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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 16, 16 January 1891, Page 7

A new Beet called the " Army of tbe Lord " has appeared in Philadelphia. Its specialty in evangelical work is healing by faith. A Presbyterian pastor at Brockton, Gal., who took occasion to confess bis sins from the palpi r , involving the reputation of several prominent women of bis churoh, married and single, is suspected of beiLg insane. The Messiah craze among the Indians of the northwest it extending and U.S. troops have been called oat to prevent the murder of the whites and to keep them from killing themselves. Short Bull, tbe so-called prophet of the Messiah has promised bis followers that after the ghnßt dance they would see their dead relatives and tbe tribes will be restored to their pristine glory. Iha ghost dance is described as follows : In prepanug for the dance they cut the tallest tiee that they Ci»n find and drag it to a level place where it is planted in the ground. Under this tree the four wise men of the tribe stand. Others foim in a circle and b« gin to go around and around ti.e tree. They begin tbe dance on Friday afternoon. It is kept up Saturday and Sunday until sundown. During all this time they do not eat or diink They keep going round in one direction until they become so dizzy that tuey can scarcely stand, then turn and go in the other direction and keep it up till they swoon from exhaustion. This is what they strive to do, for while they are in the swoon they think they see and talk witb Christ. When they rtgain consciousness they tell their experiences to the four wise man under the tree.