The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1876-09-12
THE coBBrTEs.
Murdereus Deings es Arkansas Fa
nastcs-The Leader said 60 be a
Refugee From Michigan.

Sr. LOUIS, Sept. 3.-The Globe Dem
ocrat has q letter from Kinset, Ark. =,
detailing some atrocities committed by
religious sect called Cobbites, at a
place named Gum Spring. IL
appears that an old man named Cobb
rules the community. and is regarded
by his followers as Jesus and obeyed
accordingly. For some time past sim
gular noises have been heard at Gum
Spring by persons passing there, and a
few days ago @. ID. Humphreys, Of
Tearcy, and Mr.. Blake, OF FL Paso,
determined to ascertain the cause OF
them and clear up the mystery. They
therefore visited the locality, and as
they were passing hut, from which
issued strange sounds, n man named
Dover, one of the Cobbites, accosted
them, said that God was in the hut,
and invited them TO enter and see Him.
They alighted from their buggy, and
Humphreys was at once seized by four
men and Blake by four women. Blake
broke loose from his captors and ran
about lG0 yards, when on looking back
he saw the men cutting Humphreys to
pieces with long knifes. He FASTENED
To town, reported the case, and party
OF citizens Mt once started for the scene
of the murder. On arriving at the
Springs they found Humphreys killed
aud his head cut of and placed on n
fence paling. A boy riding by had
been compelled to get of his horse,
bow the head three times and utter a
prayer. A parley ensued between the
leader OF the citizens, q. @. Black, and
q I,. al,
the latter took Humphreys head from
the fence several times, shook it back
and forth and replaced il on the paling
at the same time ordering the citizens
TO leave. At last Dover and his crowd
advanced on Black and his party in q
menacing manner, and the latter fired
upon them, killing two men and wound
ing another. The remaining four men,
four women and two children were ar
rested and taken 10 Jail. Other Cob
bites were also arrested and taken to
Tearcy. There was great excitement
among the people and lynching was
threatened. Next day the preliminary
examination was held and all the par
ties released. They talked necessarily
about their religion, aud there seemed
little doubt that they were all crazy
from the effects Of religious excitement
and starvation.
Later advices say coroner's inquest
was held on the body OF Humphrey,
and the jury returned a verdict that l.
Il. and j. Dover, Thos. Carney, and
John and Elizabeth Nelson are guilty
as principals of the murder of Hum
phrey, and John and Lee Dover and
Clementine Dover are guilty as acces-
sories. l.. B. Dover and Thos. Carney
. were the two men killed by the posse
that made the arrests. Old Cobb es-
capped to the woods, and at last account
had not been captured.
Itappears Cobb came from Michigan,
where he taught his atrocious doctrines
until driven out. He first settled in
southeastern Missouri, where he made
a few converts, and il is's said there Of
fered up infants as sacrifices. He was
driven away from there and with his
fanatical followers went to White coun-
ty, Arkansas, and induced few more
ignorant people to Join them. The ac-
counts received do not give any ade-
quate reason or cause for the attack
upon Humphrey and Blake, and the
murder of the former. bnt the Cobbites
seem to have been wrought mp to
high degree OF religious excitement or
frenzy and were urged on by the old
man Cobb, who had taught his deluded
followers that he was not only Christ
in person. but that he uttered the de-
crees of God himself, and that anything
they did was devoid of sin.