The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1921-03-30
HOLY ROLLERS MEETING NEAR MALLALIEU
ATTRACTING BIG CROWDS AND ATTENTION
Sunday Night Record Vehicles Blocked the
Traffic on Road for HOur-1,50O Crowd Out = Much
Demonstration Under Leaf Covered ArbOr in Woods.
THE PART THAT HELPS DRAW
BIG CROWDS.

CCpbOQs
THE PART THAT HELPS DRAW
BIG CROWDS.
Generally, it is the latter part of
the service that draws the big crowds
and satisfies more or less the morbid
curiosity of those who go to the
meetings just to see what is going
on. The end of the sermon is the
signal for seekers" to come to the
rostrum where they moan and groan,
laugh, talk in an unknown tongue,
clap their hands and sway their bo-
dies while kneeling with heads up
lifted Some ro4l on the floor or
ground, all expressing by extraordi-
nary physical demonstration the fact
that they are under the influence, if
that is the proper term to use.
MANY "GoT IT" SUNDAY NIGHT.
1t is hardly possible to describe by
word written or spoken, the out
ward expression, by voice and by ply
sical gyrations, of those who ''got it,
as it is called. None except the many
countyites who have witnessed the
proceedings of the Holy Roller meet
ings can fully appreciate the heights
reached, the depths explored, or the
cataclysms experienced in such meet
ings.
At the conclusion of the Sunday
/ night session song was sung, which
even before 1t had hardly begun was
punctuated with EXPLANATIONS and
demonstrations of those who seemed
dominated by some influence that is
accepted as the Holy Ghost striving
with the spirit Of man or woman.
The song being hushed, 1t was fol-
lowed by ever increasing and to the
uninitiated, discordant noises and
voices, of the supplicants' some in an
unknown tongue" for none could
interpret the babel of sound that a.
rose. Some clapped their hands only
and apparently were obliyious to ey-
erything and everybody around them.
Others called out "Glory to Jesus"
Praise His Name, Don't Let Co.,
Keep Jesus on Your Mind, Jesus
Say" "Hallalujah to God," aHoly
Ghost, Holy Ghost"
While all these cries and others
stirred the Easter air there arose
babbling and piercing sound ever
and anon that expressed nothing to
those who could not understand. Some
appeared as though in trance or
hypnotized. Some had their eyes
closed and appeared eblivieus to ev-
erything except their cIapping Of
hands or kneeling and bowing and
reaching Heavenward with out
stretched hands. Others, with star
ing countenances made their appeals
and were just as Jealous as those
who made more noise. The flowing
hair of women became disheveled and
falling down over their backs
touched the floor as they knelt in the
devotional ceremonies that seemed to
be expected of them and were rigid
ly observed. Children were not inn
mune from the influence that per-
vaded the meeting, several rosy lit
tie faces of four or five year olds ap-
parently being convulsed while they
shook or shivered in the presenc of
older ones who did the same thing.
The scenes described had been car
ried on continuously for more than
an hour when the writer left. How
much longer the services lasted Sun
day night is not known. We are
Informed that the meeting often goes
into the midnight hour
How the parties who take active
part in the demonstrations noted
can so long submit to the nervous
strain Of 1t and live is past under
standing of all outside witnesses. A
visitor who had been there before
said in our ear:- "They are doing
good-wicked men have been con-
verted; but it is all past understands
ing. give 1t up. But there is
something there somewhere that q |
whole lot of us cannot see."
That ministers who are conducting
the meetings have and are gaining
a strong hold over a lot of people
cannot be contradicted. This was
evidenced by the fact Of what ap-
peared to be about 20 active work.
ers at the Sunday evening service
while for months past the meetings
near Brookhaven have always been
we'll attended and have left converts
behind them.
Well and truly can 1t be said that
Half the world does not know what
the other half is doing" To which
half do you belong and what are you
thinking?