The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-11-22
Baltimore Sundau Herald.

Baltimore Sunday Herald.
Washington seems to be a favorite
congregating point for great number
of curious people. 1t has been the
Mecca of cranks for hundred years
1t was only few days ago that Texas
lunatic appeared at the White House
and claimed possession. He said that
by the direction of George Washington
he had lived in a tub of cold water fol
year to fit himself to be President
But this Texan is only one in a long
line of deluded creatures who have evil
IDENTIFY gone crazy on dream ofpower.
On the 21st of October, 1880, there
is the first record of these cranks. A
man named William Fullilove came
here from Leonardtown, Md, and pro.
claimed to the citizens that he had been
ordered by General Washington,
George III. and Jesus Christ to take
possession of the Government and run
it for 100 years. He delivered a wild
harangue from the court house steps,
and his language was so seditious that
the crowd that had collected talked OF
mobbing him, when the city marshal ap-
peared, and, seeing that he was luna
tic, took him to safe quarters. Full
love had been prosperous land-survey-
or for many years, and Il fall down steep
bluff had cracked his skull SO badly that
he went daft and imagined himself a
mighty potentate.
In 1904 woman named Mary Kin
sella came here from Winchester, Va,
and CLAIMED to be the resurrected Queen
Isabella, of Spain. She was accompan-
led by fellow crank, an octogenarian,
who personated lamented Ferdinand,
who had been defunct for 800 years
This ratified pair exhibited all elaborate
paper with charts and great red seals at;
evidently prepared for them, proclaim
ing that the entire continent belonged
to Isabella and Ferdinand, by reason of
its discovery by Columbus, and order
ing the English and their defendants to
leave the country within 80 days. A
writ of tnqutena0 de Mnahe0 was subse-
quently gotten out for these old people,
and they died in the insane asylum OF
Virginia.
About the same time religious crank
named Thomas Somerville, well known
throughout the eastern counties of Vir-
ginia for his eccentricilies, arrived here
and announced that he had been "SpeCi
ally ordained by God to convert Pres
ident Jefferson to Christianity" For
several days he haunted the vicinity OF
the Presidents house and sought an
audience with Mr.. Jefferson. Being de-
MED this he mounted stump near the
gateway and preached. Hesang hymns
and prayed fervently for Jefferson to be
turned from his "infidel and atheistic
ways" He warned the people that il
the ruler did not turn from his unbeliei
and become praying Christian the
country would soon be sunk into Egyp.
tian darkness. He said that rain would
not fall, crops would be scorched and
withered, vegetation and cattle would
die, and that the continent would crack
into great chasms that would swallow
the inhabitants. Singular to say, thi:
reverend crack-brain gathered around
him number of followers, who met ir
small hall on Garrison, now Eighth
street, to listen to him foreshadow com
ing damnation.
In the list of religious lunatics Johr
Curran, daft Welchman, figured her.
about 1920. He was first observed or
the streets carrying a tin horn sever
feet long. He had patriarchal beare
and seemed most venerable. He stop
ped people and whispered to them tina
he was the angel Gabriel and had come
to call the world to judgement. H,
exhibited his tin horn and said that ir
a few days he would blow blast tina
would shake the earth to its center. HI
would, however, blow few prelimina
ry blasts in order that the people nigh
get ready for the awful moment of dis
solution. At the clearinghouse where
he stopped he told the same story. One
day he appeared at a third-story window
and blew mild blast. To the Grove
that collected below he said that it wa
only an admonitory blow. He kept VI
his blowing for half an hour, when thu
landlord, assisted by some boarders
forced him to desist. Subsequently hi
marched through the streets bearing ;
banner inscribed "Come to Judge
ment," and blowing his trumpet. A
great crowd of small boys, as well a
the men, followed him, and women anC
children rushed to the windows to be
hold this strange one-man pageant
This harmless old fellow was finally
taken charge of by his sons, who liveC
over in Virginia and were substantial
| farmers.
John c. Calhoun was greatly annoyed
by a crank who periodically appeared
here and claimed to be the twin brothe
and inspirer of the South Carolin'
statesman. He had his cards printed
civilian H. Calhoun" and said TIL
name should be spelled with an so" in
stead of an ga" and that John C. ough
to be ashamed of himself for changing
his name in that way. He frequently
called at Mr.. Calhoun's lodgings ant
sent up his card, but he never obtained
more than one audience. He wen
around telling people confidentiall
that he wrote Calhoun's speeches, ant
furnished him his looic and e1onuence