The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-07-26
WICKED NORFOLK TO GO SAME
WAYASSODOMANDGOMORROW
DECLARES NEGRO PROPHECIES

NORFOLK. VA. July 25.--Urged on
by mysterious apparitions and pic
lures In the homes OF Florence SEES
SONS, colored. 80 Chicazola street,
about 200 residents Of Norfolk's black
belt have formed religious organl-
ZatTon and nightly Gun be heard pray
Ing in the old shell house" on
Chapel street, near Princess Anne
avenue. To ward off a very dark and
terrible disaster al present threaten
Ing this city.
So great has the fear become among
the superstitious negroes that work
of building q church on the site of
old Bethlehem Baptist church, on
Princess Anne avenue. near Chapel
street. is TO be started on August list.
According to Florence SESSIONS, ma
tron OF the Second Precinct station
and prophecies of the new religion.
the time is not far off when this city
viii he visited by a terrible catas'ro-
phe and white and black will suffer
alike. says Florence. unless they quit
their sinful ways and become Cod
fearing people
Hearing of many reports regarding
apparitions and other strange things
at the Sessions house. q reporter Wis
tied the place last night. Situated
practically in the center OF the 'biack
belt ana reached only after passing
through numerous dark streets, the
place certainly did present ''spooky'
appearance,
Ushered into the dimly lighted room
in which the "apparitions" appear on
the wall. with brilliant flashes OF
lightning passing through the shades
and the voice OF the prophecies as
she told OF the strange occurrences
IN a. n
down the back OF the bravest of men.
The pictures which appear on the
ceiling and walls OF the bedroom of
the woman depict men and women Ia
torment, various sort of houses. sheep
strolling in meadows, while the latest
apparition is "a very good sketch OF
the giant liner Titanic as she was
lurchlng in the sea after striking the
Iceberg with women and children
climbing over her side About six
inches away there is the giant lee
berg.
The following is the story as told
by Florence regarding the apparitons
in her home About six years age.
while at ls0nae oae evening abe Mas
visited by something which spoke to
her as follows: Tell the people Of
Norfolk that | said that both white
and black should get together and
clean out their houses and SaTuS ana
( hold prayer meetings because there
is coming n great catastrophe to the
city"
Frightened at the apparition. she
asked the nature OF the catastrophe,
and according TO her version was car
ried through the city of Norfolk. A
heavy fog overhung the entire city,
not person could be seen on the
street. everything being in entire
darkness and all the stores were pad
locked. Crepe could be seen hanging
from the houses all over the city
AT that time she was a member OF
Calvary Baptist church. she told her
pastor OF what she had seen, but he
turned the story down cold.
She afterwards started prayer meet
ings In her yard at home until the
attendance increased to such an eX-
tent that 1t was necessary to get a
hall. and the old shell house" was
secured J ) Folks, colored Preach
err was secured from Holland. Va.
end now each night prayer meetings
are held in the chapel,
Another story told by the woman Is
OF an apparition which visited her
daughter. Della Brickhouse. about five
wears ago. While in the kitchen of
The house on Chicazola street she was
struck by an unseen hand. which
threw her violently 10 the floor and
made her deaf and dumb for over