WEIRD TRAVESTY OF RELIGION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13757, 23 May 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

WEIRD TRAVESTY OF RELIGION.

"HOLY BROTHERS" INVADE ISLINO- j ' TON. ■ j THE newest sect of rabid revivalists had a. \ fit of temporary insanity last night (says the London Express of April 3) at a small hall in Upper-street, Islington. • The show was held under the auspices of "Holy Brother" Wilson, an Irish-Ameri-can, assisted by e a" not her ; " holy brother," who, by his accent, should be of the same nationality. • The hall was packed, both by converts and the merely curious. Eur move than two hours the "holy brothers" wrestled loudly with " Saltan*' and the sinful, crowd. Both" the brothers possess voices with the strength of healthy foghorns, and they were unsparing in tie" use of them. First threatening in a veritable yell, then dropping, to a sweet and persuasive whisper, Brother Wilson pleaded and gesticulated to hie congregation. Time after time he yelled .to his audience to cast out "Sattan" and testify. '. ■ ■ A man in a corner heard the appeal and testified. With both hands held aloft and his eves closed in an apparent ecstasy, he shrieked out half a dozen "Alleluias" and sank back exhausted. " FEKE WILL - ' OITEKIXG. At this point the "holy brother" had a rest, and announced the' taking up of a " free will" offering. ' Following the " free will" offering came a change of tactics. The " gift of tongues" was loudly invoked, and the gift arrived a little more quickly than anyone anticipated. An- anaemic. looking girl in-the middle of the hall rose to her feet, and let out a yell like a steam siren: —- .' " Ouchicka—ouchicka—ouchicka, II oo—boo —hoo. * _ • howaa." Brother Wilson smiled an unearthly smile, and called for converts. Half a dozen or so went up and knelt at the platform, and he conversed with them in the unknown language, of which the above is a sample. . The man who had testified got up again and began a solo. He sang " Eternity," on a crescendo scale. Nobody took, any notice. He sang it again. He sang it, with variations,' about 40 times. • An immaculately dressed negro, affected to tears, got up .and, making for an old man who had shown no signs of being converted, knelt down and hugged him hard. "gift of tongues." At this juncture three more people received the "gift of tongues" almost simultaneously. An old woman with a shrill voice arid a large lace collar got a little advantage in the start, but a fat man behind her ran her very close. The old woman held up her hands and- waggled them about rapidly. " M'ooha—mooha hama—come out—come out of me," she chirruped. "Oh. ye vipers and hypocrites!" came suddenly in a stentorian . howl from the platform. This had the effect of making five more converts. By this time the back of the hall was crowded by curious passers-by who had come in to'see what all the lioise meant. Brother Wilson noticed them, and called a halt to request that only those who truly wished to bo converted would remain. So the Express representative departed con. scientiously and left the " faithful" at their, antics.