The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-09
The HOLY RoLLERs.v
Richard Barry Writes of Strange and
 Sundry Religions.

From the February Broadway MagazinN.
 But let us fareforth among the un- known, so to say, outcast gods. We may go among alien peoples, but we will find that, under weird garments or hidden in curious lingo, they are searching, as are the others, for the torch of all religion, faith; that like their big brothers, they are stretching vain and prying hands to the unknown that they may breathe in multitudinous ways the one word "Iope" And if an honest god is the noblest work of man, fantastic god is at least the most interesting.
 Something New in Religion" read the sign over the borough hall on Staten Isl- and. Within we found the Holy Rollers Ensued sight worth waiting long and travelling far to see, says Richard Barry. writing entertainingly of "Religion's Lit tie Brothers,' in the February Broadway Magazine. Some thirty people had as- sembled with an apparent desire to rid themselves of their sins.
 First there arose an old man named Abner Colt, bent with many years of work on the front row, and as he stum- bled to his feet he was trembling from crown to toe
 "Oh! am wicked man." he walled. q am full of devilsr'
 70 Lord kill the little devils in him.' sang out a portly woman from the center of the hall.
 Kill 'em now." walled several voices from Abner's bench.
 Then the moderator--the sect is an off shot from the Wesleyan Methodsts-ad- vanced to the penitent, and placing his hand upon Abner's head, said as he ab sent mindedy rapped the cranium with his knuckles: "Abner, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I command the devil to come out of your fleshl"
 The moderator uncorked bottle which he took from his pocket and softly rubb- ed the top of Colts head, while he gave the first line of one of the songs. It started up with the tune of Sweet Ma fie' and from the boys in the back of the room there came a series of low groans.
 Whereupon the exorcism commenced. A circle gathered about the two, penitent and moderator Some fell flat upon the floor and began kicking their heels in the air. Half of them jerked from their pockets phials of olive oil and began ta rub it into the hair of the other half. They struck their heads against the chairs and walls. They beat their breasts; they threw their hands aloft and cried aloud:
 Get out of him, Satan" Let tfe Lord do his workl" Get there, Abnerl" Beat him to 1t, old manr "Chastse the devil to he'll"
 With these strenuous efforts and as the calculations rent the air the atmosphere of the room became close and stifing. The worshippers breathed hard, fell upon one another's necks; tears rolled down their cheeks; a great gladness shone from their scountenances. Louder and shriller grew the cries. Evidently Abner's was a hard case.
 Suddenly the moderator raised his hand and the cries were hushed. The wor- shippers rose from the floor, fell back into their seats. Abner rose to his full height and tottered to the bench. The oil was smeared down his cheek and all over his paper collar. Great beads of precipitation stood out on his forehead. l but his face shone with some glorious | light, and his eyes were glazed, as in a l stupor.
 | One after another they went on ex- | polling the devil from their comrades in l turn over in the obscure borough hall in | Staten Island. Then they disappeared. | and it would be difficult to find them again, although the Holy Rollers. or "Gos- l pei Workers" as they call themselves, 1 have a flimsy organization that claims | a thousand members in six states.