The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1856-01-11
THE DARK DAYS OF ls55-SPIRIT.
UALISM AND THE MURDER CALsN.


ishing bridges, but in the arts we are behind
the old Greeks; in the graces we sadly need
missionaries; wild Indian is more polite,
more generous, more civilized than many
New York politician; in morals we have ex.
amples of dcformity almost as gross rs those
of the lowest South Sea Islanders; and future
historians will write that we are more SUPER
stitious and bigo,ted than the most insane
worshipper of Brahma-the most profound
devotee of Johanna Sruthcote, or the most
ardent disciple of witch hanging, Quaker
whipping Cotton Mathcr.
The criminal calendar of eighteen hundred
and fIty.fve will substantia.e great deal of
what we have said. The Mormons at Utah
the Free Lovers in New York and Wisconsin
the insane asyums filled with maniacs on
the subject of sprituaism-thc general ten.
dency on the part of largo portion Of our
infatuated people to run after anything that
is new, however absurd it may be, and the
readiness Of certain presses, such as the Tri-
bune, to sustain novel doctrines without any
regard to thei. foundation or tendency,i is fur
Their evidence that, although we may be "smari
people" in the making of reviewers and patent
pitchforks, we are in some respects the great
est mass of fools that ever lived in any age of
the world.
There is not so much talk nowadays about
the spiritual humbug bat we hear of it fire.
quently through lis effects. About four
months ago n Kentuckan, who had cmigrat-
ed to California. became impressed with the
idea that he was n medium. He WAS person
of fair character, respectable connections, and
some education. He took up the doctrine of
"nflintics" and formed connection with
young woman, (aso partially insane on the
subject of spirituaisni) whom he afterwards
murdered. He was executed, after having
made full confession.
Wemight multiply these cases to an almost
Indefinite extent. There is not I'M insane asy.
luni in the country that does not contain one
or more victims of this dcusion, and their
insanity is gcncraly incurable. In New Hat
ven, Connecticut, last week, Il most horrible
murder was committed by the dupcs of an old
woman, who prctends that she is one raised
from the dead, and who has quite Il large cir
clio of followers. The scene was more horr.
ble than any that iranspred in Massachusetts
during the dark days of the Salem witchcrait
delusion. A man named Mathews, it seems,
was blndfolded, bound and murdered by the
New Haven maniaes, on the ground that he
was possessed by IN evil spirit that must be
cast out His sister blindfoded him and tied
his hands. Ono woman testified at the in.
quest that she believed in the divinity of Mrs.
Wnkeman, Qhe propheicss.) ~ believe" said
this witness, Abigail Stables BY name, "that
judgment would come if Mrs. Wakeman
should die; Mathews (thc dead MANI was
driving away her spirit with his evil powers"
She also swore that Mathews tasted three
days in order to starve out the evil spirit. II
further appeared that the murdered man was
persuaded that if he offered himself up rs
sacrifice the Millennium would come, and that
he consented. He WAS first knocked down
with club, his skull fractured, and his throat
cut. Ten or twelve people were in the house
they all heard his cries, but made no efforts
to help HIM. All this TRANSFERRED in the nine
tcentll century, in the pleasant city Of New
Haven, the capital of the moral State of Con-
neclicut, which is distinguished for the pey
and enlightenment of It's people, the excel
lencc and number Of its common schools
az nc nnf fell, oInut f,rn p,ivsionc W.
could take a lesson in dccency and true re-
gion from the man eaters of Borneo.
We have thrown together these facts to
show that while we are boasting OF our en-
lightenment and our greatness and our learn.
ing, we are still, in some respects, little better
than savages. The spiritual delusion has
spread into all ranks of society, from the
highest to the lowest; the free love and nffini-
:y humbug has grown out of it, and the tone
of public morals has been much lowered
The home circle has been desecrated- wives
have left their Observation-Disclosures have dis
owned their parents. The victims all these
decisions have been swindlrd and humbugged
and murdered right and left. And the end is
not yet. The affair ut New Haven is the
breaking out of the same morbid disease in Il
more malignant type. A partial remedy for
the mischief may be found in the prompt
execution of the law. We hope TINT none
who participated in this foul murder will be
allowed to escape the scaffold or the lunAtic
asylum.
tB-A correspondent wites to the London