The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-01-06
CLARK COUNTY LUNATICs.

CLARK COUNTY LUNATICS.
FAMILY OF FANATIcs-A SICK WOMAN CON-
CEALED TILL THE NEIGHBoRS INTERFERE
CANDIDATES FOR THE INSANE ASYLUM.
Mention has been made repeatedly Of lit
tie community of Mormons, or idiots, in the
south part of Clark county, whose perform
ances rival the bowling dervishes. James
Scott is minister OF the Latter-day Saints.
and with his family, consisting of wife, two
daughters and son, appears to be little bet
ter than a raving maniac. Since September
last ne has confined his wife in dark room,
and refused everybody, including her bro
TIERS admittance to the house. A rumor
finally got started that the womantras dead
which determined the brothers and neigh
bors to make an investigation. The visit is
described by the Ledger-Standard: Some
thirty-six men joined the expedition. When
the party arrived at the place of destination
they espied quite connection in the back
yard. The father, in company with a son
and daughter, walked rapidly to meet the
party, and with faltering effort at military
display, commanded the van to halt, but the
van merely said good morning, SIR" and
passed On. He then ran frantically toward
the house. yelling wildly to the men, "For
Gods sake to stop and reason a moment
The spokesman, turning to him, said: "Mr.
Scott, this foOlery has been carried far
| enough, and we have come here to ascertain
commit any depreciation, or harm any one
| in the least; but we are going into that house
to see that woman, if she is there, and if she
is not there, we are going to know where
she is, and, now, sir, if yeu have
any valid reasons for practising such
an outrage on this community; we will
hear them" Scott then delivered himself in
substance as follows: "Men and brethren:
my soul is filled with the love of God to-
ward you all and the word of God is now
/ l.. IDa ~
the world. hearken unto my voice. and hear
We the living God, the word of the God of
Abraham, and the God of Isaac and
the God of Jacob. / have a command
from the great God of Gods, to keep my
wife shut up in that room for a certain time
and allow no human being to see her, except
myself, my son, and those two unmarried
daughters. The great God, in whose pres
ence / now stand, in fear and trembling,
! tells me that if / faithfully keep this COM
mand, my wife shall be restored to new life
and perfect health, and that she shall not
taste death. 1t is constantly revealed to me
by the living God that whenever this COM
mand is broken my wife will instantly drop
dead, and her soul will instantly sink into
perdition; and whoever dares to break that
command will fall dead Immediately on cross
ing the threshold of that door, and their
souls will sink instantly into everlastin
woe. Hear my voice, now pray you, ana
heed the warning of the living God; for in
the self-same moment that We enter in
through that door, the flaming sword
that hangs above it will fall upon YOU and
> cut you down as cumberers of the earth; and
this day shall We all become as dung upon
the ground. Thus sayeth the living God /"
At the close of this preposterous harangue,
the son, who had stood like statue, gazing
vscantly at the distant west, without moving
a muscle of the body, responded, amen and
amen, and amen" The father then turned
to the daughter, saying: Daughter, you
: speak,"
THE PROPHECIES.
The girl slowly raised both hands above
her head, turned her eyes toward the hea-
vens, and tor a moment gazed vacantly into
the immensely of space. while the father
called the attention Of the crowd telling
them "to listen now to the word of the living
God" The prophecies began 10 quake and
tremble from head to foot, at the same time
uttering unintelligible verbiage i'm the wild
2 est and most incoherent manner; her voice
gradually growing into series of frightful
, and deafening screams, and her gesticula-
4. tons growing wilder and more vehement
/ until they terminated in commissions
ceasing from complete exhaustion. Here
the spokesman remarked that that
was enough of such insane absurdity, and
asked Scott to open the door. Scott re-
piled that he ''was in the hands of the liy
: ing God, having neither power to resist or
J assist them" Whereupon the Self-consti-
tuted investigating committee made their
way into that mysterious room, and beheld
e there, in front of the old fashioned fire place
the object of their search, sitting upon a
chair looking stolid and stiff as a marble
!, bust, perfectly motionless, and her counte-
: nance entirely void of expression. Her
brothers approached her. one at a time, sa-
: luting her kindly; but she remained perfect
a ly quiet, until the fourth brother attempted
to take her hand, when she withdrew it
D with a sudden motion. AS the party passed
5 into the house, the father, the son. and
r prophecies all fell upon their knees in the
chip yard, the three abreast, facing the west
s The old man and the girl prayed
3 his wrath now; to send thunderbolts from
J heaven and destroy from the face of the
: earth these Gentiles; the son constantly re-
i peating his usual chorus, ''amen, and amen,
and amen" During this prayer a second
{ daughter distinguished herself by running
back and forth across the yard, moaning pit
} eously, her hands quivering and flying rap
q idly about in every direction, her head bob
, bling up and down striking the chin against
the breast with such violence as to make the
beholder involuntarily look to see her head
fly off her shoulders. The father and son
r were dressed in blue jeans coats of a peculiar
pattern, buttoned up in front, with single
row of old fashioned brass buttons, present
, ing quite an eccentric appearance
n' deathIiRe paIio o that '1 makes ~ one
shudder while looking at her. The girls
have an unhealthy appearance. and their
; complexion reminds one of the clay eaters OF
| the Carolinas. The most striking about the
| females is the insane expression of their
eyes. There were two physicians present,
and they unhesitatingly pronounced the
mother and the two males seriously de-
2 mented, the girls almost hopelessly insane;
and gave it as their candid opinion that il
the mother is not provided with light air and
! ol,o mill IT,
Scott was first taken i'll, she claimed to have
q manifestation that she would never die,
but would be translated as Eliza of old; and
J after sitting the matter, it is pretty clearly
, ascertained that Scott intended to keep his
wife concealed until she died, then conceal