The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-01-18
Melancholy Suicide. \.

FATAL EFFECTS OF SPIRITUAL nj 8Sr-,s5
FEsTATIoNs--TnE CoRoNERsINauRsr
| YERD1cT AGAINST THE New j oRK
\" kNoCkER !" MEETIaGs.-Ons Wed
ncsday morning last we reported a
case Of attempted suicide, bysa man
named Martin Langdon, who resides
atNo. 81, Eleventh street. The un-5
happy man made an effort to destroy
fhis life, by cutting his throat with d
knife. He was removed from his
lately happy home tosthe hospital sat5
Bellevue, @here he died, at mn early
.li9nr on Thursday morning, from the
seffieet of the wound, mid aco.existina.
arrangement ofhiss general health az
tectiiig his brain more Immediately.
Coroner Hilton held an inquest upon
the body yesterday; and the ample
report which we give ofthEl testimony
taken ut the inquiry, Will unfold to our
readers 4, sad and Authenticated history
OF useful life lost, wife. widowed.
and an only child orphaned, by means
l-of the operations of those miserable
delusions practiced under the name of
spiritual knockings or manifestations.
lfle deceased was a printer .by trade,
and of very steady habits of Industry.
Some months ago he lost a, daughter.
|Sby death. which pradnced in him q
very, desponding state Of mind. When
enervated from this cause, and his
previous course of reading such
eations as the Spiritual Telegraph, and
Mountain Cove Journal, he got intro
duced into what are called, sscircle
meetings" held in this city, where his
mind Was SO acted upon BY charlatan-
ism aud inposture, that he was made
to believe lie would become a seeing .sise
medium" and thenhe could hold
converse with his beloved child. AFFo
would call attention to that part of the
testimony of Mrs. Langdon, where she
narratess part of his training for this
spiritual communion. 1t was to; beiae-
complished by Ills sitting in % dull,
stupid mood for an hour each evening
by q disruption of the endearments
OF his home-by aneglect of his, then
olily, child and wife, and by close :at,
tention to the meetings ofthes knockers
or rapers, in the various houses named.
Let our philosophers and iiterati, who
sanction the visionary theory with
their names, ponder upon the effects of
their dcctTians and practices. a hith
erto vigorous brain became clonded,
and the unhappy mono-maniac ended
his existence in n state Of insanity, and
Utmost by his own hand.
Coroner Hilton deserves much cred
ittfor. his patience and perseverance
during the inquiry; and NE ,trnst that
the Grand Jury will take the recon-
mendation appended to the verdict ir-
to their most serious consideration,
and endcayor to protect our people
from such paneful influence.
| Verdict.-We the Jury,upodn our
| oaths and aflirmations say that the de-
ceased, Martin Langlon, came to his
death from exhaustion, consequent up
| on mental exciteinent, md from ss
wound, Inflicted by himself, upon his
throat. We also find that this state
of mind was shperinducsa by .llis cons
nection with persons calling thenl-
selves spiritual media. Mesnlso srSz
commend stosthe Grand Jury To- taki
measures for the suppression of, circle
. meeting at the houses narned In the
testimony M. X .Ierd}a
y t,>~--s4-. - o -.
1 ssSal, cried q. girl, looking out Of