Year: 1874

The Tragic EItermInutien OF the mucIker


Sect OF Fanatics in Brazu.


For some years back small portion
of the vast food of emigration from
northern Germany has been directed to
Brazil, and in the province of Porto
Allegro white settlements of the race
have been founded, which, until recent
events disturbed them, were hourishing
enough. They had advanced so far as
to have their own local newspaper in
that resonant language which, according
to Arndt, makes any land where it is
spoken part of Germany; and the par
tculaTs now before as are transmitted
direct from the Deutsche Zeitung of
Porto Allegro, the paper in question.
The settlers were almost universally of
the Prussian state or Evangelical
church, and were rent by no political
or religious dissension. They were dis
tinguished by their attachment to the
old Fatherland they had left and the
subscriptions sent frem the colony for
the benefit of the sick and wounded in
the war of 1901 astonished those who
knew how young and struggling a COM
nnunity it was collected from. All went
we'll with them, in fact. until this sum-
mer, when their domestic peace was sud
denly disturbed by the pretensions of a
certain Jacobina Manner to divine inspi-
ration, and her claims to be worshiped
by all mankind. Those preteDsiOns
would not have mattered of themselves,
but Jacobina was one of large family
in the village of Ferrabraz, and her re-
lations first, then her neighbors, sue
cessively adopted her views, and de-
clared themselves true believers, with
an ease which history tells us was not
displayed in the instance of MOhammed.
On what proofs the claims of this Ger
man edition of Joanna Southcote we're
founded does not appear. But it is
certain that followers gave her the title
of "Christussin, or ''the female Christi"
that a regular worship was established
for her and that her first convert or
confederate-it is hard to say which
Hans George Maurer, was in due
form appointed her high priest. This
person appears to have been a man of
some intellect, and remarkable ambi-
ton; for he not only brought over his
neighbors to the new faith, but con-
ceived the idea of imposing it on the
whole settlement first, and then on the
world at large, by force of arms. Un-
der his guidance, the Maurerites, or
Mucker, as they were nicknamed by
their opponents, carefully armed them
selves and stored up abundance of am
munition. It was not until these pre-
liminaries were thoroughly complete
that they declared in the course of last
June their solemn purpose, and sum-
moned the nearest of the settlers to Join
the new church forthwith. Attempts at
enforced conversion of course produced
violent opposition. and this was epaid
bv the Maurerites with open plunder
and ill-usage as we'll as by threats of
death. AS they numbered, including
the women who bore arms, a determined
band of over fifty adults, there was no
hope in the individual resistance of
scattered settlers; and in a few days the
uncOnverted inhabitants of the district
were all seeking shelter In Porto Allegro,
while their homesteads were stripped
and laid waste by the orders of the
prophecies. Volunteers were now en-
rolled to the number of one or two COM
papies, but it was thought better to wait
for the arrival of the government troops
who we're asked for, than to attempt an
advance into the bush unaided for the
fanatics were familiar with the ground,
and were known to be better armed
than their adversaries, and prepared for
a desperate defense.


In July the expected forces came
provided with field-guns and rockets,
and a general advance was made, but
apparently with extreme caution. By
the 18th, however, the finatics were
driven in on a position they had care
fully intrenched round a large house, of
which they had formed a keep. The
light guns, as we'll as the rockets, en-
-
was only after a very prolonged skirm-
ishing that the works were carried with
a rush. The defenders then fell back
on their keep, and when this was fired,
escaped from it, with some loss, into the
bush behind, in which they had secretly
prepared another strong position. For
the time it was not thought we'll to fol-
low them to their new fastness. In re-
connoite, ing it on the Dist and Goth
there were two more severe skirmishes !;
and, though in each of these Maurer's
followers had the advantage, the Ger
man volunteers being on one occasion
abandoned by the troops who should
have supported them, the number of
the sect had now been gradually worn
down by repeated casualties. One pris-
oner was taken who revealed the fact
that fewer than twenty of the desperate
band were left. On the I'd of August
their last stronghold was surrounded,
and carried by overwhelming numbers,
though with considerable loss to the as
sailants. The demand made previously
that the Maurerites should lay down
their arms was sternly rejected, and
they died fighting to the very last, the
prophecies herself being actually bay
oneted through the body of one of her
devoted followers, who was striving to
screen her, while she encouraged the
rest not to yield. Only Hans George
Maurer and one other of the band,
Jacob Fuchs, were missing, who are
supposed to have deserted their com
panlous before or during the assault.
1t adds an additional touch of horror to
this catastrophe to know that the young
children they had had with them are
not accounted for, and {. hear that it
was reported that they were all slain
not many days before by JacO5iua's
command. a story which is supported
by the fact that the body of one has
been discovered with its throat cut close
to the miserable hut which was the
prophecies last shelter. The havoc
caused by the extinct sect during its
short sway over the outlying settle
ments is so serious that it is stated that
it will take years to restore the colony
to the prosperity it was enjoying before
this extraordinary outburst of fanati
cism brought misery on its members
London Ne1GS.


Cheap Travelling.


markable instance of the extent


l. !