RELIGIOUS' MANIA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 3, 28 September 1907, Page 4

RELIGIOUS' MANIA.

Thousands of persons in the Central Prussian provinces havo • been suddenly seized with an acute form of religious mania. Detailed telegrams from Cassel state that tho outburst, which is manifesting itself in all kinds of astonishing forms, was started by two fanatics, who proclaimed themselves Divine omissaries, specially sent by Heaven to lead tho inhabitants of the adjoining provinces to salvation. Thoir principal lieutenants are two Swedish women, whose oratory exercises a strange fascination over tho populace. Extraordinary scenes take place at meetings held nightly in Cassel and many surrounding towns and villages. The' participants at these meetings emit inarticulato shrieks, throw, themselves on the ground, roll ou the floor, fling their arms and legs wildly about, heat their heads against tho wooden benches, and amazing confessions of sin then pour from thoir lins. After this they declare thoy see visions of Heaven, Hell, and other worlds. Sometimes all those present at a meeting prostrate themselves simultaneously on the floor and groan in unison, "with wild gestures. Suddenly a man springs up and graphically describes some strange vision which ho sees before his eyes. Loud shouts of "Hallelujah!" greet the speaker/and when tho vision has been described men and women arise from the ground, ombraco one another with ecstatic fervour, .and dance, with- many amazing grimaces and erratic movements, all through the night till sunrise. .