REVIVAL

Source: San Francisco, California Examiner Sat 10 March 1894 p 1

Greencastle, Ind March 9 – South Putnam County Indiana is in the throes of the most remarkable revival ever held in the state. The meetings began about February 1^st, but until this week no great attention was attracted outside of the immediate neighborhood of the church. John and Charles Scott and Miss Anna Huffman are in charge of the meetings. The former came from Harrodsburg, Ind and the woman from Illinois. They are very ignorant and are operating in an ignorant locality. They adhere to no denomination but claim theirs is the only true religion. They neither preach nor sing but pray long and loud. They cure the sick, heal the halt and lame and assist the blind. They operate by the laying on of hands and claim they are the only true agents of the word. Whether they be imposters or sincere, they have awakened a tremendous sensation in this vicinity. Their subjects, or victims, as some term them, go into trances in which they remain for hours with eyes set and arms extended over their heads, all the time muttering a sort of gibberish.

Mad Run Through The Woods – On Friday night last Marcus Lucas, a prominent farmer, attended the meeting, which began at 6:30 p.m. and closed at 6:30 the following morning. He went into a trance and remained in that state for about 10 hours. Then he went through the woods following a star which he claimed was the star of Bethlehem and only desisted at daylight. His body was lacerated terribly by thorn as he had discarded all his clothes. He went violently insane as the result of his night’s experience and has been taken to the hospital at Indianapolis.

During the past few days the advance guard of the strange religion has visited this city. Meetings are held in private residences and the same methods are being used. Only the most ignorant, as a rule, fall under the power, but some of the more sensible are mesmerized. There is a great feeling growing against this strange sect and trouble is feared. In the neighborhood of the church tar and fathers are being got in readiness, white cap parties are being talked of and some favor the shotgun policy of extermination.

Financial Gains Made – The preachers are holding serenely to their religion, however, and claim that the Lord will protect them. They are making a successful financial venture also out of the meetings, as it is said by neighbors that their victims contribute liberally during their trances. That the preachers are the worst of fakirs is shown by their methods of work. They have photographs and readily sell them to their victims for 25 cents each, thus throing in some circus traits for variety. The aggregation of preachers and converts was billed for this city but was refused a meeting place. The favorite method of working is in the country.

A letter of inquiry from Harrodsburg, which is about 60 miles south of here, develops the fact that the preachers are of good family, but are ignorant people. A common thing is to meet some convert of the strange craze on a country road as he or she is leaving the church after an all-night meeting. Just where the craze will end is difficult to conjecture.

A young lady of Fox Ridge, a suburb of this city is under the influence of these preachers and is rapidly losing her mind as a result. A visit was paid to the scene of the meetings the other night. A 10-mile drive was necessary. One of the daytime meetings was just closing. Some of the people were in a pitiable condition. One young woman was laid out in a wagon, unconscious, with her arms extended heavenward, her body rigid. A physician who was present gave it as his opinion that the patient was suffering from catalepsy. The church is situated in the backwoods in a lonely spot, just the place for the meetings. The services are uproarious for awhile, after which the trance state comes on and then the victims are laid out on benches where they remain for hours. Eleven were observed under the influence at the same time.

Physicians Denounce Them – Physicians who have been called in state that the practices indulged in are very injurious and if a halt is not called the entire district will go crazy. Thomas heath, a reputable citizen, states he was followed from the church Monday night by an apparition what seemed to him to be a woman dressed in a burial robe. The vision accompanied him to his home, disappearing at his door. He has been told that it was a dead female relative and since then he has been greatly disturbed.