The New York herald., 1867-08-19

tuas ~ On ILLS evidence - ono Oh
thes extraordinary statements 70 be taken ruei Osn
serabe exception was taken 10 the evidence OF Mrs
Cooke She was niece of Mra Thwaytes, and iof
many months visitor at her house. sb3 occupied
herself during this time in keeping notes In diary OF
the extravagant things her said " her. and she
future days Of her aunt's incapaciV TO make will.
This diary given In evidence ad records converse
tons with Mrs. Thwaytes still more remarkable than
any already quoted Such . document, IL the honesty
OF its purpose could be relied upon would form the
best evidence In the case. Eut II there should have
motive to deceive, it would be tho worst Il think It
to set this portion Of the evidence the present
ASIDE and recur to y reed 1o hereafter The evidence
which remains befeve, without exception gwen by
witnesses who have interests subserve this con-
roversy They arc for the most part adesmen or SER
wants with whom hrs. 1hwaytes came IN contact and
they Reproduce in such forms the ideas and
thovghis ia their account OF the tesatrx 10 negative
fraudulent and induce general belief Nor was
the credibty Of these witnesses otherwise assaed by
tine plaintiffs than by the following rsumeut which
great Stress was laidAow Is possible Il was asked
conclude tina, Mrs. Thwaytes really thought herself 10
be member OF the Holy Trinity when y0a find the
witnesses protesting TO recount such moons state
mcnts on the subject? One will have II that she spoke
OF the ITslty consisting OF set OF persons and
smother Of different set, while third goes
person into IT.. 80, again, one witness makes her
say that size is the bride Of Christ another that
she s % bring for the Saviour another thai the child
different be believed 10 have como from the same
persoua Or, If they did, and here great strcss was
laid the Court draw from statements anagonistc
the conclusion that Mrs. Thwaytes entertained any such
definite belief as that she was person Of the Holy
Trinity or the mother OF the Saviour or the ke The
answer this method Of reasoning sppeara 10 be
very near the surface. Assume Mrs Thwaytes 10 be
rational person OF sound mind and it Is irrefragible
Assume the contrary and its force vanshes 20 nothing
If consistency is the offspring Of reason, the irrational
scarcely fail 10 be nconss,ent and. when the in
consistences OF thought and speech in an individual
brought forward to establish her of reason IL s
answer to say that they such that rational person
could have conceived or uttered them. would here
observe, before commenting on the exWavagant ideas
Involved in these statements that the Witnesses
IN the periods to which they aude space OF upwards
OF thirty years. Their evidence extends from time
anterior to the death Of Mr. Thwaytes into the autumn
of tho year 1854. Moreover, the witnesses do
words which Mrs rhwaytss may may bave ave used used
but only the substance OF what she said, asserting,
would say these same things repeatedly
aud constantly whenever occasion offered think il
fair therefore, 10 infer, the hand, that tho broad
IDEAS involved N what said to have fallen from her
had permanent If not constant possession Of her mind
while on the other the exact shape OF these ideas ought
not TO be inferred with 10 rigid precision from the
cations proceed TO address myself to Mrs. Thwsytes
ideas on religious su' jecs II is here that II is CON-
mama. They follows: THAT she had constant
and direct communication with God; that she tho
with some other persons not always the same, they
constituted the Holy trinity; that this relation between
them was such that Dr. Smith knew all that she thought
and dId'if he were in Jamaica and sitting here by
the fire he would know oil thought and did, At an
other time that she was above God seven degrees
that epidemic diseases such cholera and influenza,
came through her agency. God said 'Farn the screo
and the ohoiera came. "yarn Il ooaia," and ii
ceossd Tha. she was engaged with Dr. Smith in
something that she called ''the great work. that
the first stage OF this work had its commence
ment about the year 1882. when she mad illness
time she suffered much agony and became blind; that
this blindness continued for several weeks tshe did
continuance she worked with her needle and hemmed
number of dnsters that at this period she physically
orr ds on aeo Coy ons nerves ana BLOOD she re-
her actual body and lesh That she about to give
birth to the saviour for which event she provided baby
linen. That u. one time che was the bride Of Christ and
at another time that she the Virgin Mary. Lastly
that the great final judgment OF would take place
in her drawing roo and that she would sit there
in judgment her fellow creatures With the Creator
Tho exhibition OF these leading ideas
70 mere Conversations they were carried into action by
bic manner In the crst place, there is the London
drawing furnished a. s erpense Of abls els, ,ooo
br ugse into any single occdsi,n GER dirndn.
Ted, nerer Forgotten ds,caw prepared, and for yaos per-
ereM Mr. Clarke, Who, as foreman TO Hessrr. Gillow
had these decorations in hand, is sent for by
tho sssa,rx and wi,nou, sOpa,en; reason or motive
receive ESQ year. This annuity he received for many
years, during which he constantly BY MIRA
religious ideas which she poured forth for his edncatou
by the hour time. 1t Is difficult to forbear the con-
Thwaytes the fitting reward for the part no had bornc
in the sacred work ol preparing for the great judgment
Then there is the tiara OF diamonds bought tor the deco
serve and devoted TO the same august occasion Again.
her assumption OF the Divinity not confined TO
words. was proved by one very credible witness, If
not that than occasion she permitted
If she did not invite, Mrs. Curtis TO fall down
knees and worship her II IL true that Mrs Curtis
explain the position in which was found
In different way but the vdence OF the fact, coupled
with Mrs Tawayes expressions concerning 1t, satisfies
the Court OF this conduct and its true character IL Ia
well TO pauss here and ask If any person
ceved or fostersd such deas as hese2 Some Of them
being the bride Of Christ that there mysca
aud spiritual connection between herself and Dr. smith
which enabled him read her thoughts, that was
born cnes in some mysterious sense beyond a merely
spiritual regeneraon,l can conceive IL just possible
10 have been bred in mind not very highly educated
robust acted upon by excitable nervous enthusiastic
temperament. But will anything know of the ma
iurl aud healthy working OF the human mind extend
the conception Of false identity, such that involved
in her bcing CT tho Holy Truity the Virgin Nary
still further, TO her assumption Of the Divine attr-
butos in tho preposerous expectation tina, should
did IN tho pcurc ba hos Of the London dra wing room
th its velvet and silk as the scene OF her future glory
Religious and fanatical enthusiasm will account for
much, but did ever stretch so far and stoop low II
not, assurcdy, In the region OF enthusiasm at
must look for the calm exercise pure reason, temper
ato aud well balanced ideas, exactness OF logical
thought still iess must expect that the fcrvour Of
naticsm will follow in the slow stops OF philosophy reach
ing It's conclusions by the steps of proot It's
hardly then by the test OF their
the will thoughts Of religious enthusiasts brought
TO standard for Judgment OF their sanity. But there
are surely limits TO my stica a subject within
which the human mind In state OF health is unreason
able extravagani, and the common experience Of life
ton OF judgment Ia most cases. To draw the exact
ne II there be one, VIII ch defines such limits NAV be
impossible, but ~ affirm that ns, surpass II
Is not so. mo one,n said Burke, ''cau say where tw
light begins or ends, but there ample distinction be-
tween day and night" IT. then were bound, stopping
here, to pronounce upon the bare contemplation OF
these ideas, without reference 10 the conduct habits
Of the person who entertained them, mode In
which they exhibited whether they were such as
sane people have been known to entertain, ! fear
sheuld be compelled to In the negative But the
conduct and habits OF the deceased ana the mode
" which and the occasions which she manifested he
re igious thoughts and ideas cannot be thus excluded
lhoy form, perhaps more valuable materials for judg
than the character OF the ideas themsevc and
press with remarkable weight In tho same direction.
Mrs fhwaytes did not by acts OF her life by any
put ward demoanor exhibit herself religious en-.
husasI Charitable she appears - have been, but
In tho extraordinary conversations Ia which the
enable ideas above quoted revealed,
ect OF religion rarely or never approached by her
she never went to church or sought com nunion with
ministers CT any form OF religion and with cxcep
ion rcatlng 10 book she S not known to have read
Was wholly without religious literature Very ignorant
.tx. rIfr,f xxtt