Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-04-30

ALLEeED INSANITY OF SHAKER An in
quiry took place in the afternoon, before
Judge Hilton, in relation to the alleged in-
sanity of John S. Hobart member of the
Society Of Shakers, at Whitewater Village.
He was arrested on an affidavit made by
George Rubosh. Several members of the
fraternity were present. Il. A. Thompson
appeared for Mr.. Hobart, and claimed that
the accusation was got up for a special
purpose.
The testimony of John Martin and Joseph
Burnham, members of the Society at Shaker
Village, charged that this party had by acts
Of insuhordination, in refusing TO be governed
by the rules, the enunciation of doctrines of
his own, which he claimed to derive from
illumin alton on the subject of celibacy,
(Which he denounced,) and other matters
all who opposed him, had proved himself a
subject for the Lunatie Asylum.
J.S. Hobart (the party accused, was then
permitted to testify. He stated he had been
a member of the Society almost twelve years,
and thought he had the confidence of all the
brethren, having striven to abide by the
rules. He had been appointed to the charge
Of Second Elder, Deacon, &C., and Mr. Martin,
who now spoke so zealously against him. had
stated that he had acquitted himself with
honor to the cause. rs .--
He (witness) had become aware of the
contentious about doctrines in the Society
that there was no settled conclusive faith
and that an "irrepressible conflict" threat
ened between the supporters of progress and
"old fogyismi" and he concluded that there
would be new development of truth or else
the Society would go down. He felt himself
called to write work on the subject. and a
system of government which he thought no
man ought to be persecuted for advocating-
a new development of the system of man
that male and female would be united by a
golden chord of innocent affection, and the
highest duty of man was in the exercise OF
his atfectional nature toward woman, and
her chief duty was q reciprocity of 1t, that
Satan had broken this relation, and sub
stituted the iron shackles of foul lust; and
that the time was now come to break these
iron shackles and restore the innocent re.
lation of males and females
The Shakers believe that Cherubims propa-
gate their species much in the same way we
do here, and yet say that men are so much
holier than the angels that it is sin for q
man to reproduce his likeness. The witness
complained that men were sent to his room
at the dead hour of night to drag him to the
Lunatic Asylum without a trial. The party
on whom it was alleged he committed the
assault, came to his room at night tantalizinp
him when he was sick, and "having refused
to leave me-" said the witness, 81 knocked
him down with this fst-nothing else"
In relation to statement made by Mr.
Martin, that he (Hobart) handed him q
butcher knife, and invited him to plunge il
into his body, that a miracle might be
wrought that would carry conviction as tc
his views.
He (Hubbard) denied having said so--bu-
admitted that he had made remark to the
effect that if he was unworthy to live, it wa.
better he should be in another world. H,
claimed that there was a great perversion o
truth running through the whole of Mr. Mar
tins statement
In reply to remark of Mr.. Martin, that i
he wanted to propagate new doctrines, he
ought to leave their ground, he remarked
that King George might as well have told
Washington not to raise the standard of re-
bellion in his dominions. AS sure as Moses
lead the people out of Egypt, if he could gel
round to these Shaker Societies, he would
gather every thing out of them that was worth
taking. There was great deal of humol
and natural eloquence displayed by Mr.
Hobart in the manner Of narrating his evi
dence, which satisfied all who heard hin
that he was not insane. The Court also cam,
to this conclusion and discharged him.