Denver's Messiah Craze: Schlatter and the Healing Crowds
“Denver’s Messiah Craze.”—The Rev. C. W. Heisler, of Denver, writes to the Independent on the above subject. He declares that at the ex-alderman’s house, where the “messiah” is staying, people throng in hundreds. On one day Mr. Heisler counted six hundred actually standing in line waiting to be treated, and still more coming, and this line was surrounded by a crowd of probably two thousand onlookers. The people in line were possessed of almost every kind of affliction and disease, imaginary or real, each one pressing forward to touch “the healer’s” hand. The man’s name is Schlatter, a German, about fifty-five years of age. When asked if he is Christ, he replies, “I am,” and he evidently believes it, deceived himself by Satan, and himself deceiving the people. “For,” says Jesus Christ, “false christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.” “Be not deceived.”