LAYING ON OF HANDS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLIV, Issue 10132, 9 June 1924, Page 8

LAYING ON OF HANDS

AMERICAN MIRACLE CURES

REMARKABLE SCENES IN CHAPEL.

(Per Press Association— Copyright.) ire NEW YORK, June 6. Hundreds of persons afflicted with physical and mental ailments besieged St Paul's Chapel, where, during the last 24 hours, Robert Bell, an Episcopal minister from Denver, Colorado, has effected miraculous cures by the laying on of hands. . The crowd, after watching cripples, approach for treatment and exultingly throw away their crutches, waxed highly emotional, and surged forwswd to the chancel. Women became hysterical, many fainting at the evidence of miraculous power. Mr Bell, however, calmly continued his treatments, whilst the vicar summoned police reserves to prevent s» The patients included Catholics. Protestants, Jews, and Atheists, all of whom exposed afflicted organs on which Mr Bell made the Sign of the Cross, invoking Divine love to make the body whole. ' In some cases there was no response to the treatment, but the awestruck audience noted that deafness was almost unfailingly cured. Several paralytics likewise regained their powers. , The most remarkable cure was the case of a girl four years old, whose weak bones were never able to support her ! Mr Bell placed his hands upon the limbs, after which the child began a trance-like walk down the aisle to the outer steps, where she smilingly posed for photographs. ' Mr Bell disclaims all personal attributes, saying: "I have no power whatever. It is simply God, Whose love acts through me."