Daily Republican

THIRD EDITION.

A MANIAC IN CHURCH.

A Madman Draws a Knife Upon

the Minister of a Church.

EASTMAN, GA., Oct. 8, 1883.—Central Point Church, in a remote part of Pike county, numbered among its congregation on Sunday last a maniac, who was so violent in his behavior that a discontinuance of the services was necessitated and a murder at the altar avoided.

The man, Samuel McAllister, made his first appearance a week ago, but was decoyed from the shrine without much commotion. Yesterday morning he reappeared and made his presence known by rising in his pew and asking the minister not to preach. Upon being requested to keep quiet, the maniac shouted, "If you undertake to preach Christ and Him crucified, I am here to make you prove your doctrine."

McAllister next interrupted the announcement and reading of the first hymn, and when two verses had been rendered became so excited by the music that he jumped upon the seat and stood beating time for the congregation with his arms and leading the anthem in a voice which resounded above all the others.

After the usual prayer, the Rev. Mr. Jessup commenced his sermon, but he had scarcely uttered two sentences when McAllister sprang into the pulpit and, hurling the book on the floor, shouted, "If that is your doctrine, sir, prove it before you go any further."

On being asked to keep quiet, he said, "Oh, I can't be quiet. God has sent me to do this, and I came prepared to sacrifice my life on His altar, to defend His teachings."

As he said this he drew a keen-bladed knife and held it aloft over his head as he advanced on the minister, with his other hand outstretched toward the pastor's throat. The divine, realizing that his life was at stake, beat a rapid retreat toward the door, followed in a wild rush by most of the women in the church and a majority of the men.

The scene was exciting in the extreme. Many of the women, added to the terror by frantic screaming, while two of them fell to the floor near the door in fainting fits. Some men in the crowd retained sufficient presence of mind to drag their limp forms out of the doorway on to the green sward beside the building.

In the church meanwhile six men essayed to capture the maniac, but he, divining their intentions, kept them at bay with his knife until he gained an open window, through which he sprang and made his escape. Before leaving he said that he would be present at the afternoon service, but he failed to put in an appearance, and as he had not returned to the hamlet this afternoon, fears are entertained lest he lost his life in one of the bogs which are common to the woods surrounding the little hamlet.