“CURING” CRIPPLES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 1 August 1929, Page 8

“CURING” CRIPPLES

“SPIRITUAL HEALERS” THE FOUR SQUARE GOSPEL PUBLIC CONTROVERSY AROUSED SYDNEY, 12th July. Now South Wales is iu the throes of a Iremetjqous semi-religious argument at present, duo to the presence iu Sydney and Newcastle respectively of .Messrs Victor Cromer and a man named Van Eyk, the former claiming to he a spiritual healer, and the latter an evangelist of the l'our Square Gospel. The question, of course, is whether they are not both imposing upon the credulity of the public. Victor E. Cromer, who is conducting demonstrations in Sydney, is said to bo using hypnotic power rather than curing people of their infirmities, and the antics of some of his converts are amazing, even to the point of being revolting. Last Sunday night, as a rase iu point, he lielil a meeting at the Sydney Town Hall, which was packed witli a crowd in which the majority were cripples or persons with some infirmity or other. After an address, in which he predicted a wave of spiritual healing all over the world, such as would put oil the profession amongst the ranks of the unemployed, and a talk on Divine power from Miss Mary Itivett, Cromer started liis demonstration. SPECTATORS STAND ON CHAIRS Oil tile stage "'ere a row of malformed persons who, according >to Cromer’s announcement, were incurable eases of all manner of bodily ills and deformities. Cromer commenced to wave his minds and call down all manner of spiritual assistance, witli the result that a young mail at the end of the row suddenly threw off his coat and stretched himself on the floor. Presently his body began to twitch, lie throw himself violently round the stage, and twisted his limbs into all manner of grotesque positions. All the while Cromer intoned something, and members of the audience stood on chairs to witness the performance. Behind each sick person presented for Cromer’s ministrations sloud a w-mu.-ii, ami at a signal from Crombr, each woman put her hands over the oves : of her patient. Immediately, each patient commenced to gyrate iu a manner horrible *o behold. PANDEMONIUM PRODUCED Cromer walked down into the audience. He took hold of persons sitting- vn the seats. Upon the women especially liis ministrations had an extraoiriiiiury effect. Some ran, clapping their hands and shrieking, to the platform. Others just moaned where they sal. Within ten minutes the place was pandemonium. On all sides persons were clapping, shrieking, moaning, gyrating, dancing, and behaving in such manner that one newspaper was moved to remark: “If spiritual healing is of the kind shown in Cromer’s demonstration at the Sydney Town Hall, it is the most crude and horrible exhibition of physical juggling imaginable." There was, of course, a collect'.on, and Cromer’s assistants walked out with receptacles full of silver coins. VAN EYK BAPTISES At the same time that Cromer is attracting thousands of curious folk to ins demonstrations in Sydney, Evangelist Van Eyk, at C'essnqck, in the. Newcastle district, is creating extraordinary interest, and has so raised the passions and prejudices of the town that a police guard has become necessary for liis protection. He claims to be a representative of the Eour Square Gospel, which is the same type of religion propounded by the famous, or infamous Aimee McPherson in America, and it provides for baptism after converts have professed their allegiance to the Gospel preached by the evangelists. Last Saturday night Van Eyk held his first baptismal proceedings, and packed the hall at Cessnock. It became a travesty on religion, and at one stage the crowd became so unruly that Van Eyk laid to throw one man out of the hall, while liis choir chanted “Joy, Joy,” from the stage. Unc young woman, wild' said that owing to bodily ills she was unable to work, submitted to tlio laying on of hands, stepped from the stage, and twice sprinted the length of the ball with the evangelist beside her. Then she fell, exhausted, into tile arms of her weeping mother. A child, suffering a form of paralysis, commanded to walk across the stage, was Obviously in such pain as she attempted to obey the order that none was surprised when she collapsed. As one young man remarked after his conversion, “When 1 received the Gift of God it was like being struck on the head with a hammer.” POLICE PROTECTION GIVEN Nevertheless, there arc many against the evangelist, who became so apprehensive of violence that he applied lor a revolver license. Police refused it; but provided more protection, and lie was satisfied. "The more I am persecuted, the brighter will be my crown,” lie told one of his audiences. Several regular denominational ministers, who at first allowed their names Iq be used in connection with his services, believing him u> be a regular evangelist, have withdrawn their support, and are definitely hostile. * Van Eyk, in the meantime, goes on merrily, and now announces that lie intends to build a Eour Square Gospel Church in Cessnock, where the rites'.of this new form of religion can he performed by those who believe iu it. Iho baptismal ceremony is performed in the nude, the converts walking to the edge of the hath in an overall, which they slip off as they enter the water.

Cromer, too, proposes to establish a health sauitorium on the shores of .Middle Harbour, costing £25,850. Apart from Ids claims as a spiritual intercessory, lie says he is able to broadcast liis healing powers. At certain hours of the day if the patient's mind is sufficiently receptive, and lie <n- she has paid the fee beforehand, it is only necessary / to Ihink ui Cromer to time in to liis broadcasts. He says lie lias patients in New Zealand, mmole parts of Australia, and m America and other countries, all on the absent treatment and all being gradually eared of previously incurable complaints.