“The peopel had the Jirks Shouting and d[a]ncing and…those that atempted to desribe there fealing while ingaged in the above exersize sayed the[y] had the most hevenly fealing that [they] ever felt in the there life….”
“For better than four months past, our meetings have been very powerful…mighty stompings & roarings against the flesh—violent jerking, rolling, & tumbling on the floor….”
“He is a thorough Methodist believes in all of the religious exercises after the straightest of the sect…. I shall not fall out with him for advocating the genuine Jerks….”
“Our informant was present at several of their meetings in Avoca, and describes the scene as very exciting. From fifty to a hundred were jerking at the same time….”
“What the real cause of this singular phenomenon is has been a matter of dispute. It seems to me to have been one of those demonical possessions which were so numerous in the days of the Savior and we…have reasons to believe that they still exist and not in small numbers.”
