Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1876-09-05
DREADFUL MURDER IN ARkAN-
SAN

| ST. Louis, September 2.-The Globe
| Democrat has a letter from kensett'
| AakansaS, detailing some atrocities
| committee: hy religious sect calico
the CobbIt"s. at Gum Springs, White
county. 1t appears that an old man
named Cobb rules the community.
! and is regarded by his followers as
Jesus and obeyed accordingly. For
some time pa-t singular noises have
| heen beard at Gum Springs, and a few
| DAVIS ago G. ID. Humphreys and Mr..
Blake of El PaSo determined to aScer-
tain the cause. They therefore visited
| the locality, and as they We're passing
"A hut. from which issued strange
| sounds. a man named Doren, one OF
the CnbhiieS, accoSted them. saying,
:. God is in the hot, " and invited them
~ to see him. They alighted from
their buggy. and Humphreys was III
once seized bv four men ard Blake DV
four women. Blake broke loose from
his c.tptor~. aud ran about II hundred
wards. when. on looking back, he saw
The men cutting Humphreys 10 pieces
with long knives. He FASTENED To the
town ard reported The case, ana u
,ariv of citizens al once started for the
scene OF the murder. On arriving AT
the springs they found Humphrey
hea c,It off and stuck on a fence pal
ing. A boy, riding by, bad been conf
relied to get off his morse. bow t" the
head three times and utter 4 prayer.
A rariey ensued between the citizens.
J. &. Blake and Dover of the Cobbite>,
during which time the latter TOOK
Humphreys head from the fence sew
era times, shook it back and forth
and replaced it on the paiing. NJ the
same time ordering the citizens to
cave. At last. Dover and his crowd
advanced on Black and his party IN
nenacing manner, anu the latter hfeu
upon them, killing two men ana
wouuding another. The remaining
four men, four women and Two child
were arrested and taken To jail. Other
CobbiIes were also arrested ana taken
TO Jail There was great excitement
anon. the people and iynchlnG was
rhreateuad. Next day preliminary
examination was held and all the par
lies were released. They talked in
cesSantly about their religion, ana
there seemed little doubt that they
were al crazy from the effects of relig-
ions excitement and starvation.
Later advices from Arkansas say:
The COroner's inquest held on the
body oil humphrey Returned "tiuiS.
that l.. b. and J. Nj. Dover Thomas
Calmly and John and Elizabeth Mel
son we're principals and John Clemen-
tine and Lee Dover accessories to the
murder. l.. b. Dover and Thomas
Calmly were killed by the posse max
ing the arrest. Old Cobb escaped to
the woods and at last accounts had not
been captured. 1t appears that CobD
came from Michigan, where he taught
his atrOciOus doctrines until driven
out. He first settled in Southwestern
Missouri, where he made few con
verts and it is said offered up infants
for sacrifice. He was driven away
from there, with his fanatical follow
ers, and went to White county and in
duccd few more ignorant people to
join him. The accounts received do
not give any reason or cause for the
attack upon Humphrey and Blake
and the murder of the former, but the
Cobbites seem to have been wrought
up to high degree of religious excite
ment and in their frenzy were urged
on bv old man Cobb, who had taught |
his followers that he was not only |
Christ in person. but that he uttered
the DEGREES of God himself, and that |
any thing they did was devoid of sin. |