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REPRESENTING THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF 2X2 HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS ON THE INTERNET
To The Church Without a Name, The Truth, Two By Twos
July 18, 1907, p. 8
July 25, 1907, p. 8
August 1, 1907, p.
5
October 3, 1907,
p. 8
The annual convention of those who are popularly known as Pilgrims or Cooneyites, and who style themselves ‘Tramp preachers,’ is at present being held at Crocknacrieve, the residence of Mr. John West, within a mile of Ballinamallard. The convention, which met last week will continue for a month. At present there are about 600 in conference, and more are expected to arrive during the coming week.
To cater for and find sleeping accommodation for such a large concourse of people is no small undertaking. For a month previous to the meeting of the convention, arrangements were being made for their habitation. Crocknacrieve is a large house, with many spacious rooms, and its roof at present cover 200 women and children. Most of the rooms are at present bedrooms having over an average four double beds each. The beds are mostly made on the floor and in some instances three occupy the same bed, some rooms are occupied solely by mothers and their children. The large stable loft, which has been the scene of many meetings in the past, is now converted into one large dormitory for women, in which there are about 60 beds and with a few exceptions all are double beds.
The men, excepting those far advanced in years, sleep out in large marquee tents of which there are seven. 70 are accommodated at Mullaghmeen and 50 at Ballinamallard.
The cuisine arrangements are complete in every detail. Two large boilers are constantly in use for cooking. The old wine cellar is turned into a bakehouse and on last Saturday as many as 160 loaves were baked by two members of the convention who were old soldiers and had served their country at home and abroad. The meat for use is brought from Belfast and it is not a question of ordering a sirloin or round, but whole carcases. Those of the ‘tramps’ who understand butter-making are busy in the dairy where a separator is kept in use.
Practically every trade is represented at the Convention. There are mechanics, tailors, dressmakers, joiners, carpenters, cobblers, tiresmiths, and even a watchmaker is there with his tools and bench and is kept busy doing repairs.
Most of the ‘tramps’ have bicycles, and to enter one of the spacious lofts where the machines are kept one would imagine they were looking into a store of some large Coventry cycle warehouse. It would be impossible to describe fully all that has been done for the comfort of the visitors, but even to a writing room and a post box for letters, a hospital for the sick, are they provided with.
Each day of the week (including Sunday) three services are held in the large tent on the west side of the house. The first is in the morning from 11 a.m. till 1 p.m., then another is held in the afternoon from 3 p.m. till 5 p.m., and the evening service lasts from 7 p.m. till 9:30 p.m. On last Sunday at the afternoon and evening services fully 1,000 people were present. The men and women according to the old Jewish custom sit apart from one another and do not mingle. Their dress is plain. The women mostly wear black skirts, cotton blouses and sailor hats. The male attire does not in any way vary except that in some cases no collars or ties are worn. To look upon the vast gathering one would wonder where they all came from. There are English, Scotch and Irish. Some come from the Far East and some from the wild West. There are even half-caste Indians from North America there. They all formerly belonged to all sects and creeds—not only Protestants, but some had been members of the Greek and Roman Churches. Two of their number were Ministers, and Suffolkshire is represented by no fewer than 30 souls.
At last Sunday evening’s service there were five men and two women on the platform, and of the former were two of the chief pioneers of the movement—Mr. Wm. Irwin and Mr. Edward Cooney. The meeting opened with the singing of hymns and prayer. The most interesting address was that of Mr. Wm. Irwin, who dealt solely with the clergy and the terrors of hell. The others did not practically touch either of those subjects. Mr. Irwin is a forcible speaker, and has a very convincing manner. He spoke of the clergy of all denominations in scathing terms and stated that in all ages the clergy were the marks of the devil. Jesus, he said, would never have a clergyman, and his own personal belief was that every clergyman would go to hell unless he turned and worked in what he called ‘the Jesus way.’ He also added—‘No one in heaven believes in the clergy, and no one in hell either.’ His idea of hell is rather novel. He described it thus:—‘Hell is a place where every man will be made to serve God in the Jesus way.’ Mr. Cooney gave a short address. In the course of his remarks he made the momentous announcement—‘We believe this is the last message to the people of Fermanagh.’ He also referred to their sect as ‘God’s saints and servants.’ At the close of his remarks he called on those who were saved since the beginning of the convention to stand up and remain standing, the idea being to confess God openly as their Saviour. Seven did so. Mr. Cooney also requested those who had not been publicly baptised, and wished to be, to stand up. Nineteen signified their wish. A baptismal service was then announced for next Sunday.
It has often been said that a Monday evening meeting is tame compared with that of any other evening. At the meeting last Monday evening the addresses were simple homilies which might be heard any time in a Salvation Army Hall. They lacked in vigour the vim and force of ordinary revival addresses. It is pleasing to note that there is practically nothing said that would offend anyone, the services being nicely conducted and remarkable for the freedom from abusive language which used to characterize them. There are occasional outbursts. A Mr. Kelly delivered a lengthy address and spoke earnestly. The only marring feature in it was a personal reference to four persons who attended on Sunday night. When they came in to the meeting, he said they prayed and afterwards giggled and talked. They were devil possessed, added the speaker, and must have been Methodists. The same gentleman made reference to unsaved people praying to God. His theory was that it was far better for them not to pray to God at all, until they live in the ‘Jesus way.’
July 25, 1907, p. 8
HOW HOLY COMMUNION IS CELEBRATED
The ‘tramp preachers’ to the number of 600 have continued in conference for the past week at Crocknacrieve.
Of this 600 there are about 300 workers, the other 300 being ‘saints’ and ‘bishops.’ The conference is lasting for a month and the workers remain all this time at the conference. The saints and bishops come and go. It has been estimated that up till the end of last week 2,000 of the latter had attended the convention and left again, for their home. As many as 70 arrived on last Saturday night from one place alone.
Crocknacrieve at present resembles a large asylum. On entering the beautiful grounds one meets with couples here and there walking through the groves covered with luxuriant foliage. The women folk keep mostly to themselves. They do not wander about with the brethren. As one of the tramp preachers remarked—‘This is not the time for courting. They can court elsewhere. They come here to work, not to court.’ One lady tramp was asked jokingly by a visitor, ‘Do you do much match-making here?’ Such a matter of fact idea as marriage did not occur to her for she replied: ‘No, we do not make any matches, as they are so cheap to buy.’
During the week, services are regularly held and are attended largely, as many as 1,000 being present at the Sunday evening services. On an average about eight hours are spent each day in worship, and as many as seven addresses have been given at one service.
Although the ‘tramps’ boast of no leaders, no secretaries, &c., still they have their appointments in other departments. In the large farmyard is posted up the list of those who supervise in the kitchen, the dairy, the post office, and the hospital. The man told off to look after the bed accommodation, those who cook, shave, hair dress, and tailor, those who repair boots and cycles, the authorities on railway communications, those appointed to watch over the houses where bicycles are stored; the names of all those men and women are posted up.
Discipline is carried out more strictly than one would imagine. It appears that some of the ‘tramps’ (both men and women) had been guilty of talking at night after retiring to rest to the discomfiture of others. The matter was reported to Mr. Wm. Irwin, and at an evening meeting last week he announced that if any one in future talked after going to bed, that person’s name would be given to him next day and publicly mentioned, and arrangements made for his or her departure.
Like every other sect the ‘tramps’ have their back sliders and recalcitrant workers. One of their workers, J.L., [John Long] was accused of loafing for the past 12 months instead of working zealously and bringing converts to the ‘Jesus way’ of living. His ideas, evidently, were not far-fetched enough for his chiefs. At one of the services the suspected ‘loafer’ was called forth to give an address, and in the course of that address J.L. [John Long] spoke of the Ark of Noah. What was in it and not in it? There was no tobacco or pipes in it, he said. The speaker was interrupted by Mr. Irwin, who said to him ‘Say there were no clergy in it.’ ‘No, there were no clergy in it, ‘ quietly remarked the speaker. ‘Say it strong’ commanded Mr. Irwin in his gruff tone. But the speaker did not repeat it. It is understood that J.L. [John Long] was given notice to quit and left on Tuesday last.
Mr. Edward Cooney was the principal speaker on Saturday evening last. He read the 2nd chapter of Revelations and gave his interpretation of each verse as he read it. He spoke of the seven churches of Christ and said that God was not interested in the Salvation Army, in the Methodist or Roman Catholic churches. He was only interested in the churches in the New Testament—churches formed by angels or messengers. The only one who could form a church was in the right hand of Christ and was ever willing to do His will in His way. That was why John Wesley was not a messenger of Christ, John Wesley never put himself in the right hand of Christ. People say times have changed. Jesus had been most particular that all sent in the early days should not be greater than He. Now they had the Salvation Army, the clergymen and the evangelists, who were all sent by the Devil, for Jesus never changed. Some people have often asked why they had no organisation. They had none, said Mr. Cooney, because organisation was of the Devil. Why no secretaries, no committees, no directors in the Lord’s work?
WHY HAD THEY NO LEADERS?
Because, they all were of the Devil. Jesus, himself, was their captain and guide. Every church formed had Jesus for its bishop and inspector. Jesus removed those unfaithful to him and encouraged those who were faithful. Having referred to the preaching of John the Baptist and those who were his followers and called themselves Johnites, Mr. Cooney said that those who called themselves Irwinites or Cooneyites were all going to Hell, for John had preached that they might be Christians and not Johnites. Those men had stopped short and had not understood the preaching of John. He (Mr. Cooney) had a reputation for kicking up rows, but he was always comforted when he read about Paul who went through the country districts and towns and got them turned upside down. If anyone tried to persuade them that John Wesley was an Apostle of Jesus, he could not. Why? Because they believed in the ‘Jesus way.’ If they tried John Wesley by Jesus, that what he declared himself—the sent one of Jesus, they found he was a liar, because he was not according to the pattern of Jesus, who was the pattern of the Apostles. In conclusion, Mr. Cooney made reference to baptism. They got baptized by total immersion in water as a public confession that they belonged to Jesus. To illustrate that the speaker said that when a girl wished to get married she first of all told the man of her choice, and afterwards made a public confession of her choice, by being publicly married at a registry office. A registry office was the proper place to get married. Clergymen could not marry. The Apostles never married any one and never would. Giving in marriage was the civil right of a representative of King Edward VII —a magistrate..
HOLY COMMUNION CELEBRATED.
At the conclusion of the morning service on last Sunday morning the ‘Tramps’ celebrated Holy Communion. The service was quaint. There was no bright silver chalice for the wine, or was the bread cut in small pieces and neatly arranged on a silver paten. No one presided at the ceremony. The ‘Tramps’ sat in the large tent where they dine and hold their meetings. Thanks having been offered up by Mr. Edward Cooney, bread was handed round by men workers (women workers never take any part in the ceremony except to receive Communion) to those present. A loaf is cut into six parts, and one of these parts is given to each row. The first person receiving the bread breaks off a small piece and eats it, passing on the bread to the next, who also breaks off a piece and hands it on to his neighbour, and so on. After the bread has thus been passed round and eaten, the wine is sent round. The wine is in ordinary earthenware jugs and is poured into mugs which are then handed round. There was no singing at the ceremony. No one spoke or made a sound while the bread and wine were being passed round..
Before the afternoon service was begun several converts were baptised by total immersion. The Baptismal Font is the ladies’ bathing place. A stream runs along the valley at the north-east side of the house, and a large hole was dug out and a dam placed at the lower side, the water filling the hole and making a small pond. The depth of the pond is about four feet, and as there were 27 to be baptised, two of the workers performed the ceremony of immersing the converts in the water, so that a considerable amount of time was saved. One convert was of such dimensions that it took two men to put her under water. After the ceremony, an open air service was held, and an address was given by a worker who was an old soldier. Unfortunately he could not be satisfied with himself unless he indulged in some abuse of the clergy. The Pope, he said, was a devil at heart, the clergymen were always servants of the Devil. Continuing, the speaker said that the better they stood in their attitude towards men, the worse they stood towards God. It was sad that they had one in their midst who had a smack of the clergy. He had seen Christian fanatics in the east lie on spikes for days, sit on ashes day and night, and hang by a spike from the flesh in the back. They all go down to Hell blindfolded. It had been asked where did they all go before the teachings of William Irwin or Edward Cooney. Where did the proposing Christians go? Do you mean that they have gone to a lost eternity? ‘They have all,’ said the speaker, ‘gone to Hell, every single one of them unless they were born again, or else God Almighty is a liar and they are his dupes.’ .
An interval in the service was made at half-past five, when tea was served to all present. At half-past six the service was resumed, and Mr. Edward Cooney was the principal speaker. He made a number of personal references to his youth and to occurrences which had warned him against a lost eternity. Mr. Cooney also spoke on John the Baptist and his Gospel. The Methodist Gospel, he said, would land them all in Hell. The Gospel of the Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, or Episcopalian Churches would land them in Hell. The only Gospel that would land them in Heaven was the Gospel of Jesus, the Apostles’ Gospel. What was the Gospel of the Presbyterians, Methodists, &c. Here it is—give up smoking, drinking, swearing, dancing, theatre-going, novel reading, &c. Some go further than others. And while they preach that men should give up all those sins, they allow two of the most damnable and devilish sins in the eyes of God. John the Baptist put his two fingers on those two sins—love of money and pride. The proud man was surer of going to Hell than the harlot. Love of money would send them far faster to Hell than the love of whisky. He never met a man or woman who loved his neighbour as himself till he got into fellowship with the ‘Tramp Preachers.’ The ‘Tramp Preachers’ demonstrate it in their flesh. John said if a man hath two coats, give one away. The Sunday Suits were of the Devil. If they preached that in Enniskillen Methodist Church, the people there would say they were dafted. He preached it at a convention at Keswick, and a prominent evangelist shouted ‘humbug’ at him.
After Mr. Cooney had finished speaking, a Miss May Carroll spoke and the meeting concluded with the usual call on converts to confess their conversion by standing up publicly. Altogether the ‘Tramps’ were continually at service from 10 a.m. that morning till 9:30 p.m., excepting two hours interval for meals.
Mr. Edward Cooney left Crocknacrieve on Monday with two companions for the Keswick convention. Mr. Cooney was at Keswick last year and held meetings and denounced the clergy. At the meetings there were many interruptions, and it is anticipated that there will be a recurrence of last year’s scenes.
The convention has still another week’s work before it, and before it closes it is expected there will be another baptismal service. Between 60 and 70 workers have volunteered for foreign lands, and up to 50 have entered the work.
.
One thousand three hundred pilgrims, or Cooneyites, last Sunday assembled at Crocknacrieve House, Ballinamallard, the residence of Mr. John West, a leading member of the Pilgrims. The convention was mooted some months ago, but no person believed for a moment that it would have assumed such huge dimensions.
Representatives were present from the Far East, America, Australia, India, South Africa, England, Wales and Scotland. Hundreds of spectators visited Crocknacrieve, and when the devotional part of the programme commenced there was a mass of humanity such as had never before been seen in that part of County Fermanagh.
Two entire days, meal hours excepted, were devoted to prayer, preaching, and the singing of hymns.
August 1, 1907, p. 5
On next Sunday the ‘Pilgrim’ Convention at Crocknacrieve will close. It has been the largest Convention yet held by that body of believers, towards the end of last week up to 700 being in conference.
Since the congress began, beautiful weather favoured the ‘tramps,’ and their stay at Crocknacrieve has been quite a holiday. Outside hours of devotional duty, the ‘tramps’ have enjoyed themselves. Numbers cycle through the country, and some visit friends. Bathing is the order of the day, the men making full use of the Ballycassidy River, while the women use a pond specially dug out for them beside a stream. In this pond the baptisms take place.
On Sunday afternoon the attendance eclipsed that of previous meetings, from 2,500 to 3,000 being present. Crowds of visitors journeyed to Crocknacrieve out of curiosity to hear what the ‘tramps’ had to say, while quite a large number of saints from Lisnaskea side went to Ballinamallard in the morning by the Bundoran Sunday Excursion train, returning by rail in the evening, and causing quite a commotion by singing hymns in the train, which was full of Sunday trippers from Cavan. A baptismal service was held on Sunday afternoon, when converts were immersed in water, one of them being an old man over 70 years of age; and again, yesterday, two Enniskillen business young ladies were also ‘dipped.’
It was expected that Mr. Edward Cooney, who returned on Sunday from the Keswick Convention, would have made some mention of his doing there. He only made a few references to what happened, and in that the public were generally disappointed. He only made a few passing references to incidents that happened while on his journey to Keswick and his stay there. He spoke outside the Convention Hall there, and was, he stated, interrupted several times by clergy.
Some evening services are quite given up to converts giving their testimonies. To judge by their accent, they come from all parts of the Kingdom. There is no mistaking the Scotch, who are on the average very eloquent, the words flowing from them with apparent ease. A large number of them come from Dundee, and in their testimonies it appears the majority of them were Sunday School teachers and office bearers in the Church. One Belfast man in his testimony was very bitter against the clergy. He had been a member of the Church of Ireland, but now if a clergyman visited him he turned him out if he be not walking according to his light. He also made the following remarkable statement:— ‘I believe the clergy think they are doing the will of God if they put one of Christ’s faithful followers to death.’ One very interesting testimony was that of a Miss Power, from County Wicklow, who stated she had been a Roman Catholic, and had attended the meetings conducted by the ‘tramps’ secretly. Night after night she went to the meetings, eventually deciding to leave her Church, people and home, and become a ‘tramp.’ She is now out on mission work.
Quite an unusual event happened last week. Some Evangelists attended the Conference, and tried to press their views on the ‘tramps.’ One afternoon while a meeting was in progress in the open air and questions were being asked of Mr. William Irwin by the different workers and ‘saints,’ the Evangelists interrupted. One, a blind man, said he believed the
There has been very little of public interest at the meetings during the past week. Most of the addresses were dry, and lacking spirit, Mr. William Irwin and Mr. Cooney are always listened to with interest, but they are exceptions. One evening, when speaking of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Mr. Irwin referred to the terrible earthquake which wrecked San Francisco. He had arrived, he said, in San Francisco one beautiful night at 10 o’clock, and having finished certain correspondence retired to rest, when about 3 a.m. next morning he was suddenly awakened and found himself thrown out of bed. He hastily dressed and went out, and saw more than perhaps any one else did. Why he saw more than any one else was because he had no person to be uneasy about—no property, no money, and no interest to lose. It was a sight he could never forget. More real and vivid still had God portrayed to him the terrible doom of Sodom and Gomorrah.
October 3, 1907, p. 8
Considerable interest was aroused in Enniskillen on Monday last, when handbills were circulated announcing that a public meeting would be held in the Townhall, ‘In reference to the invasion of women thieves from America,’ and also that the meeting would be addressed by Mr. W. D. Wilson, of Cretingham, Framlingham, Suffolk who has for some time been conducting an ‘anti-Coonyite’ mission. Toward eight o’clock, the time for the meeting, the Minor-hall was only partly filled, and when the meeting commenced it was about three-quarter full. Some prominent townsmen were present as well as a number of ‘pilgrims,’ including Messrs. J. West, W. H. West, R. J. Lendrum, J. Jeffers, Wm. Carroll, J. Humphreys, and Miss Forde.
Mr. Wilson thanked those present for responding to his call. He pleaded guilty to having helped in the so-called mission work without first finding out who the persons connected with it were. As chairman on Crettingham School he admitted them to the school. He attended their first meeting and found things queer; he attended their second meeting and found things diabolical. When he found his mistake he set to work to right the wrong, and had booklets prepared which were called ‘Danger Signal’ and ‘The cankerworm spoileth’ and were addressed to amongst others the Bishop of Clogher, the Mayor of Enniskillen, and all the inhabitants. He wished to read one of the pamphlets and in doing so some portions of which were as follows—
Our country is invaded by corrupt women from America set to work to ruin others by American wrecking adversaries with American money unlimited, taking them away, bidding every person defianse to an unknown (?) home for a questionable (?) purpose, to a questionable (?) home for an unknown (?) purpose.
Keeping polygamy and women stealing, quite out of sight, this side of the water.
I would suggest a petition should be sent to our Primate to set a Sunday apart to set them as a gazingstock to warn the public to refrain from these men to cease helping these men who are vagrant, seductive ‘Go Preachers of No-Sect Sect,’ and worse and worse, Anti-Religionists, bar Jesus and Anti-Christs.
Sent to Marine Department Board of Trade. 7 Whitehall Gardens, London
re Mormonites and other Sects.
Will the Government request and insist on strict and detailed registration of all girls and young women at all ports of embarkation and at all ports of entry, with a view of enabling parents to protect and track their lost children.
We, William Dennis Wilson, of Cretingham, in the County of Suffolk, farmer, Wm. Mayer, of Cretingham, aforesaid, horseman, and Wm. Ramsey, of Cretingham, aforesaid, wheelwright, do solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:—
2. These so-called missioners stated their denomination to be the ‘No sect denomination’ and their sect to be the ‘undenominational sect.’ Their sect denomination is ‘Go preachers.’
3. The doctrines preached by these missioners were circulated to and in fact did induce certain young girls to leave their parents homes and associate with these missioners. After a short period spent in what was given out to be a preparation at a training home for future mission work these girls have been shipped to China, South Africa, and other foreign parts, and in other cases fear to lose all means of communication with their children.
4. These parents are in many cases illiterate persons who have neither the means nor the knowledge required to enable them to take steps to protect their daughters from the anticipated evil results of their withdrawal from their homes by these missioners.
5. It is gravely feared that these missioners are employing their so-called mission as a cloak for recruiting the ranks of the ‘white slave’ traffic in foreign parts because the children whose absence has resulted from the preaching of these missioners are many of them illiterate and totally unfitted for the mission work alleged by these missioners to by their object and because these missioners have chiefly required young females for their purpose the few males who have also followed these missioners were employed, it is believed as a cloak to cover the underlying motive of the mission.
Mr. W. H. West rose and asked to be allowed to say a word, as he knew something about what he was reading, and presumed that he meant the ‘Pilgrims’ or ‘Cooneyites’ as they are called. He came there to make strong accusations against people from their county. There were 38 workers from their county—
Mr. Wilson—Hear me. Let me read a little more and after I have had my say, I will be very pleased to hear what you have to say (Loud cheers.)
Mr. Wilson then continued reading the pamphlet, and when he had concluded, he remarked that there was a great deal more to read but he would let the gentleman come on the platform and hear what he had to say.
Mr. Wm. West then rose and said that the speaker had made diabolical and outrageous charges against people who they all knew. Mr. Wilson had three daughters and two sons, who happened to be serving as teachers and preachers in this country.
Mr. Wilson (jumping to his feet)—Where is she?
Mr. John West—We can give you the address in a few days.
Mr. Wilson—I want it tonight.
Mr. Wm. West—This man comes to Enniskillen this morning and brings foul and filthy charges and all that is bad against the so-called ‘Cooneyites,’ whom I am proud to be identified with. He comes and makes grave charges against us people, which, if one word of them were true, would make them
(Applause.) I need not come to Enniskillen to defend my character. We defy him to give the name or address of a single man or woman who is guilty of his most foul and filthy charges, against our neighbours, the sisters, brothers, daughters and sons of sound respectable men in this county. He accused them of being nothing but w—s, and I am ashamed of you sitting there. He has been going about trying to mislead people with his filthy charges. I say it is a scandal and we will punish him if there is a law in England to do it. It is a shame for a man who calls himself a British subject to come up and be guilty of the
FILTHY AND ABOMINABLE STATEMENT
he has brought on that platform. I am ashamed to be here. He has a daughter
and a son preaching, and he brings a charge of mormonising against his own
daughter, Eddy Cooney, Tom Betty, and Nat Dickson—faithful men and all
well known in Enniskillen. We do not expect you all to agree with us, but
you know they are honest respectable men. I say again it is a scandal for
a man to come here and make such statements. We defy him again to give
a name.
Mr. Wilson—That is a terrible great speech. (Laughter.) Is there any other gentleman who would like to speak?
Mr. John West—I have nothing more to say than what has been said by my brother. I would only ask is there any one of you who would believe one solitary charge that has been made. There is my brother, Tom Betty, Eddy Cooney, Bobby Graham, Wm. Irwin, and Miss Forde (who is going to go out in the work), who are well known to the people of Enniskillen, and who are in the work, and they only asked Mr. Wilson to give them the name of one that could be proved guilty of the charges made in this hall. I think it is fair that when a man comes all the way from Suffolk in England and mounts a platform and addresses an audience, he should come with facts, and not come with the insinuations that have been listened to. It is fair and just to give us the names of those who are lost in China and
there. There were two conventions held at my place and not one of them in the County Fermanagh had any doubt that any person was guilty of the charges that this man brought or of being defiled in the way he says they were. We are not strangers to you—he is. He wrote to the American Government and had a number of girls who were going out to work kept in jail for 14 days, although they had their passage money and fares, until the American Government wrote back and found that the statements he made were not correct. Mr. Alfred Cooney had got anonymous telegrams again and again, from whom he did not know, but I am almost sure that that man (pointing to Mr. Wilson) was the man who sent them. If Mr. Wilson can prove any of the charges he has made
and have nothing whatsoever to do with the testimony in which I believe, and go back to what I used to be. (Applause.)
Mr. William Carroll, another ‘Pilgrim,’ also addressed the meeting, and stated that the names and addresses of any one in the work could be given within 14 days at most, no matter what part of the world they were in.
Mr. Wilson—thank you, gentlemen, for your addresses. Is there anyone else?
No one rose to speak.
Mr. Wilson (loudly)—These men are double-tongued men. One day they have one name and one day another name. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. Wm. West—Give us the name and none of your nonsense or humbug. Give us a name and none of your foolery. (Disturbance.)
Mr. Wilson—I can give you the names of girls who were lost.
Mr. Wm. West (strongly)—Give them. (Cheers.)
Mr. Wilson—I—G—, a motherless, fatherless girl. Where is she?
Mr. J. West—Who do you accuse of stealing her? Come, give us the name of the man you accuse of stealing her away. (Applause.)
Mr. Wilson—I don’t accuse anyone because you are double-tongued.
Mr. Wm. West—You are a coward. I never saw as unmanly a man as you are. It is a shame to hear you. Give us the name. (Cries of ‘Name.’)
Mr. Wilson—No.
Mr. Wm. West—Because you are a coward. (Cheers.)
Mr. Wilson—You are double-tongued. (Cries of ‘Clear out.’)
Mr. Wilson then asked the whereabouts of other women, and in reply Mr. Wm. West asked for the name of the man accused of stealing her. On one occasion his refusal drew forth the cries of ‘You are cornered.’
Mr. Wm. West—You are cornered and beaten. I again challenge you to give the name.
Mr. Wilson—I have never beaten my wife. (Loud laughter.)
Mr. Wm. West—It is a pity she did not beat you. (More laughter.)
Mr. Wilson—Where is a A— P—, a motherless and fatherless girl?
Mr. John West—What is your own daughter’s name?
Mr. Wilson—I should think you ought to know that—(laughter)—and I will thank you to tell me where she is.
Mr. John West—In a week’s time.
Mr. Wilson—I want to know tonight.
Mr. Wilson—Where is May Carroll?
Mr. Wm. Carroll—I am her brother. She is at present in Fleet Street, Philadelphia. I had a letter from her two days ago.
Mr. Wilson—Where is the other girl?
New Zealand.
Where is Emma Gill?—Manitoba.
Miss Hughes?—South Africa.
Where is Alice Smith?—Tasmania at present.
Where is Alice Muir? Where is Minnie Church? Where is Henry Church?
A Voice (from the back of the hall)—He is digging ‘spuds.’ (Loud laughter.)
Mr. Wilson asked for the names of the eleven girls who visited Cretingham before anyone knew there was a man behind them. He also asked for the names of the 25 persons baptised on Good Friday, 1906, near Ipswich.
Mr. John West—We are waiting on the name of the man you accuse of stealing them.
Mr. Wilson—They have more than one name.
Mr. Wm. West—You’ll not, BECAUSE YOU ARE A COWARD.
Give us any one name they go under.
Mr. Wilson—I’ll not.
Mr. Wm. West—Give us any one name and then we will believe in you. Come on, you must give a name.
Mr. Wilson—I want the names of the 91 persons whom you dragged off the correct path unto the crooked path.
Mr. John West—We want the name of the man who stole these girls.
Mr. Wilson—All right, old friend; all right. (Loud laughter.)
Mr. John West—Give it to the reporters.
Mr. Wilson—I want the names of 38 persons who were made into Congregationalists, two to the Church of England—
Mr. John West—Was that right or wrong?
Mr. Wilson—The 12 made Primitive Methodists?—
Mr. John West—Was that a good thing or a bad thing?
Mr. Wilson—I want the names to interview them. Give us one. I don’t know them.
Mr. Carroll—Neither do we.
Mr. Wm. West—Give us the name we asked for please. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Wilson—I cannot give the names of people who are double-tongued. (Applause.)
Mr. J. West—Did Wm. Irwin ever visit your house.
Mr. Wilson—I do not know, for they have more names than one.
Mr. Wm. West—He has made bad charges and now he is trying to get out
of the whole thing.
Mr. Wilson—Let me address you. You have not read your Bibles, you have only read part of them. You should read all of it. This is what you did not read: ‘Some preach Christ through strife and envy, and some through good-will.’ You are preaching through strife, allow me to tell you. There will be in heaven members of the Church of England, and Salvation Army, Roman Catholics will be there, and I will be there. (Loud cheers.) You will not be there unless God in His mercy knock you down as He did Saul of Tarsus, and when you are lying on the road, sprawling, astonished, you will cry out: ‘Oh Lord, what shall I do to be saved?’ That is the only chance for you, you old hypocrites. (Loud cheers.) There are a lot of other things in the Bible you do not read. I will get my Bible and tell you.
Mr. Wilson then went to his bag to get his Bible, but not being able to open it asked would any person oblige him.
Mr. Wm. West, thereupon, handed him up a Bible.
Mr. Wilson then read part of the 7th chapter of Matthew commencing ‘Judge not, that ye be not judged.’ Continuing, he said the ‘Go-Preachers’ told him that he was going to hell. They said every man who drank was on the road to hell. ‘I had,’ he said ‘a bottle of Guinness’ stout this morning. (Loud cheers.) Because I drink that stout I am going to hell. I fear the judgment you are giving me you will get yourselves. Men are not constituted alike. Stout suits me remarkably well—(laughter)—it is food and drink to me. I do not know how many bottles I had yesterday (Sunday), but I had only one today. I am fond of Guinness’ stout, and Guinness and myself are intimate friends, for I grow barley for Guinness. He is one of my best friends.’
Mr. Wm. West—Give us the name of the man you accuse of stealing women.
Mr. Wilson (at the top of his voice)—You are double-tongued.
Mr. Wm. West—You are acting the mad man to get out of it.
Mr. Wilson—You also preach against tobacco and call it the Devil’s weed. I had several cigars today; I had a bottle of stout. I thank the Almighty for the fruits of the earth. Continuing, Mr. Wilson having read a passage from the 22nd chapter of Revelations, beginning at the 18th verse, said that the ‘Cooneyites’ added to the Bible and he feared God would add to their pains in Hell. They ignored God’s commandments—and one of them, the fifth, ‘Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long’—which was the first commandment. He heard a ‘Go-preacher’ say ‘Never mind your mother, I do not mind mine.’ (Laughter.)
Mr. Wm. West—Will you allow me for one minute?
Mr. Wilson—Don’t be in any hurry we came here to thrash this thing out. We must thrash it out. (Prolonged cheering.) I came two or three hundred miles. (To the crowd at door) Lock the door and do not let them out.
Mr. Wm. West—We don’t believe that any one would believe what this man states. He makes specific charges of the grossest character. He accuses their brothers and sisters of Mormonism and then feigns madness. He refuses to give the name when asked for in order that we might punish him.
HE HAS UTTERLY FAILED,
and it is a shame for an Enniskillen audience to listen to him. I challenge him to give one name, and if he does not we will have to go.
Mr. Wilson—Keep the door locked. (Cheers.)
Mr. Wm. West—He is not half as bad as he pretends to be.
Mr. Jeffers here rose and said he believed Jesus was on trial that night. He asked them not to listen to that fool.
POSSESSED OF THE DEVIL.
(Disorder.)
Mr. Wilson (as the Tramps were rising to leave)—Don’t let them out; keep them in. (Cheers and boohs.) Lock the door and do not let them out.
The uproar was such that Mr. Wilson had to shout at the top of his voice to be heard. Boohs and cheers were his accompaniment. When the ‘pilgrims’ had left, and quiet restored, Mr. Wilson stated that he could tell them things the ‘Cooneyites’ had said which were too gross for pen and ink—which he would tell them were ladies not present. He then spoke of a girl from Ballinamallard, whom he stated had been lost for 12 months, and then read extracts about what he termed the confidence trick from America.’
Some people at this stage began to leave the hall, and Mr. Wilson seeing this began to close the meeting. He said he was much obliged for the attention he had received, but he wished to have a petition sent to the primate to have a Sunday set apart to hold those folks up as a gazing stock. He then called on the meeting, which was getting gradually smaller, to voice its sentiment, and on the call for a show of hands, only six persons amidst laughter voted for the petition.
Mr. Wilson’s pamphlets were then put up for sale at one penny each. One leading merchant of Enniskillen approached the table to buy a copy when Mr. Wilson, handing him a number of the booklets, and told him to take them round the room and sell them. The gentleman in question threw down the books with a look of disgust and walked out. Some others bought books and the meeting came to a conclusion.
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