The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-09-08
Atrocities Perpetratcd by Re
EtOus FANATICS.

Z -%-''
atrocities PerpeGratcd by Re
gious Fanatics.
Correspondence Louisville Commercial. ]
SEARcY. ARK, August 30.
The organization calling themselves
Cobbites were holding big meeting
yesterday about two miles aud "a hail
from town, and stopping every one that
passed that way avd telling them not
to come near then as 1t was holy
grounds, aud that hey had God with
them About nall past II O'Clock a
saloon keeper by the name oi {. -.
Humphrles aud ore Blake got into d
buggy and veut tuL-to see what they
were doing. The C0bbites as ed them
If they did uot want to see God. They
told them yes, and the Two men got
out OF the buggy ote on one side and
one on the othe and as they struck
The ground Huhphrjes was grab 10y
five or six men snl Blake by a lot OF
women Humphries was dragged luto
the yard aud murdeted with clubs aud
rocks, his head cut off with au AK aud
stuck upon the ratings of the fence
The fanatics made every Que that
passed bow to it three times. Blake
succeeded in making his escape IRON
the women, and returned to town, gave
the alarm, and little army was raised
on short notice which went back to
capture them The citizeus were met
with resistance. One of the rinslead
ers Of the Cobbiles ordered them to
charge on the men aud take their guns
and Kill every one Of them. The old
leader had the dead man ; head iu his
hands and told his followers to charge,
which they did, when two OF them
were shot dead by our men aud one
badly wounded. The remainder, eight
or ten, were captured aud lodged in
Jail. Citizens are IN pursuit OF four
Others we'll armed, one OF whom Is
supposed to be Cobb himself. They
captured wagon-load OF them last
night, at p. N, on their way to the
meeting.
About two and one half miles south
of Searcy, the seat OF White county,
i a wild looking place known as Gum
Spring. the residents of which are
known as Cobbtes, owing to the fact
that an old man named Cobb, who
claims to be Christ, rules with an iron
hand His cnzy followers ciaim to
identify him by certain marks ia the
palms Of his hands, aud be has during
the past year made great many be
iievc in his doctrine, the main point OF
which Is that every one ia his ovmtnu
nifty should live in adultery, III order
that the souls Of the women might be
purified Thepriuciph rendezvous Of
the Cobbites isan OLD log hat 10 Gum
Spring. which is on the main road
lending from Searcy to-Ilittle Rock.
On "wednesday morning a Prelimin
airy examination vas held. They were
all released, and returned to Gum
Spring They talked necessarily about
their religion aud gesticultted con
,tantly. There Is no doubt that they
are all crazy from the combined effects
Jf religion aud starvation
Men, women aud children are as
gaunt as pack Of FINISHED wolves
Since the above was written they have
all quoted somewhat, and apparently /.
begin to realize the situation They
decline to talk at all, and will not no.
ice an outsider This extraordinary /
affair has created unprecedented cx- /
,itement in this vicinity.
Later advices say the Corouer's in (
luest was held on the body of Hum +
phreys, and the jury returned "a
verdict that j. u and j NJ Dover,
Thomas Calmly. and John and Eliza
beth Nelsou were guilty a. principals
IF the murder of humphreys, and
ohm and Lee Dover and Ciemiutine
Dover guilty \ss accessories. H. Is.
Dover aud Thomas Gaiuloy were the
wo men killed by the posse that made
he arrests. Cd Cobb escaped to
he woods, and at last accounts had
rot been captured 1t appears tl.at
Cobb came from Michigan. where he
aught his atroclous doctrines till
lrivcn ont Hetirst settled In South
,asteu Missouri, where he made few
and it Is said offered Up
infants as sacrifices He was driven
lway from there, aud with his fayorite
blowers went TO White county. Ark.
md induced a few more ignorant poo
Die TO join them. The accounts re
.eivcd do not give any adequate
e ason or cause for the attack upon
4 Humphreys and Blake, and the muir
Ter OF the former, but the Cobbites
seem to have been wrought up to a
nigh degree OF religious excitement or
renzy, and were urged on by old man
Cobb, who had taught his deluded
ollowers that he was not only Christ
n person but that he uttered the de-
.rees of God himself, aud that any
hing they nd was devoid of sin.
VICTORIOUS Close OF THE INDIAN
CAMPAIGN.-The New York Herald
announces that the Indian campaign
nas closed in disgrace to the United
States arms. The forces of the