The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-10-02
- - From the 81, Louis Adp0cate
a CMrs0us Character.
"REMINISCENCES OF THE MOST REMARKABLE
assn MADMAN ON RECORD. 49,

eAAOelAN OIs hECOaD. era
B Leonard Jones was born in Virginia, July
3, 1871; came to- Union County, KY, with
his parents in 1904; in young manhood
was land Spectator, and amassed o con-
siderable fortune; was engaged to be mar
ried to o worthy lady Of. high social posi-
ton in Central Kentucky. The engage
ment was broken of, and he then removed
to Indiana and turned his thoughts to reli-
gion. Disappointment in love seems to
have been the cause of his strange and err
ratio course in after life, He joined the
United Brethren, then the Methodists, and
next the Shakers at Pleasant Hill, in Mer-
Ger County, KY, all within few years
While among the Shakers he sfell in love"
with "Sister Nancy" the former wife of
Brother John. He told John and Nancy
of his passion. "John became greatly in
censed, and NancYIcut up little, but was
really not much displeased." To cure his
love fit he entered upon fast Of forty days,
and soon became SO weakened as to take to
his bed. The brethren endeavored to in
duce him to give up his fast, and he con-
sented to do SO on condition that Sister
Nancy would feed him with her own hands.
She prepared him savory meal and set it
on a table beside him. He eagerly devour-
ed it and was much refreshed.n Remem-
bering that he had eaten from table and
not the fair sisters hand, he entered upon
second fast, vowing he ne'er would eat
again eth Nancy fed him with her town
hands," Thereupon she became enraged,
and declared 'sshe would not feed him to
save his life, and, said he, II broke my
G. L T., x,.1. I'll
with" John and Nancy subsequently re-
turned to "the world" and spent the resi-
due Of life in happy wedlock. Mr.. Jones
conveyed to the Shakers 5000 acres ofland
in Illinois, east of st Louis, now very val
liable. At the age of thirty-eight and a
half years he left the Shakers, having spent
six and half years with them. Soon after
he encountered o Mormon preacher and
was baptized, but not receiving the prom
Used gift Of tongue, he Immediately gave
up Mormonism. dR -9rss !3a De 1tfc1 =
He next encountered o strange genius
named Mcdaniel who was preaching that
"man by faith can live forever" in this
lower world. He Immediately embraced
the "live-forever doctrine."a He and Nc
Danielllaid off "the capital city Of the world,
where Columbus, kentucky now stands;
where all the stliverfbrever faith" were to
dwell; where death, collins and grave yards
were to be unknown. A contest for supre-
macy arising between the two, it was deter
mined to decide the question by looking
each other steadily in the eye, with their
noses about twelve inches apart; the one
that quailed under the others gaze was to
be subordinate. Like two enraged rats
they glared upon each other for two hours,
when zone proposed an armistice and the
other agreed to il" but said he, 1--WE never
found it convenient to resume hostilities.n
"You have no idea,s he continued, p show
painful q two hours steady gaze into an
other mans eye is. 1t is absolutely awful
The city laid of, he and Mcdaniel started
east to make converts, but the latter took
sick and died in the State of Ohio. The
death of Mcdaniel shook Leonard's faith
for few weeks, and he was Every much
embarrassed when he came to preach the
funeral" of his deceased co-laborer in the
liye-for-ever gospel. With the death Of
Mr.. Mcdaniel the new gospel and the cap
ital city failed, but Mr.. Jones continued to
to avow his faith in the truth of his theory,
and ffirmed that he would never die. 4,
In 1850 he called upon the writer to pray
for him in an attack of cholera. His re-
quest was complied with, and after his re-
covery he claimed "great credit for not
dying" saying that his faith had saved his
life. After the death of McD Daniel he turned
his attention to politics. He thought the
politics of the nation needed reforming, and
that he was the chosen ofthe Lord to effect
The The needed reformation He eschewed ex-
isting politics, and become the head of the
"High Moral' party. No man was to fill
the Office except on High Moral principles.
He ran for Congress In the Paducah district,
| but was defeated by Lyon Boyd. He ran
in after years successfully, but not success,
fully, for Congress in several other districts
but received but few If any votes, being
generally regarded ASA religious and polit-
| zeal mailman. Wearied with Congression-
al defeats, he next aspired to. the Presiden-
cy, and has been q standing candidate for
that Office for twenty years. Eighteen years
ago he told the writer that God was work
ing for him. That he had removed General
Taylor from the office which belonged to
himself; had killed Sir Robert Peel, Of
England, because he dissuaded Queen Vic.
! toria from complying with his demand
| upon her to arouse the British nation in his
behalf and had removed Bishop Bascom
because he refused to enlist the Methodist
Church in behalfof the '1.high moral aspi
rant. He has invoked the aid ofall churches
in behalf of his "high moral' scheme, and
has denounced them all as apostate, because
they did not enlist the churches in his be-
half He has also had it in contemplation
to run for United States Senatorship in
Massachusetts. M .ss 1seg aqfe
He has instituted suits against all the
Presidents for twenty years for the. place
they occupy. He was a regular church.
goer, dividing his time among the churches
always taking o front seat, and sometimes
speaking in meeting.n None of our bish-
ops have visited Louisville without hearing
of or encountering him. He attended thu
courts and sometimes demanded a hearing
as alawyer in behalf of some person or cause
that awakened his sympathies, and some
times got in Jail by his untimely mterfer
enee. He attended all theIlectures and 90
casionally was disposed to wrangle witt
the lecturer. * political meeting was no
held in his vicinity without his presence
and he often claimed his .'say"" among, tht
speakers Religiously he was defaonstra-
tive If allowed 50 to be- and politically, as
speaker, he was s'uproarious'p He roar.
ed like one possessed; he jumped up and
down, stamped, kicked, sclapped, thumped
and with his heavy cane, whackcd with
vigor the stand before him,
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