COLLAPSED AS IF POLE-AXED!

TURNS TABLES ON THE "SOCK ALECS"

(From . " N.Z. Truth 's ' \ Special Auckland Representative.)

THE REMARKABLE POWER OF EVANGELIST DALLIMORE

. Slim, extravagantly Oxford-bagged, with beautiful color symphonies m collars, socks and ties, and sardonically grinning, two young men around Auckland laughed on 'the other .side of their faces, when they recently received lhe 1 Messing of Evangelist A. H. Dallimore, and collapsed, as if pole-axed, to the floor ! v

THE, scene is laid m the Covenant Hall, where the Revival Fire* of v this stalwart Disciple of the Lord has been' burning fiercely. .#ll sections of the community flock to his meetings — the believers, the curious, the larrikins— and "Truth" also dropped along and registered a few impressions. . •• The ta&tics of Evangelist Dallimore are certainly not "meek and mild," and his appearance suggests little' of the orthodox evangelist. After a short service and some hearty hymn' singing that goes with a rollicking' swing, the grey-eyed mission.er invites the sick, and afflicted to come forward 1 and obtain' relief. Much chipping and loud guffaws emanate from the "back pf the hall, and from this group, one of our young friends detaches himself and joins others of the audience to step brightly up the aisle. A smile, disarming and sweet and wholly benign, but reminiscent somewhat of that "smile on tlpe facfe of the tiger," plays, oyer Daliiihore's. f eatu res. s^yyyy : --i*i*>-. -v.^Eacn m teilsiltis-or her trouhle, and Dallimore repeats it to the congregation. Dipping his 'fingers into some small vessel, and then placiing his right hand on the head of, the supplicant, and his left flat upon the back between the, shoulder-blades, he calls out: "In the sacred- name of Jesus, I rebuke the weakness." As if struck with a hammer the devotee appears to lose all power, falling backwards and being eased by the evangelist to the floor, there to lie prone for a few minutes or perhaps half-an-hour. Up steps our young gentleman to Dallimore and whispers something! . The evangelist announces, "This man

has suffered from chronic headaches for years." . ■ Dallimore rebukes the weakness. The' young man promptly collapses to the floor like a felled ox, to the surprise and consternation of the element at the back. * After a few minutes he picks himself up and sheepishly makes his way back to his companions . and tells them he simply could not ! help himself — He just, went out! His experience leads another elegant youth, so sweetly attired and- so derisive of expression, to proceed up the aisle to the smiling man at the head of the room. Casual, reference is made by the observant missioner to the fact the power >of Jesus is not a thing to jest about. "Algernon" is given a seat m the front row, 'and there he remains some time whilst the "healing" proceeds. * . At last liis turn comes, and after a whispered conversation, the "Healer" places his hands on the head and back m the usual manner, and invokes the name of Jesus. "Algy" immediately throws a- "double seven" and kiss%s the floor! After a few minutes on the flat of his back, he rises shakily,, and totters back down the centre aisle, swaying drunkenly like the "Terrible Turk" recovering from a Boston crab m the ring! The larrikin element is intimidated ' —the young men about to-\yn are silenced— further bets are decidedly off! Those who, tried to fool Dallimore have had the tables turned on them. „ ,- And the "Wtealing" process proceeds! Elderly, staid business people, men, women and girls— all crumple up at this "laying-on" of hands. "Truth" observed three women recumbent upon the floor together towards the latter end of the service. One, -a girl about seventeen, writhed on her shoulders as if 'm a state of semi-coma; she twisted from, right to

left, and remained upon the floor for at least half -an -hour. Another woman, her face concealed by those' m the front seats, could be seen twitching and making spasmodic movements with her wrists and -feet as she lay^ upon the floor." ''.'•' " - . . ■ Dallimore, meantime, walks up and down before his table, his hands m his pockets, glancing every now ,and then at the floor . and ejaculating, YHow wonderful is Jesus." ,' . Occasionally,, he and his closest followers, raise their voices m a few lines from a hymn, but hysteria is absent and there is no drama, no mouthing-, no blatant vehemence — the whole meeting seems to be extremely sober. A. H. Dallimore has been persevering with a healing mission m Auckland for nearly three years. An Englishman, between 50 and 60 years of age, he came to New Zealand as a young man, and was for a time a surveyor's, assistant. Thence he wandered to North America, and spent, over a dozen years m Alaska, later returning' .tQ^his^naUveiland' to i;beAmarriedi*>tH&'