The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-09-04
RELIGIOUS FANATICISsI.
Sect OF. .Cobbitcs In ArIsansas-A
Citizen Murdered and Horribly
Mutilated-ScTeral OF the Fa-
nnticS Arrested.


Citizen Murdered and Horribly
MutiIuted-ScVeral OF the Fa-
natics Arrested.
Sr. LOUIS, September 2,-The Globe
Democrat has letter from kensett, Ar
kansas, detailing some atrocities commit
ted by religious sect called the Cobbites,
at a place called Gum Spring White
county. II appears a'man named Cobb
rules the community, aid is regarded by
his followers rs Jesus and obeyed accord
ingly. For some time past singular
noises have been heard ut Gum Spring,
by persons passing there. A few days
ago, c. D. Humphreys, Of Searcy, and 4
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 n hut,
from which issued strange sounds, u man
named Dover and one. OF the Cobbites, nc.
costcd them and said God was in the hut,
and invited them to enter and see him.
They alightel from their buggy, and
Humphreys was at once seized by four
men and Blake by four women. Blake
broke loose from his captors and
rdn about n hundred and fifty
yards, when, on looking back, he
saw the men cutting Humphreys to
pieces with long knives. He llastened to
town, reported tho case, and u party OF
citizens ut once started for the scene Of
the murder. On arriving at the Springs
they found Humphreys killed, his head
cut of and stuck on II fence paling. a
boy riding by had been compelled TO get
ofi'his horse, how his head three times and
utter prayer. A parley ensued be-
tween the leader Of the citizens, I. c.
Dover, and the Cobbites, during which the
latter took Humphreys head from the
fence several times, shook it back and
forth, and replaced it 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 n menacing man
ner, and the latter fired upon them kill
ing two men and wounding another. The
remaining four men, four women and two
children were arrested and taken 10 jail.
Other Cobbites were also arrested and
taken to Searcy. There was great cx-
element among the people, and lynchIng
was threatened. ....
The next day preliminary examina-
tion was held and all the parties released.
They talked necessarily about their re-
ligion, and there seemed little doubt that
they were all crazy from the effects Of re-
ligious excitement and starvation.
Later advices say that corOner's in.
quest was held on the bOdyof Humphrey,
and the jury returned n verdict that i. B.
and ]. NJ. Dover, Thos. Gainey and John
and Elizabeth Nelson are guilty NJ prin-
cipaIs Of the murder Of Humphrey, and
John and Lee Dover and Clementinc
Dover guilty as accessories. i. b. Dover
and Thomns Gainey were the two men
killed by tue posse that made the arrests.
Old Cobb escaped to the woods, and At
last accounts had not been captured. II
appears that Cobb came from Michigan,
where he taught his attrocious doctrines
until driven out. lie first settled in
Southeastern Mississippi, where he made a
few converts, and, il is said, offered up in
iants as sacrifice, lie was driven away
from there, and with his fanatical follow
crs went to White county, Arkansas, and
induced few more ignorant people to
join them. The accounts received do not
give any adequate reason or cause for the
attack upon Humphrey and the murder
Of the former; but the Cobbites seem to
have been wrought up to high degree oil
religious excitement or frenzy, and were
urged on by old man Cobb, who had
taught his deluded followers that he was
not only Christ in person. but that he ut.
tered the DEGREES Of God himself, and that
anything they did was'deyoid Of sin.