RELIGION OR FRAUD?

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2190, 3 August 1889, Page 2

RELIGION OR FRAUD?

Some remarkable revalatioua were made roceitly la tha Brighton (England) Po;lce Court la an assault 0989 analog oat cf the proceedings of "The Army of the Lord" a 80-oailed religious organisation whioh h?8 attained oonsld3rab!e notoriety 1 • Brighton, Tha complainant; waaGaorg: Ravlllena, formerly a tailor of Wa da worth, and tha defendant tha leader o? tha movement, Jamen William Wood ( who ia also kaown as K'ng Solomon, I aeerrn that the oomlpalnaai had been In th * hftblt of coming to Brighton, and havlog attended Bora) of tbe aerv'.ca of the Army of tho Lord he was indaced to join them. He *»3 Inform jd that a message hid been rcoalvad from * prophet directing him to dispose of his basmesa And to lay all the money at the feet of Apoatla Caleb, one of K'ng Solomon's lieutenants. That lnjunotlon oomplalnant compiled with, aod he handed tho Apostla tho earn of £308. From that time oimplainant aid hia wife and six obildrea wont to live with the Army, the nnderatadnlng being tha In ratum for bh cffsrlog, whioh oooa prhed every farthing he poiseseed, he and bis family were to paes tha rest of theic dayi with the Army. The m*la part of ihdr dietary consisted cf vegetable aiup ; but, added trie oomplatneut, am.dot niuoh laughter, King Solomon w»8 ollowel egga and cuatatd by crdor of , tha Prophet After reoialnlng wi:h the Army for several months complainant veutared (o openly orttiolre Klug Solomon's doctrines fie began to be bujpiolcui whei prophecy after prophoay remained unru'filled, and was confirmed m hla doulti aboub hln leader when, after sitting up night after night waitlag for tho sppoaranoa o! the Ark, it filled to manifest itself. At length a lottac was g'v?n to oomplslnanfc purport* Ing to come from Jjhovah " through my aervant, King Solomon," telling him he mast letve the temp'e. As he refused to go a aeoond letter wss handed to him The Lord had decided that R&vlllons was p Elating the temple, »nd that until he I ft (he LiTd woald heal no more children (-)oe branch of t v e Arjay'a operations oonaißtln^ of faith healing). Tho asßanlt oonsiated of Kins; Solomon pulling him out. of bd, Be z'ng him by the throat, ard thrujilDg him into the passage to ejaot him. Complainant eventually loft with hia family, when he was sheltered by a friend, and prooeod.'ngs wore taken on hla behalf by a ormmUieo of gentlemen. A fine of. £s an! cjsta waa imposed, and aa King Solomon was without mean a he waa removed In ouatcdy. The Stipendiary IVlaglctrata observed that if regard were paid to tbe blasphomoua contents of the letters, no punishment he oiuld Itifllot would be adequate.