The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-05-28
TRUE DISCIPLES FIGHT
Officezs Quen Disturbance at Needing
of Snake Worshipers.

Dodge City, Kan, May GA faith In
God that makes them capable of hand
ling poisonous reptiles without fear of
injury is one Of the tenets OF the
snake eaters worshipers. a religious
organization which has been holding
meetings in Dodge. The poisoning and
death Of members Of the band as
result Of handling the snakes and prose-
cutions by the authorities have not
broken up the organization. which now
claims a membership scattered over
southwestern Kansas and Oklahoma
The presence of the members OF this
cult were revealed by the calling OF
the officers to quell a disturbance that
broke out as a result of revelations
made by one of the speakers" The
True Disciples of Christ" Is what the
members call themselves and a part OF
their service consists of Testimony,
given by the members in words which
only the one who speaks through the
will of the Lord can interpret.
The hair pulling that was staged was
a result of the Interpretation given by
one Of these speakers, Ms. Mary Os-
teen. a widow of Bloom. which reflect
ed on the morality of Mrs. T. A. Cow
ington. Mrs. Covington Indignantly
denied that she was guilty Of a sinfui
spirit, as charged. The lie was passed
ana Immediately the meeting was In an
uproar. The hostess seized the speak
er by the hair. Four other members,
including Mrs. Covington's husband
and a son-in-law, tried to unlock her
fingers. Then somebody turned In
call for the officers.
Mrs. Covington said there had been
attempts on the part of her sister-1n-
law and Mrs. Osteen to ''set her aside"
from the church for some time. Her
lack of acceptance of some Of the de-
mands Of the creed had been called q
weakness in the faith, she said, and for
five or six weeks there has been
trouble. The favored few who can in
terpret the words which are mumbled
in the ''testimonies,' claim they can
also make rrophesies and revelations
through divine power and it was one
Of these revelations that started
trouble.
I'VE believe that through faith we
can handle snakes" said Mrs. Coving-
ton. For in Luke he tells us that If
we have faith we can raise up SER
penis and not be harmed.
TT doesn't say that people won't be
bitten by serpents but If they are bit
ten it only shows that their faith is
ing down their lives to the Lord and
any Of us are ready to do that"
That this belief Of divine protection
has been put to the test for years in
southwestern Kansas and sometimes
with fatal results was admitted by
mother and daughter. Fortunately for
the mortality record. rattlesnakes are
scarce in Kansas. Whenever a reptile
is found 1t is passed from hand to
hand among the members. Even II
some Of the disciples are bitten 1t does
not deter the others from testing the
strength Of their faith. At a meeting
in Stafford county g. few years ago,
when twenty-five disciples were hold
ing a test meeting, three of them were
bitten. All three of the bitten ones
recovered but the county authorities
arrested the worshippers and took
them to St. John. An attempt was
made to take the minor children of
the worshippers from them, but failed.
In Morton county, five years ago.
Mrs. Covington stood beside a woman,
Mrs. Will Talkington, who was bitten
by a RATHER and died. No physician
was called, while the woman struggled
in agony for SO hours before her
death