The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-09-03
A RELIGIOUS HORROR.
Atrocities Of Cobb and His Fanatical
Followers In White Co, Arkansas.
Cobb Claims TO be and Is Regarded by His
Followers rs lesus Christ c. D.
humphreys Seized and Cut to
Pieces at His Bidding

81 Louls, September = The Globe
Democrat has letter from kcnsett,
Arkansas, detailing some atrocities
committed 10y IA religious scot called
Cobhites, at place nan ed Gum
Spring, White county. II appears an
old man, named Cobb, rules the COM
munity and Ia regarded by his follow
ers ms Jesus and is oheyed accordingly.
For some time past singular noises
have been heard at Gum Spring by
persons passing there, and few days
ago G. d. Humphreys, of Searey, and
Mr.. Blake, Of Elpaso, determined to
ascertain the cause OF them, aud clear
up the mystery. They therefore visi-
ted the locality, and as they We're
passing u hut from which issued
strange sounds, man named Dover,
II Cobhi,e, acoosted them and said
God WAS IN the hut, aud invited them
to enter aud see him, They Hlighted
from their buggy, when Humphreys
was at once seized by four men, aud
Blake 10y four women. Blake broke
loose from his captors and ran about
one hundred yards, and on looking
back he saw the men cutting Hum
phreys to pieces with long knives. He
hastened to town, reported the case,
and II nrty of citizens started at once
for the scene of murder. On arriving
at the Springs, they found Humphrey
had been killed, his head cut or and
stuck ON fence pNliug a boy riding
10y had been compelled to get oil his
horse, bow to the head three times and
utter prayer. A parley EN-
sued between the leader Of
the citizens, l.. G, Black, and Do.
yer, the Cobbite, during which
the latter took Humphreys head from
the fence several times, shook 1t back
aud forth and replaced II on the pal
ing, at the same time ordering the
citizens to leave. At last Dover and
and his crowd advanced on Blake and
his party in n menacing manner, and
the latter fired upon them, killing two
men, wounding another and the re.
manning four men, four women and
two children were olso arrested and
taken to Searcy. There was great ex-
element among the people and lynch
ing was threatened. Next day pre-.
Itinerary examination was held and
all parties released. They talked in-
ceoantly about their religion aud there
seemed little doubt that they were all
crazy from the effects of religious ex-
element and starvation.
Latter advices say coroner's In.
quest was held on the body of Hum.
phreys and the jury returned verdict
that l.. b. and J, M. Dover, Thomas
Gainey and John and Elizabeth Nell
son, were guilty rs principles of the
murder of Humphreys, and John and
Lee Dover and Clementine Dover,
guilty as accessories. l.. b. Dover and
Thomas Gainey, were the two men
killed by the posse that made the ar
rests. Old Cobb escaped to the woods
and at last accounts had not been
captured, 1t appears Cobb came from
Michigan, where he taught his afro
cious doctrines until driven out. He
first settled In southeastern Missouri,
where he made few converts, and they
are said to have offered up infants as
sacrifices. He was driven away from
there, and with his fanatical followers
went to White county, Arkansas, and
induced few more ignorant people to
join him. The accounts read do not
give any adequate reason or cause for
the attack upon Humphrey and Blake,
and the murder of the former, but the
Cobbites seem to have been wraught
up to high degree of religious excite
ment or frenzy, and were urged on by
old man Cobb, who taught his deluded
followers that he was not only Christ
In person but that he uttered DEGREES
of God himself, and that anything they
did was devoid of sin. ..,.