The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1908-05-04
WORSHIP A ROOSTER.
Strange Form of Religion Found
In Philadelphia.
PLENTY OF "SPlRlTS" THERE

Black "Ejamba" Puts Up Affairs and
Speaking Tubes to Talk With the
spirits-The Temple a Wonderful
Place.
Philadelphia May 4.-Step into the
second floor front room of 2l3o FAR
mount avenue and get initiated int
the strangest form OF worship III fh!la
delphia; a mixture OF voodoGism anu
barbaric Christianity.
Timothy Leay. West Indian gro
is Ejamba. He is the leader. the
Noses the chief priest. He Gals n's
faith THE Ancient Grace" and he
worships a rooster.
His temple is wonderful place I'LL
ed with affairs, war drums. speaking
tubes and trumpets. Over in one cor
ner hangs a figure dressed in white
satin and crowned with garish crown
of glittering imitation gems. That
the Queen of Ethiopia, and she is wor.
SHIPPED with due solemnity.
On the walls are robes OF purple
and yellow, masks OF strange design.
and brushes to sweep away the EVIL
spirits. A battered photograph OF the
slain President Garfield. mounted upon
a stick, in the form OF cross, also
figures in the ceremonies.
81 am Ejamba, the leader said
Leay, as he quit praying with foul
women and seated himself at the foot
of a throne. Il show the true way;
our sy.lbol is the rooster, AMI We pray
to him and dance in his honor. How
We worship is secret. and only the
initiated dare join in. We also be
lieve in the Great God. and We dance
to please him."
IL talk with the spirits" he remark
ed, rather casually, as he leaned tor,
ward and his eyes rolled Il talk
with the spirits and they talk to me
See my echo?"
Things that look like painted spoo.s
float around gaily in paso,,a
filed with water. A tiny bell is Sis
pended from the roof CT the pagoda.
and when any spirits happen around
they always notify Ejamba Leay by
ringing this bell.
From under the water q spe. king
tube stretches across the TO III to j
converter 1t is filled with wheels
has a glass 'front.'. and bit OF stove
pipe sticks out OF the top. Leading
into the converter, from tAe tarone In
the western end OF the room. is an
other speaking tube Still third
tube finds it's way into the converter
from a kettle drum in the east. This
kettle drum is made OF a china wash
bowl covered with skin.
A final tube is carried out into Fair,
mount avenue This has a mega
phone exit, and it is from this meg
phone that the people in the neighbOr,
hood get notice that the spirits are
busy and that. the rooster is being
properly generated.
There are two affairs, each covered
with white clothes and decorated with
countless candles and rooster fea- Il
ers. The feathers are in red and vel
low and purple.
Several swords, witches. brooms
columns decorated with more rooster
feathers and rabbit fur are scattered
around, to give tone to the place.
The Ejamba laid aside his robes and
masks of jute and put on coat, which
was sleeveless.
I'VE have a beautiful and inspiring
ceremony" he declared.
I'VE have. indeed" came an assent
ing chorus from the sisters. Why
when the candles are lit and the men
get on theirrobes and masks and the
spirits commence talking it's simply
grand"
do the spirits really TALK"
do they TALK" came the incredu
lous query of a woman companion OF
the Ejamba. why. have been In
here alone and those drums have start
ed beating on their own account. and
the echo has made noise like this
'Whoo-o-o,'-and then just got
awax"
The Ejamba laughed. 1.-The sister is
right When l hear the spirits. get
talking to them through one of the
tubes, and they tell me what to do"