UNKNOWN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 109, 12 May 1904, Page 4

UNKNOWN.

MADMAX ENTHRONES HIMSELF IN A VILLAGE CHURCH. An almost incredible display of ignorance and superstition has just taken place at a village in Northern Portugal, near Coimbrn. An old man, having to all appearances died, the neighbours laid him out for burial, and called in a barber to shave him, leaving him alone at night with the supposed corpse. As a matter of fact, the old man was no* dead, but only in a fit, and directly the brush touched his face he rose up and began to talk excitedly. The barber was so frightened that he went raving mad, and rushing to the door of the house, bellowed until the entire village was roused, and the people flocked to the house. Then he showed them the old man alive in his burial clothes.and declared he <the barber) was Christ, and had power to raise the dead. 1 He celled upon all who wished to save their souls to follow him into the village church to return thanks ' for the miracle. The entire village followed the yelling maniac to the church, where he ascended the altar steps, took his place in the niche of a saint, and called upon them all to pray, declaring that they could onlypurchase pardon by absolute obedience to him as the representative of God. The terrified people clamoured for mercy, and then, by hi« orders, stripped themselves autid the wildest excitement and marched round the churchyard, and back to ttiu church, headed by the demented barber. On their return he told them to clothe themselves and return to their houses, as they had been cleansed trom sin antl born again. It was not until the next day that the priest Iteard of the dreadful scene.