Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-08-16
A MASSACHUSETTS, SCANDAL.
Providence Journal ]


Providence Journal
No community is safe from out
breaks of erotic madness under the
guise of religion, and made shame
less by fanaticism. Staid English
society has just been thrown off its
balance by the discovery of
manual used by certain clergymen
of the Church of England, in
which confession is made the means
for the most purient suggestion,
and what is more significant, the
members of the sect or faction
which used the book have just held
a meeting, defended it publicly and
agreed to stand by it. 1t was not
very long since that a sect of
Flagellants, with all their unmen-
tionable scandal, was discovered to
be fourishing among the most
aristocraiic and pious Catholic So
ciety in Paris. Here in America
attention was recently called to the
existence of the Oneida commun-
ity by the abdication of its patri-
arch and high priest, Noyes while
the standing shame of Mormon
dom is perpetually before our eyes.
The latest ebullition of this sort of
thing has occurred in the staid old
town Of Petersham, Massachusetts,
and it has been dealt with by the
selectmen in something Of the good
old style in which the Puritans
dealt with such pestilent schismat-
les, who are usually more knaves
than fools. The law did not give
them the power us in old days, to
inculcate decency in the ringleader
through the epidermis, or to bring
sense and shame to his disciples by
putting them in the pillory as for
nicators, but there is a law against
indecent exposure Of the person,
which they were enabled to put in
force and to secure the prophet be-
hind the bars Of the Jail to the
great loss Of faith among his dis
ciples.
The community numbered about
twenty, and were called Howeites,
after their leader, John G. Howe,
who called himself Jesus Christ.
1t originated in 1866, when two
women, named Hervey and Hawks,
met F. II. Rowland, a Quaker, oi
New Bedford, at the Groton camp.
meeting, and originated the new
dispensation. They took in eight
people from Athol, Mass, and
lived in common upon the farm ol
one Fuller, worshiping Rowland
as a prophet, until he was killed
by a runaway horse. Fuller sue
ceeded him, and the community
increased to twenty in number
They removed to Petersham, where
they successfully farmed a tract O
two hundred acres, and gave NJ
open scandal to the neighbors un
til the arrival of this Howe, whC
was a mechanic of Worcester, and
of unsayory reputation. He revo.
lutionized the simple habits, dres
and manners of the community
and corrupted the religious mysti
cism into vagabond obscenlty. HI
received his inspirations from thu
Lord while waltzing naked, and thii
peculiar style Of revelation was The
cause OF his incarceration. The
witness against him was child o.
fourteen, who can only claim, likC
the widow Of the grand armee, tt
be the child of the community.
The people Of the staid Berkshir,
hills are doubtless greatly shocked
at this abnormal abomination tha
has suddenly been revealed in theil
midst, but they are not responsible
any more than English society fol
the Ritualists, or the French for tht
,, Flagellants. Such ebullitions O.
! crime and disease have always oc
Cured, and possibly always vii
until the millennium. Reckoning
on their periodical appearance, i
may be wisely considered before
hand how to treat them. The lin,
between conscientious faith and er
ratio yiciousness may be hard t
! define, when they are so united, bu
, a little of the Puritan method o
l stripes would, we are convinced, b,
: very eificacious in curing tn,
> prophets and leaders, even if the
can claim to be possessed by a spiri
2 not of the flesh. The chief minis
ters once cast out or dispossessed o
the devil, and the community woult
scatter into curative society, or b
scattered into single and harmless
fanatics ranging on the windy sid,
: of insanity. Aggregation make
them chiefly dangerous, and al
: proper means should be taken t
d prevent it.
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