Show snake cultists fight legal ban authorities seek seak to stop strange rites as public menace PINE MOUNTAIN KY A little cult of mountain folk tucked away in these remote and rugged hills is rapidly spreading a strange snake handling ritual to demonstrate divine faith the followers are sending out their missionaries from the hills to preach their true gospel and it has reached far into the south and even north of the ohio river in many places authorities are trying to ban their ceremonies on the grounds that the poisonous snakes are a public menace but the devout cult leaders cite the constitutional tut ional right of religious freedom and d despite the bans they continue the rites which resemble some ancient pagan ceremony from the hills the snake handling ritual has spread into tennessee georgia virginia west virginia indiana ohio and michigan banned by law the commonwealth Common veal th of kentucky considered the situation so grave the legislature passed a law recently prohibiting snake ba handling at religious services with violators subject to fines of 20 to 50 and a jail sentence but the practice flour nourishes in cincinnati police invaded a meeting of the snake handlers at the true church of god and seized two reptiles after ethel seely a nurse was bitten down in adel ga the cult ran afoul of the law when six year old letha mae rowan was bitten by a rattlesnake during one of their ceremonies officers heard of the case and sought the child for medical aid but the mother hid letha mae stoutly maintaining that divine faith would make her well again judge W R smith of cook county issued a temporary injunction restraining the cult from conducting any services in which snakes were handled and the childs father albert rowan a tenant farmer and preacher W T lipham were jailed until it was apparent the child would recover the teachings of ta the cult are based on a literal interpretation of the words of st mark in which christ after his resurrection resurrect n appeared P to them go gc ye lori into in all li the world and preach the gospel to every creature and these signs shall follow them that believe in my name shall they cast out devils they shall speak with new tongues I 1 they shall take up serpents and it if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall rei cover mark 1617 18 terrific emotion about a decade ago K D browning a pine mountain farmer and preacher began teaching his flock that those with divine faith could pick up snakes and not be harmed even if bitten even his is following grew during the years on the third saturday and sunday of each month the mountain folk gather in the pine mountain church for services which oftentimes last all day and far into the night by the dim light of kerosene lamps many trudge for 10 or 15 miles across the mountain ridges bringing baskets heaped with food for hours the wooded hillsides hill sides echo with sounds of cymbals clapping hands and singsong sing song chants which beat on the senses in a monotone like the steady pounding of voodoo do drums in the jungles the emotional effect is terrific men and women shout and pray in an outpouring of emotion any brother may preach who feels the urge A cult member who feels the spirit takes a writhing snake and wraps it about his head or fondles it in his hands then it is passed among the believers men and women in an atmosphere that fairly crackles with nervous tension |