor-
shin God,