A Pseudo Christ in America.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 2351, 22 October 1889, Page 3

A Pseudo Christ in America.

miles below Savannah, in the southern part of Liberty County, exists an astonishing aud anomalous of affairs. The negroes have nbantheir patches, have turned their in on their crops, are deserting the farms sawmills and plantations, are flocking around a pseudo Christ * 8 preaching to them daily. So are they infect' 1 with a craze that a surprising and evolution is taking place in E! n,a * er * a l and social condition. In to the impostor’s commands separated from their husbands, have left their parents, and in instances whole families have their homes to follow him. He white man, between 30 and 35 K\ of age, a little above average height spare build. Chiistopher Orth is of his fleshly body, he says, and K C hriat of his spiritual body. Long f rom |,j 8 head, which is large on ÜBUailyIy fine proportions. Over 400 and children have been aoV 1 b y him, and constantly attend him. bo\v«v. r, constitute the greater flock The coloured people iu »«in*fhted district pla< e wonderful and ihe hand of 400 does to represent the number that For two weeks after bis

sudden appearance the negro preachers did their utmost to persuade their people not listen to the man. Finding that their advice was not heeded the preachers sought the influence and aid of the prominent whice citizens of the county. The whites were deeply interested too, for as tliQ craze spread the question of labour became a serious one. Whether the man was a lunatic or slrirp working the negroet for money was not certain. The decision was reached to arrest Orth for vagrancy, and a warrant was issued upon the oatli of a coloured preacher and politician named Stiles, who came within seven votes of of being elected a member of the present Georgia legislature. Race troubles arere feared, but Orth told his followers to do no violence. He bad prophesied that he would be seized, and had declared that no harm would come to him. Hi* believers would have torn the officers piecemeal at the slightest word of command from their “Christ,’' as they called him, but he went williugly, and was fol lowed 12 miles on foot under a scorching June sun to the trial place. Flemington, by 300 men and women. Fully half of these were armed, many of the women carrying muskets and shotguns. When arraigned before the county magistrate Orth exhibited several dollars, and the charge of vagrancy and being without means of suppport was dismissed. Another warrant was immediately issued charging him with being a lunatic. The law gave him ten days before a commission of lunacy could inquire into the case. On the day set apar{ the impostor appeared with a following twice as large as he had before. Colonel Norwood sub jected him to a long and rigid examination. Outside the crowd kept crying n weird chant They have taken our Christ! Buckra man want to kill our Christ, but they can’t.” Orth stated that he formerly lived in Centreville, Ohio. His familiarity with the Bible astonished court, jury, and spectators. “If you are Christ show us a miracle,” suggested Mr Norwood. “ Get thee behind me, Sitan. I will not be tempted by you,” was the response. “ You arc charged with being a lunatic, and unless this jury believes otherwise you will be seat to an asylum. Show us the nail prints in your hands, and convince the jury that you are the Christ who was crucified,” said the lawyer. “ This is the natural body which you see, corruptible, perishable. It is not the body which was fastened to the cross on Calvary. Tne spirit, though, which is in me, is the same living spirit which was in the body that was hung beside Barabbas My spirit is in everybody.” “ Was it in George Washington ?” “ Yes, and in Abraham Lincoln too.” “ Was it in Jefferson Davis?” “It was.” Nothing could induce the self-styled Christ to undertake to perforin a miracle. He refused to turn water into wine, on the ground that it would be taken as sanctioning the use of ardent and fermented spirits. “ I did that once, and the act has been misconstrued over since,” tie observed. “ I am about to take a chew of tobacco. If you can palsy my arm and stop me, I and the jury will believe in you,” said the ex-Congressman. “ I don’t care whether you chew or not, and I don’t want to maim you for life,” Orth retorted. The commission de lunalico inquirendo quickly concluded that Orth is insane and recommended that he be sent to the State Insane Asylum at Milledneville. That institution, however, is overcrowded, and the superintendent has decliued to take more patients for the present. Liberty County has no gaol, and to send Orth there and have him confined would be an expense on the the country. So the lunatic was released until some provision is made for his case by order of one of the judges of the country. Ho continues to preach. The negroes regard his release as unquestionable evidence of his divinity and power, and the fanaticism is spreading with greater rapidity than at any previous time. For this year the negroes’ crops are gone, an 1 wh n winter comes they will have to be supported.