The New York Herald Newspaper, March 21, 1876, Page 4

i> THE CARNAL RAIN SO Careful Investigation of the Kentucky Marvel by a Correspondent. | THE LOCALITY V ee SITED. | Statements from Eye-Witnesses of | the Phenomenon, Appearance and Taste of the Su- pernatural Flesh. | NATIVE THEORISTS. OtyMPiaN Springs, Bath County, Ky } March 16, 1 According to instructions transmitted by t raph to Louisville, Ky., your correspondent hastily arranged his viaticum and started with all the expedition pos- sible for the Olympian Springs, Bath county, Ky., im the vicinity of which place the wonderful carnal | shower is said to have fallen recently, On the day of | my departure from Louisville I had the good fortune to meet Captain J. M. Bent, of Mount Sterling, Ky., | who is the gentleman that brought to Loursville the | substance reputed to.have fallen from the clouds to the | rarth and placed it in the hands of Professor Lawrence | J. Smith for analysis, aud also the information to the agent of the Associated Press of that city, upon which the original statements of the occurrence were | made. | FROM MOUNT STERLING TO THR SPRINGS, We lodged, on the first night out from Louisville, at Mount Sterling. A heavy rain commenced to fail the next morning, which interrupted the intended prompt- ness of our departure, Frisbe and others were inter- viewed to fill in the time. At noon the rain ceased to fall, and we took our seat im a buggy by the side of Joe, Jordan, Esq.—a Mount Sterling merchant, with- | out whose company and assistance your correspondent would have been likely to have failed in- his mission, We drove out the Spencer pike, at the end of which we took a dirt road, which was in a first class bad con- dition, and a tedious route of about twelve miles more | shrough the woods brought us to Olympian Springs. | We reached our destination late in the afternoon, and | the evening was devoted to investigations about the | fall of flesh among several persons whom we found at | the watering place, BRIKF HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE SPRINGS. / The springs are now owned by Harrison Gill, and | wero once owned by Henry Clay. In 1812 this was a recruiting post for the United States army, and many of the old barrack buildings are still standing on the place. It 1s a favorite place of resort for people from Lexington and other portions of the bluo grass region of Kentucky. | It rained last night very bard, the streaths are all | swollen ont of their banks, and we expect some trouble | on our return in fording Slate Creek, We have ordered a relay of saddle horses for our trip from here to the Crouch farm. The steeds are ready, and 1 will close this part of my letter, vault into the saddle and ride to the scene of the great phenomenon and map out the last thapter of my narrative. Th Crouch farm is about two miles from here, in a southwesterly direction. We stopped a few minutes on our way at the only | habitation along the route between the plac@we started from and the one to which we were going. This was the home of a humble cripple, who makes baskets for & livelihood aud relies for his and his family’s support apon the sales of his wares to the summer visitors to | she springs. We rode up to his door, in which an urchin or two were standing, and saluted him by calling out, “Good morning, Mr, Tolliver.” | “Good morning, sir. Won’t you ‘light 2”? | “No; Lam ina tittle bit of a hurry. Have you seen | any of the flesh that was rained dc wn on Mr. Crouche’s farm ?” S | “Yes, sir; I have.’ i “What do you think about it?” | “Well, sir, it is a mystery to me.’? “Don’t you think that Mrs. Crouch Is deceiving tho people about this matter?”” | “Oh, no, sii She ts too good a woman to be guilty | of anything of that kind.” | “Then you believe ail that she says about this won- | derful occurrence t”” | - “Ido, sir! She would not deceive anybody about | anything.” “Tam going up to see her about it, Good morning.” | “Goodby, sir,”? And putting our spurs to the flanks of the steed wo were riding we reached the Crouch place in about twenty-five minutes after our interview with tho | isolated basket maker. After passing through a gate from a muddy lane we asconded a hill, at the top of which were built a tumblo- | down log stable and corn crib, We rode up to the side | of this structure and let down four bars, which ad- mitted us into an enclosure containing about three | acres. Noar the centre ot this plot stands the domicile | of the Crouch family, The place is surrounded on every side by mountains and high hills, and all of that part of the place susceptible of cu ion lies in the valley between them and seems to embrace in extent about eighty acres. After hitching we walked around the house and looked at the place, and then observing | a female peeping at us from a door we bailed her. She | then stepped out on the porch and invited us in. We entered and asked for Mr. Crouch, She said he was not in. We then requested to see Mra. Crouch. Ina very few seconds the madame was in our presence. We introducea ourselves and stated the object of our visit in about the following words:—“Mrs. Crouch, I have been sent hereto learn all of the particulars about the remarkable shower of flesh which is reported to have fallen on this place, in your presence, a few days ago, and I hope you will be kind enough to give mea full and truthful statement of all you saw on the day it fell.”? “I will do that, sir, cheerfuily.”” “Thank you. I will begin, then, by asking you a fow Questions pertaining to the occurrence, and after I am Ubrough with interrogatories I will ask you to dictate, while | write down, any statement about the matter that you may please to muke,”” “That mode of procedure meets with my approval, and 1 am ready to begin if you are.” “Tam quite ready, and bave only further to request you will not state anything that you would not be Willing to substantiate by oath,’ “{ will tell you nothing but the solemn truth.” Qurstios—Can you estimate, either by weight or measurement, the quantity of flesh that Jeli the other y ANsweR—I can't say exactly how much there was; dut I think there was not less than haif a bushel. Qvxsttox—Did you remain m the yard from the com- Mencement until the ending of the shower? Axswer—I did not I became alarmed and fled to the hoase, QvuESTION—Did you observe any blood upon the pieces that you examiued ? Asswer—Why, sit, I never examined any of touched it; but Mr. Crouch and the children say the chips ‘and fence rails upon which it feil were stained With something toat looked like blood, Qvestion—Did it smell differeut irom any other meat? Axswer—I did not smell it. | Qvusrion—Was it quivering, or did it show any sigua | et recent hfe when 1 tell? Axswen—I did not notice any. Questiox—How did the event impress you at first ? ANswkK—I became very wervyous aud unusually Mlarmed. Axswer—The Lord only knows. When | sawit it was coming straight and sloping down, QueSTION—Are you certain it fell from the clouds? Asswan—I am not, All I know about it is that it came from some place above my head. Questios—What became of the flesh after it bad | fatien t | Answer-—Well, it fell between eleven and twelve | o'clock, and lay upon the ground until late in the alter- goon, When my husband and sou, who were away at | the time, returned, Mr. He then went out and picked up a great many pie and f heard that before that time the hogs, chickens, | pat and dog had been eating of 11 freely, and seemed to like it well. | Quxsriox—Have you thought much about the occur- tence, and have you amy theory of your own as to the origin or import of the event? Axswer—l have thought of ita heap, and it is the §reatest mystery to me in the world. Question—Have any other newspaper correspondents | | } | Question—Where do you thimk it came from ? | | | besides: ga Visited you to get your statement about this affair’ Axswen—No, sit; you are the only representative of the that L have seen or that ev bi Toe eaegt ever spoke to mo i ‘QuEsrion—You said a while ago that the meat was | some animal | rallied and settled that pont in the following words:— | | the matter to see the sighit, but the shower had stopped | vetore she got outdoors, and she only saw it hangmg to | ing to the fence, A$ I did not seo it full, of course I | ately. NEW YORK HE eaten by the cats, dogs, hogs and chickens, Did it nave any peculiar effect upon them ¥ Anxswex—Well, | have not noticed anything unusual among them since, only the dog became very sick t other day and is now very badly off; but I could not say it was the meat that made him so, but I never knew | him to be this way before. | MRS. CROUCH’S STATEMENT. After the foregoing questions had been replied to by Mrs. Crouch, as stated, we again walked out in the ard and took another survey of the premises. There | stood the soap kettle, the traditional ash hopper, the well and a hen house, over all of which the flesh is said to have fallen. A rail fence divided in about equal parts | the area over which they said the shower fell. About one-half mile east of the house is the summit of the mountain, the elevation of which is probably 700 feet | above the level of the valley, Keturning to the house | we asked Mrs, Crouch to make a statement of the oc- currence in her own words, telling her that we would | record all she saidin her own exact language. To this proposition she assented, and commenced us fol- lows: “On Friday morning, March 3, between the hours of eleven aud tweive o'clock, I was in my yard, not more than forty steps from the door of the room in which we are now sitting. The skies were clear and the sun | was shining brightly. There was a light wind commg from a westerly direction, Without any prelude or warning and exactly under these circumstances the | shower commenced, fhe fall was of not less than one | nor more than two minutes’ duration, I never touched | any of the flesh until my husband came home. 1 noticed little whirlwinds in the mountains during the morning and predicted rain from that fact. When the | flesh began to fall I said to my grandson, who was the only person in the yard with me at the time, “What ia that falling, Allen??? He looked up and said, “Why, grandma, it’s snowing!” 1 then walked around and saw a large piece of it strike the ground right bebind me, witha snapping like noise whon it struck, A vague idea that my husband and gon, who were away, | had been torn to pieces and their remains were | being brought home to me in this way by the wind flashed through my mind at the moment, I was also impressed with the conviction that it was a miracle of God, which | as yet we do not understand, lt may have been a warning, @$ ‘coming events’ are said to ‘cast their | shadows before.’ The largest piece that I saw was ag | Jong as my band, and about balf an inch wide. It looked gristly, as if it had been torn from the throat of | Another piece that I saw was half | round in shape and about the size of a half dollar.’” | Your correspondent then iniormed Mrs. Crouch that | & rumor was circulatng in Mount Sterling to the effect | tt she and her husband had quarrelled several times recently about selling the farm, she being in favor of ‘nd he opposed to making asale, and that she had | “done this flesh trick’? ip order to scare the old man into her way of thinking, and theravy accomplish by | fright what she could not perform by persuasion. | At this revelation they ali laughed, and it seemed to worry the old lady some to think that such amean and unworthy trick should be imputed to her. She soon | “It ig true that I want to sell the place, but I have | never quarrelled with Mr. Crouch about the matter. Ho is more anxious to sell than I am,”” | Mr. Crouch was present, and said he would like to | sell out and move to Indiana, where he had a son liv- ing, and he thought he could live better there and not work halt so har« STATEMENT OF HARRISON GILL, “I heard of the fail of flesh at Mr. Crouch’s farm and visited his place on the afternoon of the Sunday fol- | Jowing the event for the purpose of learning the par- ticulars. I did uot see Mrs, Crouch while I was there, | Dut had an interview with Mr. Crouch, who stated that | ail the information he had about the occurrence had | been furnished him by his wife and the children and | Miss Sadie Robinson, a young school mistress who boards at Crouch’s. Mr. Crouch informed me that ho was not at home when the flesh fell, but came home shortly afterward, He pointed out the area over which the substance had fallen, and it was about 100 yards Jong by 50 im width, The dwelling was not inciaded in the district. He gave me the pieces that 1 have | here im alcohol, and some other pieces besides, | which I sent to Mount Sterling to Captain Bent, I sent it by the letter carrier, who, I understand, in the absence of Captain Bent from the town, gave it to Mr. Bean, of the firm of Childs & Bean. (Mr, Bean says he | did not get it—Rerorrer). There was a remarkably | queer looking piece among this lot, and I hope it did | not miscarry. The piece referred to had a gristly ap- pearance, Which was altogether different frem any other sample I saw. On the following Tuesday evening T again visited the Crouch family and made further in- quiries. Miss Sadie Robinson told me she was in the house when the meat fell, and said it fell over a patch of about two acres, and it was not lying on the ground as thick as sown oats, and in many places in the space inside of which it had fallen there was none atall, She said she went out in the yard as soon as she heard of briers, sticking to the fence and lying upon the ground, Miss Sallie Crouch was in the house when the meat rained down, and was called out to see it, but did not go out because she was too sick to leave her room. Mrs. Crouch and her little grandson, aged about | eleven years, are the only porsous who say they saw | the flesh falling. During my last trip there I walked over the grgund and saw many smail particles stick- cannot assert that it came from the heavens, Mrs. Crouch told me sbe gaw a piece fall as long as her hand and about as wide as her two fingers.” ® ‘THE SCHOOL MISTRESS, Miss Robinson was interviewed at Mr. Crouch’s farin, apd stated substantially to your correspondent what isfyinbraced in Harrison Giil’s statement ana therefore her evidence has not been written separ- AN OLD TRAPPER’S OPINION, B. F. Ellington was at Olympian Springs at the | time your correspondent was there, and heard Mr, | Gill’s” statement and had talked with others about the matter, After waiting patiently tor all else pre- sent to unbdurden themselves upon the great conun- | dram he arose to his feet and gave us a 5) wild eloquence in the following words:—°Gentlemen, | Lhave tt ‘bars’ and other varmints in this range of mountains fur thirty year, and ef 1} do say it, When a bar crosses my path in the timber | he is ina damn dangerous locality—one of our skins | has got to come off betore the dispute is ended, an? | I’ve got all my ‘cutical’ yit, though Ihave rasseled | | and rolled over akers of land with everything in the shape of man or brute that claims Jurisdiction over the terrytory of Easte tucky. (Cheers) I have | seen some of this meat that fell on old Crouch’s farm, an’ ef t's meat atali its bar meal No Ive | ‘skun’ more bars and chawed more of that kind of meat than any other man in this part of the United | States. That’s an article that I can’t be deceived about. Why, Mr, Gill, you have known me and my | old mammy many year, and you know that she was | the cook around. Any man that ‘couldn’at’ git fat on bar meat and sweet pertaters when they Was fixed right, an’ she bossed the cookin’, might jest make up his mind to perish lookin’ hungry, This meat what feil from the hevings at Allen Crouch's farm has got that uncommon greasy feel about it that 1 am so well acquainted with, and jarned to know itby | taking the jackets off of the critters and toting their meat over the mountains. I could not be mistaken about it, I know bar grease when I sce it, an’ that’s the kind of fluid what come outen that meat at old Alien’s and got all over my hands when I was zamining it. I smelt it, too, and I that smell as well , Ss bar meat nin Franklin El- know the smell of licker. @ertain, or else my name 1s not Benj lington,” L. C. PRISHE'S STATEMENT. We called upon Frisbe, who is a well patronized, bard working Mount Sterling butcher. We found bin busy in his little shop and tuformed him of the nature of our visit, He said that be would willingly give us all the information about the flesh that was in Frisbe is married and has th ven years old, t ee children, is d the trade he on is NOW engaged in at Mount Sterling for four years, His personal beauty is somewhat marred by a defect ‘on the left side of the upper lip (sometimes ealled hare lip). In other respects he is well , aud 1s as intelligent as men of bis calling usuaily are. Our questions were propounded and answered while Friz yas delightfully dealing out soup bones, roasts and steaks, aud the monotonous intervals between interro gatorics and replies were charmingly reioved by the sound of the saw catting through bone: the slash of the knife as it passed through Liv hack of the cleaver. terminated as foliow “Friz, do you know Mrs, Crouch, who lives out near Olympian Springs’ tf you do, tell me what kind of a woman you think she is”? “I know the whole amily. church, they say about this meat business is ast Qvestion—Were you at or near this place on of March when the ev e happen Axswer—No ; I wasat the springs Sth, two days and steak and the Our interview commenced and after the occurrence, and first heard of it and saw the flesh there; it was shown to me by Harrison Gill, who ps the springs, who had several pieces, aad | brought some of them to town, a portion of which was puisville, I was out there on basi- ness for myself and had no idea of finding or hearing of anything unusual on iny trip. Qvxstiox—Havé you seen Mr. or Mrs. Crouch since the fall of substance? alterward sent to ANSWEK— ir; the nearest to their place I havo | been since that time was the springs, which ts about | two miles from where they live. QvESTION—It is said that you tasted the meat? | Axswen—I did that at the springs in the presence of | several persons, some of whom told me it was a dan- | gerous experiment, but I told them my constitution would stand as much of it as a rooster’s or a cat's, QvxsTION—Did you swallow any of it? A 0; | intended to at first, but after chew- ing it a little 1 changed my mind and spit it out, Quastion—How did it taste? Axswer—Well, L have bandied all kinds of meat and | never tasted anything exactly like it before, am not prepared vo say for certain that the taste re- sembied that of either fish, flesh or fowl, Qurstion—Well, what did st look lik Ayswen—It looked more like mutton than anything elge that | can compare it to, QvESTION—Did you smell it? Axswer—Yes, and the scent was a new one to me, as there any blood upon it? kind of milky, watery fluid oozed | out of it while I was banding i | Questiox—Was there anything peculiar in the touch | while you were handling it, and did you examine ite texture f Axswer—It had a fleshy feel; I toro some of It apart; tt was as tender as veal or young lamb, or more so. i noticed when | pulled it to pieces that there was a fine, stringy bre ruuping through it, apparently in ali di- rections Qvestios—What was the object of your visit out there at the time you saw the flesh at the springs? Axswea—Il was out there on my own privave bust- ness, QuEstION— Have you been caited upon by an: Paper man, besides imyseit, for a statement of the facts | as far as you know them? ~| ASswkk— You are the only newspaper man that has deen to see me, but I did previously make a statement | in writing avout the matter. A large number of | copies of that statement were wade, aud 1 heard wey | news: | | Sterling, who nave seen the substance, say that Pro- were mailed by gentlemen here in Mount Sterling to newspapers in different parts of the country. Questiox—Have you a copy of that document? Axswkx«—lI have not, but what I have told you is in substance what it conta: there may be a little dif- fercuce in the words, but there is no misrepresenta- tion of facts as far as 1 know them in either; I do rot know where a single copy of my original statement can be found, Question—Is there any of the méat in town? Ayswer—Yes, I think there is about a half bushel of it here, but it is ali preserved in alcohol. Qu estion—Who has any of it? AxsweR—I think Joe Jordan, the grocery keeper, has some, and if you desire it I will go with you to nis Store and introduce you. Rerorrer—l at over and see if t! a Friz—You read it and | will listen, KerorTER—Ali right. (The above was then read slowly and the great Kentucky meat taster approved of it ag read, and said he would swear to every werd of it.) ©. J. CRAIG. C. J, Craig says he was on the Crouch farm two hours alter the flesh fell, He saw the meat hanging to briers, sticking to the fence and lying upon the ground; that that he examined, he says, looked to him like pounded beefsteak; it was very soft and tender to the feel. He says he saw no blood, but saw the dark stains upon the fence and on somo chips that the meat had leit, The smoll was very peculiar, resem- bling that of fresh blood more than anything else he could compare it to. He picked up some of the pieces, and says he saw somo others in an old shoe sticking in the chinks of the house, ‘8 REY J, R, NICHOLS? OPINION. ‘This gentlemen 4s pastor of a church between here and Frenchburg, of the Christian denomination. In & conversation with Mr. P. Drooset, the minister said that he bad seen the flesh and it looked clean, except that there was {resh looking blood oozing trom it, and the meat looked to him very much hke mutton, JOR JORDAN says:—‘'I brought about two ounces to Mount Sterling, and gave Captain J. M. Bent about half of it when he left lor Louisville. I bit a piece off it, but spat it out very quick, I did not keep it in my mouth long enough to perecive any taste It was about a week after it had fallen before I saw it, I squeezed some ot the pieces I had, and a brown mucous came from it. Some of the meat was very dry, like dried beef It was elastic and thin, and there appeared to be a fine, wool-like fore running through it in ull directions, The smell was offensive in the extreme, like that of a dead body. In size the ploces varied from two inches to one-half inch in length and ¢ about one-third of un inch wide. A great deal of the flesh has been sent to different parts of the country. Whatever Mr. Harri- son Gill may say about this affair wili be enurely reli- able. One-hall of the men in the county would swear to anything he states about even ordiuary affairs. He is entirely worthy of all the respect that is shown him, PROPESSOR SMITH’S ANALYSIS, The people are not satisiied with Professor Smith's analysis, This is varticularly so among those who have seen the flesh. The ovjection to this result of scientific examination {s that frog’s spawn does not contain the well known characteristics of animal flesh, of tatand lean, The flesh that fell does show these peculiaritivs plainly to the naked eye. I have beon told that the piece which Professor Smith examined and heey ee had no lean about it, but bad the yy rae ance of being wholly fat, The people about Mount fessor Smith may be right; but they think that for the interest of history another scientist should analyze the meat and state to the world what he finds it to be. Letters are pouring into Mount Sterling trom all parts of the country, addressed to different citizens there, asking for further information about this phe- nomenon. They come from doctors, tenchers lawyers, ministers, Women, merchants and others, The gentle. men who have received the largest matls of tuis ebar- acter are Captain Bent and James Howard, the vener- able Postmaster. They snowed me letters of this kind trom New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Canad: Calitornia, Iowa, Lilinois, Missouri and other States an¢ aoe They have quit answering tHese letters, but ave told some of the most urgent of their correspon- dents that a Heraup reporter wasin the fleld and the full particulars would soon be printed in that paper. My opinion is that, whatever this substance may prove to be, it was conveyed to the place where ft ted by the wind. As to the nature of the stuff I do not say that Professor Smith is wrong; but the appearances are cer- tainly against him. 1 do not believe that Mrs, Crouch has made any false statements and ghe is not shrewd | enough {n her mind to originate such a fraud. Such an act would be inconsistent with her past life is now an old woman, ‘The people who bi quaintance with ber or her family unite in ying that they have always regarded them as worthy aud rep- utable neighbors, and this commendation is given by those who have known her for periods running trom ten to thirty-five years, ils vee @ dog eat frog spawn? I have never seen one do fWyet, and 1 have seen both kinds of animals have opportunities when | an appetite for food was not wanting. Some of the | | | | flesh or spawn fell in Crouch’'s well, and, if there was any vitality in it when it “lit,” old man Crouch may soon expect to have a large crop of amphibious mon- | sters joyfully lashing the water at the bottom, and | will have a splendid opyortunity to acquaint himself with its habits and peculiarities, THRORIES, One man says the meat might have fallen from the Junch basket of a passing balioonist. Another explains it by attributing it to buzzards, which, being too full | as they winged their flight over the farm, just dis- | oe themselves, and the result was a shower of ies AN IRISHMAN’S ATTEMPT TO RAT SOME OF THE MEAT. Your correspondent bargained with Jimmy Welsh, a railroad laborer, to eata dollar’s worth of the meat, The meat was placed on the table, and Jimmy was duly informed that his -‘supper was ready.” He sat down and looked at the meat and said he ne’ alone, I then ordered pickles, crackers and other accompaniments. Jimmy took ‘the meat up on his fork and, after two or three unsuccessful efforts to get it in his mouth, he latd it down. I asked hin why be | hesitated. Ho said he wanted whiskey to wash it | down. The article was ordered and placed before him, | He then hesitated and satd he was not hungry. Tthen | told him I would give him $3 to gulp it down. He then | j | eat meat | suddenly remembered that it was the season of Lent, and backed out on moral principles, and proposed to swallow the whiskey at half price. He was told to drink hearty, which he did without further ceremony. Ho said if I would call at some other time he would “ate pay fowl, crow, skunk or anything else to plase a fine gintleman like me."’ I told him I would hold him to his agreement, and so Jimmy passed over to the depot and I took my seat in the tram for home, GEOLOGICAL RESEARCH. Tho geological section of the New York Academy of | Sciences held a meeting last evening at 64 Madison ave- | nue, An interesting paper was read by Mr, S. W, Ford | on “Some New Species of Primordial Fossils from | Rensselaer county, New York,” in which he gave @ clear idea of the antiquity of the specimens, Dr. J. & Newberry followed with a dissertation on the “Geology * of Petroleum,” and Mr. Edward H. Vletcher exhibited a series of minerals from the new Bergen tunnel, For some time past European steamships arriving at this port have failed to make reports of theircas- | ualties at sea to the press, under the belief that their publicity is prejudicial to traMec. The steam- ship Lessing, of the Hamburg line, which lef Ham- | burg on the lat of the month, and only arrived here | on the 19th, lost three lifeboats, but failed to make | any mention of the same to the press. Another line | never mentions hurricanes or tcebergs in its report. | The captains of these vessels are not to ve held re- | sponsible for these oversights, as they are instructed | by their different companies to make no mention of | the saine to the press. TURN’ ABOUT IS TR PLAY, j On the 27th of February a young man named Ferdl- | nand Duval, of arick street, Was arrested on | complaint of Emmanuel H. Schlamovitz, of No, 1,234 Broadway, on a chargo of obtaining goods under false pretences, The charge was that alter purchasing some | goods Mr, Duval gave a check for $90 on the Peoples? + Bauk in another name—that of Gustave De Lourier, | Mr. Duval was incarcerated og tne charge for four | days, during which four examifations were held at the | request of the complainant, Finally, Judge Morgan discharged Mr. Duval on the ground that no false pre- tences at tho ume of the purchase of the | goods, the check being perfectly sound and good, a8 | was reported in the Henan at tho time, On Saturday Mr. Duvai's counsel, Joseph H. Stiner, obtained a warrant from Judge McAdam, of the Marind | Court, for Schiamovitz’s arrest, on a chargo of falgo | ‘The Warrant was execut rift Nash, and Soblamovitx reet Jail in default of $3 ‘The damages aro laid at $5,000. ” THE SCHNAUPER MYSTERY. The authorities havo been in a quandary as to what course to pursue with reference to the disposition of Charles Schnaufer, the wealthy grocer, who has been detained in Raymond Street Jail, Brooklyn, for two weeks, charged with torgefy and suspected of nmurder- ing his wife, The complainant in the case 1s a lawyer, who was counsel for the missing woman in a suit for divorce instituted about a.year ago, He based his com- plaint upon “information and belief.” Certain deeds for the transfer of property bearing an alleged fraudu- Jent signature of Mra. Schoauper were the yandwork | of the forgery theory, but there bas not been a particle | of evidence unearthed by the police to indicate that the woman has been murdered, All that can be said is that her friends have not seen her since Juno last, and they do not know where sbe is, Yesterday the prisoner Was arraigned before Justice Waish and pleaded not guilty, waiving 6xamination to go before the Grand ‘ury. Those who have known the parties for a long time express the opinion that Mrs. Schnauper will come | vo the surface before long. imprisonment and assault. yesterday by Deputy Sh wag lodged in Ludlow s bail. - PAID WITH COFFINS. Catharine Keating, of Willow street, Hoboken, ‘Drought a suit against undertaker Mercus, of the same place, before Justice Monk, for tye sum of $28 for board furnished him by her, The Justice decided in bor favor, and an attachment was issued against the an of the defendant and plaved in the hands of Constabie Lewis, The goods captured by the said constable consisted of nine and an anderiaker’s wagon. These articles of ‘Will be sold next Saturday auless vreviously | | REPORTS, tee ; | | Its fally proved that there h | committee to return, RALD, TUESDAY, MARCH: 21, 1876,-TRIPLE SHEET. REVOLTING REVELATIONS: Cruelty and Vice Practised in the Mas- sachusetts Almshouse. INSANE WOMEN DEBAUCHED. Officials Elope with Female Inmates and Desert Their Families. —_+——_— INCOMPETENT MEDICAL CARE, A Frightful Record of Deaths Caused by Loathesome Confinement. Bosrox, March 20, 1876, It seoms almost incredible in this enlightened age, and in the boasted philanthropic and moral atmosphere of Massachusetts, that there should be permitted such ® systematic series of cruelties, vices and crimes as have recently been developed !n connection with the management of the Almshouse at Tewksbury. The ex- posures have been secured mainly through the efforts of Frank B, Sanborn, Chairman of tho Board of Stato Charities, and the startling results ofthe investiga- tion were made known by Mr, Sauborn to-day ip an address which he delivered before an examining com- mittee of the Legislature, THE INSTITUTION AND ITS INMATES. Before proceeding to give the gistof Mr. Sanborn’s account of the sickening and revolting circumstances connected with its admfnistration, I will explain that the institution is the largest of ms kind in New England, containing on an average upward fo 1,000 inmates. Many of these are insane, and very Many more are afllicted with various diseases in various stages; and so recifess, indifferent or incom- petent has been the management during the last fow years that the assured death of an inmate upon enter- ing has been the rule rather than the exception, During the year 1875 THE AVERAGE OF DEATHS was one In nine, or 325 of 2,849 who were admitted to the institution, and this in the absence of any con- tagious diseases. Mr. Sanborn, in his argument, charged the imprison- ment of insane women for refusing to work, and the ation was admitted by the officers in charge of the institufion, “The shocking circumstances,” said Mr. Sanborn, ‘were detailed to your committee until you voted to hear no more of them. It is certain that five ‘women were so imprisoned in the autumn ot 1874, two of them for more thaneight weeks; that they were al- lowed neither chair nor table nor bed in the day time; that they were WAITED UPON WHOLLY BY MEN, that their cells were underground, dark and unwhole- some; that their food was bread and water; that the three inspectors of the Almshouse were individually and collectively ignorant of this abuse tor at least nine weeks; that the by-laws of the Almshouse were both neglected and violated in this particular; and that twoof the four women who remained at Tewksbury after this imprisonment died within six months from their release out of these cells, To all this no denial was offered; but It was tes- tified in defence, that the Superintendent (who alone has authority to imprison inmates) was also ignorant of what was going on; that the pnysician who intro- duced the practice did so medicinally, and with good intentions; and that one of the five women had some- how recovered her sanity—perhaps in her dungeon. It also appeared that although the Board of Charities released these women on the 3d of December, ‘1874, and formally censured their imprisonment by a ‘vote communicated to the inspectors early in January, 1875, these inspectors did not discharge or punish the culpable physician, but received from him on the 25th of March, 1875, a long written defence of bis course, signed both by the physician and the Superin- ‘tendent, and allowed him to resign about the Ist of | May, without putting on record so much as a vote of censure concerning him. From all that hes appeared it would seem that the Superintendent and at least one of the inspectors do not yet see much harm in what was then done, nor did they know, until these bhear- ings disclosed the fact, that two of the women so im- prisoned for the benefit of their beash had died more than nine months ago, THE TERRIBLE MORTALITY. The facts alleged concerning the excessive mortality during May and June last have all been proved, so far as the pumber of deaths and the circumstances at- tending these deaths are concerned. It was attempted by the defence to show that neither the Superintend- ent’s daughter, who had actual charge of the hospital where these poor women died, nor any one else was responsible for their death, which was described by several of the persons truly responsible—namely, the assistant physician, her father, the Superintendent, and the Chairman of the Board of Inspectors— as “natural,” “accidental” or ‘‘providential.” not clearly appear that etther of these witnesses knew at the time that tho mortality was excessive or ever took any precautions about it, such as wouid naturally have oveurred to good physicians or wel! informed officials. No consulting physician was called in, no st-mortem examination or inquest was held, and such records ol the cas igh rhe Yee le once existed were destroyed, either thoughtlessiy or par- posely. None of the witnesses for the defence were willing to swear that they knew what the natural death rate among the chronic insane is, AN INCOMPETENT ASSIYTANT PHYSICIAN, It has also been tostified to with great clearness that the tant physician at Tewksbury, Miss Marsh, had uot ent experience to q' ty ber for the care of in- sane patients nor such general attaimments in her pro- fession as would have secured her appointment as as- sistant physician at the Worcester Lunatic Hospital or elsewhere if the standard of qualification was a high one. Dr. Allen, in his testimony, left the impresston which you, gentlemen, will flnd to be correct, that un- | jess her father bad been Superintendent she never would have been appointed and never would have been allowed the opportunity which last spring proved to be so fatal to her patient’ Dr. Nich- ols testified positively to kis opinion that these patients were “dosed too much," and | Miss Marsh hei If testifies that on the 12th of July Just Dr. Nichols told her she had given too much meai- | cine. She was so little acquainted with the past con- dition of her patients that she did not know that two of these fourteen women who died under her care in five weeks, wore victims of the outrageous imprison- meut six months before. These two were Julia Co- bane, who died of diarrhea, aud Catharine Walsh, who died’ of consumption. ‘i leave you to judge whether their death was hastened by this im- prisonment, which was itself defended — by Miss | March, superior physician, Dr. | Whittaker, iu a paper dated March 35, “187: your bearings, Tho whole testimony joes to show } Uhat neither Dr. Whittaker nor Miss Marsh bad any | | Competent acquaintance with insanity ag affecting the physical health, and did not understand what 1t ts that increases or diminishes the morvality of the insane, been no such ex: ive mortality before or since as during Miss Mars! control of the sick insane; and that for four month: after the Sth of June last fewer insane women died at Tewksbury than in the five weeks that Miss Marsh had charge of the hospital, These facts are undisputed. With better treatment and under a more skilful physi- clan fewer women would have died. VICK AND CRIME, Another of the charges made by Mr. Sanborn and not disproved related to the alleged eriminal practices of night watehwan Reed with an inmate named Brink. Mr. Sanbora said:—I hardly think, gentiemen, that there was one of you who hoard Mr, Wrightington’ very convincing statement of the evidence against Reed who did not feel that the woman's story was true; and indeed, Reed has practically contessed as much by fleeing from the Almshouse and from the State, and remaining absent though invited by your The testimony under the same charge also showed clearly that the inspectors had taken no pains to stop the practice of sending a young t night through thagooms where so many young leeping, a practice which, in this instance, seems to have been the occasion of the offence committed, The same is to be sald respecting another charge in relation to the very LAX DISCIPLINE supported as ithas boen by very of the Almshous copious vestimo’ Ving it to be true, It the Super- intendent aud inspectors dove their duty, the dia- cipline of the Aimshouse could not have fallen into such a state as our Witnesses have described, and the 5 et iutendent has virtually admitted.” have proved by the official records of the Board of Charities and of tho Almshouse, that in 1874 a mate inmate, Mark Ciaherty, | ined admission to the female bospitai at was about to commit an outrage upon hen, one of ents, ao Nolen ‘ror Mi was sentenced by name, night, an Brigaet Fe! whieh (with State It did | , and read at one of | if | last two years, and that tamate women, with much fas nge inca similar intercourse in other instances: where were not born. We proved that the Sexes were allowed to mingle at Tewksbury under so lite restriction shat these offences might easily occur, 83, 1p fact, they have occurred. We offered testimony to show that one Ordway, an assistant farmer at the elo) last autumn with & female State, deserting his wi for some months, we whereabouts, We proved that another employs at the Almshouse, eloped from the town of Tewksbury with a girl much younger than himself, and was arrested tor abduction on complaint of the girl’s mother, netwithstanding | which scandal he retained in his place by the Superintendeut. We proved that the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent were at variauce about a matter of discipline, the Assistant Superintendent, who is a son of the Superintondent, undertaking to pi nt of the oflicers from voting the democratic ticket at tate election of 1874, aud actually preventing bim, while the Superintendent told the oificer he might yote for whom he pleased. We have proved, in fact, just such a state of discipline as might uaturally be expected where an old man, fond of his family and surrounded by bis children and grandehildren like an Uriental patriarch, has had the weakness to appoint “a whole family to important offices in a public insti- on. N CAN THIS THING BE STOPPED? And this brings me to the point concerning whioh I eek your careful consideration, and, if legislation will avail anything, your aid in preventing by law a serious evil, 1tis scandalous, gentlemen, that a public offic bowover well meaning, should be allowed to round himself in a great public establishment with so many of his own offspring and kindred drawing salaries, living at the expense of the taxpayers and forminga cian or ring that manage matters as they Please, it is well enough, and often unavoidable, to allow @ superintendent or other public oilicer to em- ploy a single relative, generally tt would be his wife, in @ position of trust. jut beyond that the jaw sheuld forbid him to go, if those wio appoint or confirm ap- pointments lave not discretion enough to prevent this nepotism. We sce at Washington what mischief it has done ona great scale; we see at Tewksbury how mis- chievyous it can be in Reuy. we If your investiga tion leads to nothing more than the preveution of such nepotism in Massachusetts you will not have wasted the time spent on the inquiry, Ou! SHAME, MASSACHUSETTS | But I also call your attention, gontiemen of the com- mittee, to the more serious aud distressing tact that here in Massachusetts, in our largest public establish- meat for the poor and unfortunate, there have been detectod and corrected, within two years and a half, some of the worst abuses that can exist in such estal lishments, For the discovery, condemnation an@ re- pression of these is, ag the sworn testimony before Bourd of State Charities alone 1s rr perin' tendent and his all-porvading family, the in- Bpectors who neglected nothing and the governors aud Legislatures that allowed them to remain in office are solely and jointly responsibie. The worst of these abuses—the illegal imprisonment of insume women--was reported by me to the Chairman of your committee about a year ago, after the Board of Charities had removed it, but before the avowed author of the abuse had been allowed to leave the Almshouse uncensured by its authorities. Other evils havo been reported trom time to time, by members of the Board of Charities, to the Executive of the Commonwealth, to the Board of In. spectors and to other responsible officials. Dr. Howe complained to Governor Washburn of the wretched sanitary stricture and condition of the hospitals. Dr, Allen discovered the secret imprisonment of the insane and caused {t to be given up. 1 myself puta oe to shocking mortality among the imsano women last summer by insisting that the faithful old phy: cian, infirm from age, but skilful im his pro- fession, should supersede tbe daughter ,of the Superintendent in the charge of these poor \nvalids, The General Agent, Mr. Wrightington, probed the iniquity of the night watchman, Reid, and sent him fleeing from Massachusetts. If the discipline of the Almshouse is now better thar at any time sin ‘as I believe it 1s, the improvement is due absolutely to the members of the Board of Charities, individually and collectively, who have lost no opportanity since the revelations of 1873-4 to purge and improve the State Almshouse. They nave done their duty, gentlemen, It remains for you and for others tn oill- cial station to do theirs. And that duty will not de fully discharged unul the administration at Tewks- bury has been radically changed. MINISTERIAL CONFERENCES. THE METHODIST PREACHERS AND THE NEW YORK DISTRICT CONFERENCE. | At the Methodist Preachers’ Meeting yesterday the | Rey. W. P. Estes gave the brethren some of li+ pressions concerning the recent Plainfleld (N, J-) Sun- day School Congress, He was;not favorably im- pressed, He did not think the good accomplished was | @ sufficient quid pro quo for the time, thought and money expended thereon, The Congress seemed to spend its time on definitions of conventions, institutes and Normal classes in Sunday schools, and he knew of nothing done there that could not have been dono just as well without all the cost attending this gathering, There were no original thoughts given that he could take away with him and utihze in his own Sunday school Mr. Estes was a delegate from the Preachers’ Meeting to this Congress, and his remarks were borne out by the Rev, T. D, Lippincott, President of the New Jersey State Sunday School Convention, who was also @ delegate to the Congress, In his opinion the affair was a littie game of ‘you tickle me and I'll tickle you,” In this connection Brother Lip- } | pincott, chairman of a committee previously appointed | to memorialize the General Conforence on the govern- } Ment of Sunday schools in the Methodist Episcopal Church, reported three resolutions asking the General Conference to put the Sunday school under the authority of the church, and that the necessary expenses of the school be provided for in the same way us the pastor’s sai: and other church expenses are provided, and that the officers of the Sunday school be elected by the church authorities, These resolutions were explained as directed chiefly at the ELECTION OF SUNDAY SOHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS, who now, in many pieces run the schoois in direct opposition to the church, of which they claim to be independent. Dr. Roche opposed this report, because it would create further hostility hetween the Church and the great body of Sunday school teachers who elect superintendents. The char- acter and relation of the Quarterly Conference to the Sunday school do not justily the belief that that body | or a majority of {ts members would enter heartily into | the Sunday school work. He never knew a case of more Pec consecration to the work of God than that of Sunday school teachers whom he could name. He kgew three intelligent ladies who had fallen mar- tyrs to their zeal in this work tn one church in this | city. Will a body of fifty intelligent teachers put themselves under tbe control of four, six, eight ora dozen officials in a Quarterly Conterence? And is it wise, the Doctor asked, for us to say that the Sunday School shall not devise means to carry on its own work? Dr. Curry thought Dr. Root all right, but his conciusions were have now two bodies in every entof each other, aud we pur; tounily them. The relations and interests of the ch and the Sunday school should be closer than they are. Sunday school teachers are as capable of electing a superintendent as any body of officials. PASTORS HAVE THROWN OFF THE RESTRAINTS: of one of the highest duties of the Church, that of feeding the lambs. It is the duty of the preacher to | be at the head of his Sunday school, and not to farm it out to others, And oficial boards should to Sun- | day school matters as to other things, se the fubas necessary to carry on work, Il wrong. We wclety, both independ- r ‘Phe Quarteriy Conference might permit the Sunday schvol to raise the money, but there should be some wuthority which should kiiow how mach money is raised and expended. Dr. Merwin questioned the propriety of the body memorializing the General Conference on any matter. It was a new thing for the Preachers’ Meeting to d ‘Aud as to the particular change suggested by the reso- Jution—the election of superintendent—be thought it was very unfortunaie If they found hos- tility existing anywhere between the Church and the Sunday” school they might — biaze away’ on that. He moved to lay the paper on the table, which was done, A cominittes was ap- | pointed to prepare a minute on the death bf Chaplai french, which was subsequently read at the funeral in Seventh street Methodist Episeopafchurch. A com- mittee, previously appointed, also read a minute on the death of Rey. C.C, Keyes. Dr. B. M Adams wiil | address the preachers next Monday on the modifica. tions that can be protitably introdaced imto our pres- ent metiods of revival work, e THY NEW YORK DISTRICT CONFERENCE | of the New York Conterence opened yesterday after. | noon in Twonty-jourth street Methodist Episcopal chureh. The licenses ofa score or more of local | preachers and exhorters were renewed, a few new ap- rma igen granted, the character and work of ordained jocul preachers examined and reports of their work given and a few recommendations of candidates for admission to the Annual Cotference. In the evening Bishop Foster addressed the Conference, and this fore- noon the Rev. M. 8 Terry will read an essay on tho Don-atieadance of children at preaching services, SOUTHERN EVANGELIZATION, At the Newark Methodist preachers’ meeting yes terday forenoon Rev. Dr. Lee, of Georgia, spoke at some length of the ignorance of the whites and blacks An the South, of their need of religious instruction, aud of the efforts being made by the Roman Catholics to bring them into the Romish Church, allot which he urged were reasons why the work of the Methodists should be tncreased. At present the work {8 not well Supported, and.if interest is not now taken many of bey engaged in the labor will have to desist for want of means, DISTURBING ChURCH WORSHIP. Tho congrogation of the Charles Street Methodist Episcopal church, on Jersey City Heights, havo been Tepeatedly disturbed during the past three months by | a gang of young scamps, who entered the church dur- ing the hours of worship and condugted themselves in @ most unseemly manner, On Sunday eveuing Mr. Naffey,’one of the trustees of the churc ordere! the rowdies to leave the ehureh. They oveyed with some reluctance, but soon returned and apnounced their determination to scatter the worship pers, William Wsen, one of the gang, was arrested and lodged in tho Third station. Yesterday he was it dvefore Justice Davis, who sentenced him to days’ imprisonment in the County Jath, * tring here have | tenets of Calvinism took deep root with the | of the pioneer settle NORTH CAROLINA MBTHODISM, The First Century of Wesley's Faith Draw. ing to Its Close. HISTORY OF THE “CIRCUIT.” Celebration of the Anniversary To-Day. Racetag, N. C., Mareb 17, 1876. On Tuesday next the first century of North Carolina Methodism will be completed, and the Milowers of Wesley throughout the O!d North State will fitly com. memorate the day, One hundred years ago, at the fourth annual Conference at Baltimore, the first circuit in the then colony was formed, and the entire member- ship within its boundaries, which at that time included the whole of what is now known as Tennessee, was but 683 The denomination now numbers, im all ite branches and of both races, upward of 100,009 lay com. municants. Where there was one solitary preacher, with his horse and saddlebags, his Bible and his hymn book, travelling this vast extent of territory and penetrating its lonely, primeval forests, there is now great people, instinct with the soul of a glorious Chris an faith, having hundreds of active and devoted pas- tors, with churches, colleges and schools on every hand. - In view of the largo results accomplished during the three generations which have passed since the instita- tion of the original ‘Carolina Circuit,”? the State Con- ference at Wilmington in December last resolved te hold an appropriate religious festival in Raleigh, in recognition of the hundredth anniversary of their “day of small things."? The exercises will take place {y Metropolitan Hall, the largest audience room in the city, which is being handsomely decorated by the ladies for the occasion, The programme, as finally arran; covers six days, commencing with the 2ist inst, Three of the eight bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Chu: South, have acce| nat invitations to presen! ae. it, 4 dresses will be delivered by Bishop H. N, McT; * of Tennessee, ‘apoa “etbodi me rh ‘ounders, on : 18 Dogzett, "D. D., of Richmond, Va. upon 3 FRE, of Borst “* get Ventury, on uh ia ane uj “The History of Methodism,”” by ‘Bishop E. 3 D., of Missourt, on Friday. Man. and laymen will participate in avery numerous attendance is e: eration of the “hard times” the made lil tablished fares, North Carolina was originally included In the Vir- ginia Conference, whieh still embraces ten counties in the northeastern corner of the State. The North Carolina Conference peeoee was constituted in 1837 or thereabouts. Some fifteen counties west of the Blue Ridge belong to the Holstein Conference, which covert East Tennessee anda part of Kentucky and South Carolina. In the SRPrOnEINE, celebration every seo- tion of the State will be representea, Virginia and North Carolina were the cradle of American Methodism. Jonn Wesle: Ned doarteyee to Georgia in 1785 to preach to the Indians, but, meet- ing with on'y indifferent success, he soon returned, and was followed in 1788 by George Whitefield. Knotetta tags 2:10 tithe thane Pass merica, the last in visitin: iF and North and South Carolina, He caine aha Sea like a comet, producing brilliant immediate effects, but leaving no permanent traces of his erratic prog- ress. The influence of nis wonderful el wad tory. He formed no separate ions le no effort to build up an al organization, A remarkable illustration of bis tail- ure to secure a fixed and solid foothold is found in the fact that in Georgia, where he mainly ie Methodism had no recognized existence until” yeara subsequent to the Revolution, The introduction of the new sect in the Northern States was sre. and comparatively difficult, In New England especially the possensian Puritans. Io lina and the Old Dominion, however, the new evange! of the Wesleys found a con- gonial on, and thege States became the radiating point ol its penyrerearraleergies iyeargitn forces, That isa strange episode @ young uncultured " Lee, who actually went from North Carolina in 1789 as a self-appointed missionary to the land of the Piigrim Fathers, Tbe story of the bold Arminian’s attack upon the grim fatalisim of predestination, election, fixed de- final im the very fortress of the England, to which their descendants loyally adhered long after the severance from the mother country had been accomplished. They drove out the Puritans—of whom there were many in Virginia—in 1648, and some of them retired to the wilds of North Carohna, where as early as 1681, the Quakers and other non-conform: sought refuge from the proscrip- tive laws of the Virginia churchmen. Wesleyanism, bowever, was received with kindness as a true daugh- ter of the British Church. Devereaux Jarratt and other clergymen of the establishment gave the Meth- odists valuable aid, and there is nowhere any which alleges he i followers of Wesle: Presbyter and loyal adherent ve the Church bys, sates were not dissenters. Unlike the Baptists and the byterians, their preachers never presumed to administer bapttsm aud the Lord’s Sup- per, to bury the dead or to solemnize matrimony. All ‘this was modestly to the regularly ordained pas- tors of the parent Obi It was not until after the formal organization of the Episcopal Church of the United Si the famous Christ- mas Conference at Baltimore, in 1’ that their minis ters were admitted to and became 18. ones pation juvested with authority to administer the Sacrament The storm of the Revolution .had then swept away the pa ise mm Anreri¢a, and Wesley, hitherto co! promisingly opposed to a religious eg, Cy compelled to yield at last to the gree of events,’’ He accordingly consecrated Thomas Coke as a bi and sent him to America; when he, in turn, invested Francia Asbury with the episcopate, and ted by the Conference “Supé@rintendents" new coclesiastical body. An ment of the Book of Common Prayer, by Wesley, was sumed the gown and st tons. But such was thought a servile conformity that both canonicals were in a few years wholly given up. eae was not unusual with the “flaming Wesleyans” of that primitive day to put off their coats and neck. cloths when they took the stand to preach; while the only portion of their simple service which was not im- provised was some swéet hymn, sonorously sung by the ges og) for the calting around him of a congre gation. The fathers of Mothodism set due value upos the “songs of Zion.” Its scriptural psalmody com tributed greatly to its success. Of the two Wesley: Joba was the Moody and his lyric brother C! tnt Sankey of the sect’ While John was clear in intellect, with a calm but powerful Charles was the Fg nd sweet singer of the Israel. And so the “Wesleyan Hymn Book” became twin to the Holy Bible. Methodisin was aptly fitted to the on frontier religious work In the New World. Everywhere the pioneer preacher pressed closely in the footprints And the earnest, horald of the cross reovived with gladn and often with but httie culture, these militant sionaries had a power which the very of the Holy Ghost. They possessed that Hi which Biair defines ‘to make an_ impress! peopie—to strike and seize their hearts’? | bodevermoege f thatoratory which the great Roman, bem orig Be Se retetngs Mri shoes as & mensum mque. ir progress country was shaw» continued iecoat. Revivals of religion, such as were never known, broke out wherevor those mighty elders went The great awakening of 1776 was a wonder anda joy for years, Their .camp meetin, perees all ‘similar as. semblies on this continent, witnessed the et. forts and grandest triumphs of humaa el These meetings or Ho bona yh aly r) (iy “western count ur great 1801, uuder the preaching of two North Caroline brothers, Jobn William terian, the other a Methodist m a mense. te u y or sparseness of th ulation the tudes ranged from 3,000 to 20,000, The scenes at gatherings are described as in the highest degree im. | pressive, Inone great there were no less | than 3,000 converts, along with class eontines, Were feasts hm A, a ASC tne pret a Abou deen ike Whnteteld, ‘Dow’ was an fa evangel movemei out his ‘own circuits. His a) uel ments sant e of which he to reach, All North Carol of traditions of his eccentricities, Yet he accom: plished a vast amount of good. From the very beginning the Methodists were con- stnantly wrestling with toe negro question. All the early conferences declared ayainst slavery. Wes ley’s “Thoughts Upon Slavery,” paiened. in 1774, porate Oh ogee ll ho conviction of his followers ye institution was orally wrong. In April, 1785, at the first Ceatereuee evel held in North Carolina, a petition was drafted praying the Legislature to pass an act allowing manumission, The troublesome problem was continually agitated and an elemeut of discord was thus now which, in 1844 rent American Methodism in twain and sun dered one of the strongest cords of the federal Union. But the negro was not 1 isgued in, Proved such a firebrand among ae puirietean | iu driving out of the country every English ne excopt Francis Asbury, who lay ” Delaware until the close of the Revolutionary War. Then there was the vexed “con! about the ordi hances,” which culminated in 1779, In 1792 occurred the famous schism of James O'Kelley, who what be called “Republican the which at made wn “i ae ww fu,