HE WAS PARALYSED. Challenging the Creator and Receiving a Direct Answer.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 197, 2 April 1887, Page 3

HE WAS PARALYSED. Challenging the Creator and Receiving a Direct Answer.

"I hope that God may paralyse me," were the words epoken by William Burkett. At once his hands dropped to his sido, hie legs refused to move and his eyes rolled wildly around. His prayer was answered, aa he atood paralysed on the epot where j but a few momentß before he was a magnificent type of physical manhood. He tried to speak, but his tongue would not move. Half a dozen of men, who were Present, were rendered motion! ese by the evident visitation of the hand of God. When they recovered Belf-posseesion they tenderly moved the afilicted man to his residence, a half-mile distant. When Mi-s Rhody Burkett saw the plight in which her father was brought home she screamed and fainted and died a few days later. For years Mr Burkett had been the ferryman at the Hawkinsville road cross ing of the Ocmulgee river. He was of giant physique, with long grey locks, aad became especially noted because of the brace of revolvers which he kept strapped to his waist. He was a great hunter, aud the ferry being in the midst of a swam, he was convenient to abundance of game, From those who lived around him is learned that he was fearfully profane. Whenever he sJghted game, and was called off from it by an alarm from the fervy, he would pour out auch a volley of oath 1 ? aa would make the flesh of ordinary men crawl. It was while in one of these profane spella that he cursed his Creator, and wound up with the expression above quoted. The "news soon spread through' the country, and scores of people called to pee the victim. fIA was at firat completely prostrated, but subsequently waa enabled to take a few steps, when he would fall. When epoken to he replies in an inarticulate mumble and acts in a most idiotic manner. The physicians can ascribe no natural cause j for his affliction, but. admit that it ie a visitation of God. The preaohers in the neighbourhood have used the incident in their sermons with great effect.