"THE HOLY KICKERS."

NZ Truth, Issue 75, 24 November 1906, Page 5

"THE HOLY KICKERS."

STILL ANOTHER "JARRING SECT."

Gross Indecencies m the Name of "Reii|ib^:%#

In.the name of religion and under the aegis of the Cross of Calvary, some extraordinary things arc done m this world of sin; aye, even here m. New Zealand. But it takes America, to beat the band, even m religious madness, and here's a Los Angeles (California) sect set up that seems t 0 be easily first m the bughouse stakes. The tale as told by Los Angeles "Times" is amusing, even if it is saddening m its exposure of the maniac folly of people worked up under the influence of "religious hysteria." Says the "Times" :

In a low, whitewashed room possibly forty feet square, the "holy kickers" are holding forth every night at No. 312 Aziisa-street. The meetings open at 7.30 o'clock and last until midnicht.

Sometimes when the spirit moves the kickers the meetings do not close until long past midnight. ' Every night the dirty room is crowded with a motley throng of . negroes and .whites.

This crowd of "holy kickers" has been giving the police a j*reat deal of trouble of late, but so far. they; have managed to keep out of jail. Every few minutes during the meeting some "brother" or "sister" gets' a touch of the pentecost and they immediately begin to "speak with tongues," as they claim.

While some bark like, dogs, others shriek all manner of strange words which mean nothing, and all the time the kickers who are "coining through" and are about to be sanctified beat a tattoo on the floor with. their heels. HIGH KICKING CONTEST. The police have been watching ths place closely of late and a report made last night to the captain states that on Tuesday night the kickers were having a high time. , Several women spent at least a part of the night lying flat on their backs on the dirty floor of the room, each endeavoring to kick her heels higher m the air than the others. As a result the fanatical and almost hysterical females were practically standing on their heads m the midst of a large audience. As such exhibitions are not allowed even m the tough resorts of the city, the Dblice were forced to call a halt to this part of the "holy kickers' " rites. When the women were forced to desist they became wildly hysterical ami screamed and preached until j they sank exhausted and nearly un- | conscious to the floor.

KICKER EMBRACES AUTOJSY.' After the meeting broke up, half an hour after midnight, one qf> the lcadj ing workers m the kickers' organisation ran amuck on the street. Sha was still m a frehxy when she le£t the meeting place and chancing to see a man alight at the curt) on Crock-er-stireet, from an automobile, bha

rushed up to him and, throwing her arms 'around hisneck t declared' that he was filers, that she loved him and that 'he was a sinner and must confess his sins. , •

The man believed the woman 'insane, and tried to shake her , oil,, but- she held to him and tried to 'force him* to knetel on the sidewalk and coniess his siris and be saved. By yiciently jerking away the man freed* Jinn self and managed to escape m the automobile".. Witnesses of the incident reported it, to the police.

The "holy kickers" present a .■problem which the local police department has not as yet been nltfe to solve. Every night worn-out kickers and shoutiers are seen stretched out on the dirty floor of the meeting room,' apparently unconscious, and the meeting goes on just' the same, those who still have breath jumping, kickinjr and making the night hideous with their yells, and squeals.