The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1868-09-19
LIVE FOREVER JONES"
REAINKSCENCES OF THE MOST RE
VARIABLE lMADMAN ON RECORD.
The History of His Early Love.
His Career as Shaker, a Mormon, and
an Immortal High Morar Aspirant

The following highly interesting sketch
of Live forever Jones, the most remark
able character of his day, who died at
the Louisville Hospital on the Both of
August last. The reminiscence is pre-
pared by Rev. j. w. Cunningham, of
Louisville:
Leonard Jones was born in Virginia,
July Sd, 1897, came to Union county,
KY, with his parents, in 1904 in young
manhood was a land speculator, and
amassed considerable fortune was en-
gagged to be married to worthy lady of
high social position in Central Ken
lucky. The engagement was broken of, |
and he then removed to Indiana, and
turned his thoughts to religion. Disap-
pointment in love seems to have been the |
cause of his strange and erratic course
in after life.
He joined the United Brethren, then
the Methodist, and next the Shakers at
Pleasant Hill, in Mercer county, KY, all
within few years.
While among the Shakers he "fell in
love" with g Sister Nancy" the former
wife of Brother John. He told John
and Nancy Of his passion. John be-
came greatly incensed, and Nancy cut np
a little, but was really not much dis
pleased"
To cure his love he entered upon fast
1 or forty days, ana SOON became SO weak
ened as to take to his bed. The breth-
ren endeavored to induce him to give up
/ his fast, and he consented to do so on
condition that Sister Nancy would feed
him with her hands" She prepared him
savory meal and set it on a table beside
him. He eagerly devoured it and "was
much refreshed
Remembering that he had eaten from
| a table and not the fair sisters hand, he
entered upon a second fast, vowing he
ne'er would eat again till Nancy fed
him with her oacn hands" Thereupon
she became enraged, and declared I" she
would not feed him to save his life," and
said he, broke my fast, as the condi-
item could not be complied with"
John and Nancy subsequently return
ed to " the world, and spent the residue
of life in happy wedlock.
Mr.. Jones conveyed to the Shakers FIVE
thousand acres Of land in Illinois, east
of st. Louis, now very valuable. At the
age of thirty eight and half years, he
left the Shakers, having spent six and
half years with thom.
Soon after he encountered a Mormon
preacher and was baptized, but, not re-
ceiving the promised gift Of tongue, he
Immediately gave up Mormonism. He
next encountered a stragDe genius named
Mcdaniel, who was preaching that 'nlaa
Iy faith can Ire forerer," in this lower
world. He Immediately embraced the
s'live- forever doctrine" He and McDan-
iel laid off "the capital city of the world, !"
where Columbus, Kentucky, now stands;
where all of the ''live-forever faith" were
to dwell; where death, cofins and grave
yards were to be unknown A contest
for supremacy arising between the two, it
was determined to decide the question by
looking each other steadily in the eye,
with their noses about twelve inches
apart; the ore that-auai,zd u uhder the
others gaze -, ate. Like
= !! ! : I : ! !
no idea,'' be cohcicked, Sn5w painful a
two hours steady gaze into another 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 s'very much
embarrassed when he came to preach the
+ funeral" of his deceased co-laboIer in
the live-for-ever gospel.
: With the death of Mcdaniel the new
| gospel and the capital city failed, but Mr.
Jones continued to a<ow his faith in the
truth of his theory, and affirmed that he
. would never die.
II In 1850 he called upon the writer tc
pray for him in an attack of cholera
q His request was complied with, and aftel
T his recovery he claimed ''great credit fol
e not dying" saying that his faith hat
: saved his iife. lnaT 9a sN e
After the death of Mcdaniel, he turn
: ed his attention to politics. He though
the politics of the nation needed reform
{ ing, and that he was the chosen of tn
5 Lord to effect the needed reformation
: He esehewed existing politics, and be
II came the head of the "High Moral
i party. No man was to fill the Office ex
t. cept on "High Moral principles" Fl
It ran for Congress in the Paducah district
o but was defeated by Linn Boyd. He raj
t: in after years successively, but not sue
e cessfully, for Congress in several othe
e districts, but received but few 1T an.
If votes, being generally regarded as re
t, ligious and political madman. Wearie