Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-02-04
SILENT HEALER
AMAzES EUROPE
Ey-MInGT Antoine Has Following
Numbering 10000.
CURES WITHOUT PAYMENT.

Quiet and a lifting Of Right Hand
Over rsgasion--"Good Father"
Passes Hours In Electric Lighted
Garden In Belgium.
Antoinism. the new religion founded
In Belgium by an examiner named An
tome. IS attracting considerable atten-
ton In Europe.
Antoine, the good father" or the
parent enc" as his followers call him,
IL man OF sixty.tve. with flowing
white locks aud patriarchal beard
His followers now number 10000. OF
whom 300, including his wife. "the
| good mother" are adopts.
Antoine's home IL at Temeppe-lez-
Liege Hidden in block OF similar
small houses. the prophets dwelling il
| only conspicuous by the spire OF his
church. which adjoins It. The door Of
the church is also the door OF the house
| and bears notice. Ring bell at night
| for NJ. Antoine"
For three years Antoine has not left
| his house or garden. lie lives entire
| ly on vegetables. which he prepares
himself He sleeps little. resting only
| for two hours during the night, the
| greater part Of which he spends walk
| ing in his little garden. which has cleo
| trio lamps fitted up all around the
walls. He never reads anything, ho
will not see newspaper men aud only
holds communication with the outside
world by means of the telephone.
Ceremonies Are Simple.
| He confines his healing to ceremonies
| In the church. where the services are
OF the simplest description. They take
place at 10 o'clock a. m. on Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
AT 8 o'clock a. M. the congregation
assemblies, and nm adept. NJ, Deregnan-
court, the publisher Of the sects lltcra-
| ture. takes his place Mt a desk under
a raised platform. There IL complete
silence for half an hour: then NJ. Dereg-
nancourt announces that operations
will take place at certain hours on GER
| tain days and that all who wish 10 be
| cured must have perfect faith.
! He then continues sitting perfectly
still, not muscle moving and his eyes
| fixed I'm an unb,inking stare straight
| before him At the stroke OF 10 every
one rises. and the parent one" enters
! by a side door and slowly walks mp the
steps to the rostrum.
| Wearing black cassock and with his
gray hair falling around his shoulders.
! Antoine faces the congregation for a
] full minute without moving or uttering
a sound. He then lifts his right hand
toward them and holds II thus extend
| ed for another mluute That Is all.
Those two minutes3sakc the service,
| The good father walks slowly out.
| the adept remarks, Every one whose
| faith Is strong enough must be cured"
and the church empties silently. No
collection is made, but subscriptions
are taken for the maintenance OF the
church. which Antoi built himself
with legacy OF $4,oto.
Silent For Six Months.
For six months Antoine has not
spoken word to any one. People
ments and appeals. Antoine effects hls
cures now by deputy. His wife or
some other adept stands IN front OF the
applicant, and, turning her eyes up
ward, slowly waves her hand In the
air. which means that she. is invoking
Antoine "the healer"
The patient or the patients deputy
then departs The cure Is effected. or
If II is not then there has been a lack
OF faith. There is nothing to pay The
badge OF the sect Is "the tree of the
knowledge OF the sight of evil" repre-
scented by a white tree on black back
ground.
One of Antoine's chief disciples IL an
American woman. Mrs. GulIaume, who
came over 10 be treated by him for
chaiky rheumatism. which compelled
her TO walk on crutches. She says she
Is now practically cured and has her
self become an adept with power 10
hcal 10 fafti